The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

This is a repost of an entry I wrote on my friend's blog.

I want to get right down to business and talk about a series I've been reading and that I am just in love with right now: The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman. Robert Kirkman is well known for writing "Invincible" which is basically about what the everyday lives of superheroes must be like. Walking Dead is kind of on the same theme, except in this case the ordinary folk are ordinary folk who just happen to be survivors of some kind of zombie holocaust which left the world overrun by the dead. The thing that makes this different from any other kind of zombie book or movie is for one, you get to see a lot more. For example, in a movie they only have a span of two hours to cover a period of possibly days or weeks. In a book, it's better, but of course without the graphics. Walking Dead bridges that gap. Also, he takes the subject seriously. There are no moments that make you think, "nah, that would never happen" solely for the sake of a dramatic moment. He writes characters really well, which is not something that happens all that often in any medium.

I don't care for minimalist art, so the black and white color of the book doesn't do anything for me, but the drawing is clean and clear and your eye can easily understand what's happening, something that you don't always get with full-color illustration. Also, characters are well-drawn and realistic. If these were based on pictures of real people, you'd probably be able to recognize them if you saw them. Plus which, the artist (Tony Moore) really knows how to make a scene that's supposed to be visually exciting really exciting.

I want to return to the writing though, because although the art is good, the writing is better. I can't believe that the comic industry has a guy like Robert Kirkman in it. I mean, he knows how to write characters, he can write a tense, driving story and he can hold it all together without gimmicks. What else is there to say?

Ok, that's it. Grab a copy of the Walking Dead and read it! You won't be disappointed.