View source for The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor

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[[File:the-walking-dead-rise-of-the-governor_4404.jpg|frame]]'''''The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor''''' is a novel written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. It is the first of three prequel novels to Kirkman's comic ''[[The Walking Dead (Comic Book)|The Walking Dead]]''.

The story focuses on the man that would later become the Governor; in the early days of the [[Zombie Apocalypse]], Philip Blake, his brother Brian and daughter Penny struggle to survive not only the undead but their fellow man.

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=== The novel contains examples of the following tropes: ===

* [[Abusive Parents]] - Philip and Brian had them.
* [[Beware the Nice Ones]] -  {{spoiler|Brian.}}
* [[Break the Cutie]] - Penny.
* [[Cold Blooded Torture]] -  {{spoiler|Philip repeatedly tortures, degrades (and in the case of the woman, rapes) the group responsible for his daughter's death.}}
* [[Crapsack World]] 
* {{spoiler|[[Dead Person Impersonation]]}} -  {{spoiler|Brian becomes Philip at the end of the novel.}}
*  {{spoiler|[[Decoy Protagonist]]}} -  {{spoiler|By the end of the novel, it's clear that Philip was a [[Red Herring]] and that this was Brian's story.}}
* [[Doomed By Canon]] - We know at the very least from the comics that Penny is set to become a zombie.
* [[Driven to Villainy]] - The Governor.
* [[Face Heel Turn]] -  {{spoiler|Brian goes from being the voice of reason to...well, you know.}}
* [[Foregone Conclusion]] - Surprisingly averted given the subject matter.
* [[He Who Fights Monsters]] - Philip, among others.
* [[Humans Are Bastards]]
* [[Infant Immortality]] - Subverted.
* [[Jumping Off the Slippery Slope]] - Philip struggles with this throughout the novel.
* [[Kill Em All]] - By the end of the novel,  {{spoiler|Brian is the only survivor.}}
* [[Klingon Promotion]] - {{spoiler|Brian gains control of Woodbury via this.}}
* [[Limited Special Collectors Ultimate Edition]] - A deluxe leatherbound edition with illustrations by series artist Charlie Adlard was also released. 
* [[Mercy Kill]] - {{spoiler|Nick puts "Sonny and Cher", two members of the gang that killed Penny, out of their misery after Philip tortures them repeatedly over an extended period of time.}}
* [[Morality Chain]] - Penny is the one thing that keeps Philip from snapping.
* [[Mythology Gag]] - After leaving a zombie-infested community, Brian leaves a sign outside warning newcomers not to enter. In the comics, Rick and his crew come upon the same exact place, but don't notice the warning until it's too late.
* [[My God What Have I Done]] - Philip after he {{spoiler|rapes April.}}
* [[Papa Wolf]] - Philip to Penny.
* [[Replacement Goldfish]] -  {{spoiler|Brian at the end replaces his dead brother with... himself.}}
* [[Room Full of Zombies]]
* [[Start of Darkness]] - For the Governor.
* [[Twist Ending]] -  {{spoiler|Think that Philip is destined to be the Governor? Nope, it's his meek, ineffectual brother who takes on Philip's name and legacy.}}
* [[Undead Child]] - The eventual fate of Penny.
* [[Villain Protagonist]] - The Governor.
* [[Well Done Son Guy]] - Brian is this to Philip.
* [[What Happened to Mommy]] - After Penny is killed and subsequently turned into a zombie, Philip refuses to have her put down.  {{spoiler|After Philip dies, Brian continues to take care of her. The comics show that he regularly feeds her body parts.}}

{{reflist}}
[[Category:Horror Literature]]
[[Category:The Walking Dead Rise Of The Governor]]
[[Category:Literature]]