The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor

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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.

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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Tropes used in The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor include:

• Abusive Parents - Philip and Brian had them.
• Beware the Nice Ones - Brian.
• Break the Cutie - Penny.
• Cold-Blooded Torture - Philip repeatedly tortures, degrades (and in the case of the woman, rapes) the group responsible for his daughter's death.
• Crapsack World
• Dead Person Impersonation - Brian becomes Philip at the end of the novel.
• Decoy Protagonist - 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 - 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 the Real Monsters
• Infant Immortality - Subverted.
• Jumping Off the Slippery Slope - Philip struggles with this throughout the novel.
• Kill'Em All - By the end of the novel, Brian is the only survivor.
• Klingon Promotion - 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 - 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 rapes April.
• Papa Wolf - Philip to Penny.
• Replacement Goldfish - Brian at the end replaces his dead brother with... himself.
• Room Full of Zombies
• Start of Darkness - For the Governor.
• Twist Ending - 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. After Philip dies, Brian continues to take care of her. The comics show that he regularly feeds her body parts.