The Walking Dead (comics): Difference between revisions

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''The Walking Dead'' is a [[Zombie Apocalypse]] [[Comic Book]], written by Robert Kirkman with art by Charlie Adlard, featuring an [[Ensembles|ensemble cast]] ([[Anyone Can Die|which is constantly in flux]]) of survivors [[After the End|struggling to survive]] over the long-term duration of the zombie uprising. The de facto main character is Rick Grimes, a [[Fair Cop|police officer]] who was shot in the line of duty; when he wakes up from a [[Convenient Coma]], all hell has broken loose. Rick goes in search of his family and safety, both of which end up being more tenuous than not.

 

 

The writing seems to have taken a number of things from the ''[[The Zombie Survival Guide]]'' to heart, although the two works were published within a month of each other (''[[The Zombie Survival Guide]]'' predates). This seems to be a coincidence, as Kirkman has said he hasn't read it yet.

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* [[Abandoned Hospital Awakening]]: The first issue starts with Rick getting shot, then awakening weeks later to find thing have changed.

* [[Absurdly Sharp Blade]]: Michonne's blade. Starts as an [[Averted Trope|Aversion]] - it gets stuck in a skull once, when we [[Early Installment Weirdness|first]] meet her - but then cuts through anything like a hot knife through butter. Rick's hatchet, on the other hand, is as sharp as the plot needs it to be at any given time.

* [[Affably Evil]]: The leader of the cannibal gang. There's really nothing personal about cutting off your leg. After all, a man's got to eat.

** The Governor is also pretty charismatic and well-liked by his people.

* [[An Arm and a Leg]]: {{spoiler|Rick has his right arm hacked off by the Governor}}. Then, {{spoiler|The Governor himself loses an arm, among other things, when Michonne tortures and mutilates him}}.

* [[Artificial Limbs]]: {{spoiler|Dale}} gets a makeshift wooden leg after a zombie bite [[Life or Limb Decision|forces them to amputate one of his real ones]].

* [[Badass]]: Quite a few characters, especially if they've survived for a good while. The most notable examples are probably Rick, Michonne, Andrea, Abraham and Tyreese.

* [[Break the Cutie]] / [[Driven to Suicide]]: {{spoiler|Carol, Hershel, Maggie.}}

* [[Children Forced to Kill]]: Carl does this to protect his own parents.

* [[Cold Sniper]]: Andrea can be this when she has to be.

* [[Hope Spot]]: {{spoiler|The potential cure for the plague waiting in DC? Eugene made up that story just so he could have a group protecting him. He's not even a scientist.}}

* [[How Much More Can He Take?]]: Rick vs {{spoiler|Tyreese.}}

** The inevitable [[Zombie Apocalypse]] "humans are the real threat" has been used a couple of times; the Governor does far more damage to the cast than the zombies have, Thomas {{spoiler|decapitates two children,}} and then there's [[Rape as Drama|Abraham's back story.]]

** When Tyreese is first introduced, he tells Rick that a man he knew attempted to rape his daughter when his back was turned for a second.

* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]: Its more of a revolving door of characters, usually a couple of characters dies or leaves, later the main group may discover some new survivors.

* [[Made of Plasticine]]: Selectively used. The combat is generally realistic, but zombie skulls occasionally get penetrated WAY easier than they ought to...the human skull is one of the hardest biological substances on earth. Rick's hatchet? Yes, that could do the job. Tyreese's hammer? Sure. Thinning out the zombies by the fence by driving ''kitchen knives'' through their skulls? Doubtful, but not impossible. Driving a ''pitchfork'' through a zombie's ''forehead?'' Pretty sure that's physically impossible, big muscles or not.

* [[Mauve Shirt]]: It's hard to care for some of the characters when you know that they ''will'' inevitably pick up the [[Idiot Ball]] and get themselves eaten or shot somewhere down the line.

* [[Meaningful Titles]]: See [[Zombie Infectee]].

* [[The Mole]]: {{spoiler|Martinez}}, at least until {{spoiler|he tries to return to Woodbury and Rick kills him}}.

 

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[[Category:Better Than It Sounds/Comic Books]]

[[Category:Horror Comic Books]]