The Walking Dead tv series

[Forlorn Drifter]

So my gf just marathoned both seasons over the past few days and I watched most of it with her. I generally detest live action shows but this was a well written, well acted, and well executed one. I quite enjoyed what I saw. I haven't read any of the comics, how close is this adaption to the source material?

That season 2 finale was pretty dang good. One thing I didn't like was the weird hooded sword wielding character... felt very out of character for the series and tacky, but not in a good "zombie flick cheesey" way. Perhaps it works better in the comic? Either way, very enjoyable finale. Just thought that bit was very out of place.

One more question, can anyone specify was issue number the live action adaption ends on, approximately?

Still an ongoing series, so we can't really call an end. It's on about #96 or so? I'm not totally sure. The hooded figure seems odd now, but it will make sense. The idea behind her still seems somewhat odd to me, but it works. It stays generally close to the source material, though at times it will pull way the hell away, just to come back. The main difference is setting during certain parts and certain characters being added or taken away.

[Luke]

I really hope

Tyrese

isn't shoehorned in.

Michonne has arrived. The Governor isn't far behind. With those two players on the way, which other fan-favorite "Walking Dead" comic book characters might make their debut next season? According to Glen Mazzara, the answer could well be… Tyrese!

The "Walking Dead" showrunner participated in a conference call with press (via MovieWeb) and answered questions about the upcoming third and fourth seasons of the AMC zombie series. During the call, he confirmed that Tyrese is a character that's still very much on his radar, along with a few other familiar faces.

"I think the Tyrese character is someone we are interested in introducing at some point," said Mazzara. "We still have Morgan and Dwayne, who are out there from the pilot. We are interested in them. There are new characters that will be original to the series. Not coming straight from the comic book."

Mazzara also spoke about the show's hotly awaited move to the prison, which plays host to the "Walking Dead" story's most iconic events. In the showrunner's eyes, the prison will last all throughout season three, perhaps even beyond.

"Right now, I do see the prison storyline lasting through both season three and four," he said. "I do think that is a major storyline. I know we were on the farm, perhaps, longer than people wanted. There were reasons for that. What we want is for that prison to not feel claustrophobic. I think the farm played a little claustrophobic for some people. Now that the entire landscape has fallen victim to the zombie apocalypse, zombies are literally at the gates of this prison. That prison is a very small safe corner. There is a lot of danger around. It won't feel like we are bottled up, the way we were on the farm."

One way Mazzara plans on breaking the bottled up feeling: by introducing us to the Governor's camp.

"I do think that prison is a significant storyline, but we are also interested in opening up this world. The Governor has the world of Woodbury. There are other factors out there, other groups. I do think that Rick's group is stumbling into a much larger world."

[Gamerforlife]

I just finished reading book one (hardcover). Personally, I like the TV show better. I wonder if everyone is just partial to whatever medium first exposed them to The Walking Dead. A lot of things were handled much better in the show, like the farm story, Shane's development, the whole rubbing zombie guts over your body to hide from them thing(which is done so ridiculously in the comic book), and other things too.

Personally, after watching the show, I find that many things just feel rushed in the comic. Shane goes from normal to psycho really fast, while his progression is done more realistically in the show. The cover your body in zombie guts thing is so lame in the comic. Once they're discovered due to the rain, they run from the zombies while trying to push a loaded shopping cart. Seriously? You're running for your life and you're pushing a loaded shopping cart? And they somehow manage to get away too. Ridiculous. The farm story was really rushed in the comic and felt almost pointless. It didn't have a satisfying climax like the show did with what happened to Sophia.

Some interesting character notes, Hershel looks like an idiot in the comic, unlike the show where he seems to be handling things just fine until Shane messes everything up. Maggie seems to not be affected AT ALL by seeing her brother and sister eaten to death right before her eyes. She's just a really strange chick in the comic book. She actually knees Glen in the crotch at one point. Lori seems like more of a total bitch in the comic, not that I was that found of her in the show, but she is a very obnoxious bitch in the book. I guess I don't like her in either medium. Certainly can't figure out why two guys would be in love with her. Glenn is, well, Glen. I don't think he's much different in the show. I like Tyreese in the comic, but I miss Darryl. One more plus for the show right there. Rick is far less likeable to me in the comic. I can't say why exactly. He just doesn't seem like quite the same pillar of strength and nobility that he usually is in the show. Comic book Rick is just some regular guy. He somehow just has less presence to me. Perhaps credit there goes to the casting choice for the show. He looks the part of a leader

I don't know, things just have less weight in the book, because nothing is really fleshed out or built up well. Certain events just have more drama in the show, while the comic just kind of rushes through them. It may just be that I've gotten used to the show's pacing now, which never felt slow to me. The comic book by the very nature of the medium moves at break neck speed by comparison. By the end of book one, I find myself at the same point in the story it seems as the show currently does. Yet, somehow it feels like a lot less happened in the comic book compared to the show

[BurningDoom]

I picked up the first 4 issues of Walking Dead when they reprint the series in weekly issues (not sure if that's still running or not). I'm in full agreement with you on the show being much better. I stopped buying it after 4 issues and decided it's not worth the money because it just made me think about how much better the show was.

The artwork in the comics is black & white, which it's a zombie comic that you expect some great looking gore artwork in, which is hard to convey in B&W. That fact might be forgivable if the artwork was good, but it's just not. It looks almost cartoonish.

And I completely agree with you about the pacing. It works much better on T.V., IMO.

[Forlorn Drifter]

I picked up the first 4 issues of Walking Dead when they reprint the series in weekly issues (not sure if that's still running or not). I'm in full agreement with you on the show being much better. I stopped buying it after 4 issues and decided it's not worth the money because it just made me think about how much better the show was.

The artwork in the comics is black & white, which it's a zombie comic that you expect some great looking gore artwork in, which is hard to convey in B&W. That fact might be forgivable if the artwork was good, but it's just not. It looks almost cartoonish.

And I completely agree with you about the pacing. It works much better on T.V., IMO.

Just a note, I believe the art gets a bit better when it swaps to the other artist. Not sure which comic that is.

I personally love the comic. I felt the pacing is right, getting the point of how dark this world is in a smaller amount of time, and fleshing out the characters enough to get an idea. Going by the hardcovers, my preferred medium, it starts getting good about halfway through the second, I believe.

The pacing, you have to remember, is in a comic. I've shown years shown through 4 panels in comics before. A lot happened in those years, and some later turned out to be important. But I kinda compare that to this, where you need to remember, especially in the case of the books, that you would normally have to wait a couple of weeks between books, giving the illusion of time spent.

Meh, I can't think straight right now.

[neilencio]

I personally like the Black and White art in the comic, as it still conveys the gore without going too over the top. Compare it with Garth Ennis' "Crossed", where all the gore and splatter is done in full color, and it just gets silly over time (although I have to admit, part of it is the fact that the gore in Crossed is really is ridiculously over the top compared to The Walking Dead's).

[Cronozilla]

The comic picks up after the second arc. The show's tone is actually more of an adoption of the 3rd arc and on more than anything else. Which make sense, since Kirkman started developing the show well beyond when the comic changed tone.

The comic likely changed in tone because it was a new book anyway.

[Luke]

I personally like the Black and White art in the comic, as it still conveys the gore without going too over the top.

When fanboys first got the news that there would be a WD tv show and that it would be in color, they were pissed. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD/PSYCHO/etc. are no less creepy because they are in black and white, and at least in my eyes, the comic being in B&W adds to the overall gloomy and dismal theme.

So far (last two episodes aside) I strongly prefer the comic. Yes, it has its flaws (it's hard to keep up with who is who at points) but it isn't panel after panel after panel after panel (you get the idea) of people just standing around thinking. Something is always happening, and like the show, not always is about the zombies. The show focuses a little too much on character development and at times it's more of a drama than a story of survival.

Rarely has the show made me cringe, but the WD comic is the first comic I've ever read that has made me flinch from the overwhelming violence and sheer carnage. The plot also advances more smoothly in the comics, but that in mind with all the changes in the writing and creative staff for the television show, I believe this next season can be on par with the comic. Not sure how they'll handle Michonne's situation (you can't show her complete story line on cable television), but I'm looking forward to it.

[Cronozilla]

I don't know, dude, they could infer it. I mean, they basically shot two kids on camera in a single season. So. Who knows.

[Luke]

I don't know, dude, they could infer it. I mean, they basically shot two kids on camera in a single season. So. Who knows.

Feel free to call me Luke. Not that I don't mind being called "Dude".

But...

You can infer all the raping and torturing of Michonne, but her revenge is kind of hard to explain without showing some of it. I guess the Gov could come out with some amputations and an eye patch, and maybe you could show him trying to urinate and failing miserably, but the act of nailing him and his dick down to plywood (it was plywood wasn't it) will be gard for non-readers to interpret. The removal of finger nails and the scooping out of the eye with a spoon as portrayed in the comics....makes me shudder to even think about it.

Now amc got away with tons of gore with Breaking Bad, but no nudity. How they deal with michonne and the gov without nudity will be hard to do (unless they hire some shadow filming guru, which they may already have). If the fcc permits "penis shadows" it could work.