Review: The Walking Dead Compendium #1

Collects: The Walking Dead #1-#48
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Pencillers: Tony Moore & Charlie Adlard

STORY
Okay, in case you have lived under a rock, I'll give you a small recap: Small-town cop Rick Grimes gets shot in action. After he spends some time in a coma, he awakes alone at hospital. It doesn't take him long to realize: A zombie apocalypse has hit the US and possibly the whole world. Everybody who dies turns into an undead with a taste for the living.

Rick fights his way to Atlanta where he meets a group of refugees and some old acquaintances. Together they try to survive in this new hostile world. A world, in which zombies aren't their deadliest foe, but man is...

REVIEW
Robert Kirkman, you evil, evil man! How depraved can a writer be, to throw this much shit at his readers!? The story he crafts with "The Walking Dead" is the definition of "emotional rollercoaster"! I don't know if there are protagonists in pop culture, who must suffer more than Rick Grimes. Time and time again he hits rock bottom. To say nothing of all the other characters! Kirkman made one promise: "Nobody is safe". The man stands to his word... As I said: Kirkman is pure evil - and this is what makes "The Walking Dead" such a load of fun!

This series not only captivates its reader with death and violence, but manages to attach you emotionally to the characters. As my wife can confirm, I often shouted at the book angrily, whenever a beloved character died. On other occasions I cheered when Kirkman offered a glimpse of hope. Only few other books managed that. Generally: The scope of the story is epic, like a tale of Homer.

But the best comic book writing wouldn't be much without art. At first I wasn't sure if I would like the black and white only style, but Tony Moore's spectacular pencils managed to win me over. His detailed art perfectly conveys the bleakness of the characters' situation. Sadly he only draws the first arc and passes the pen to Charlie Adlard then, who drawed every other issue till today. A huge step down im my opinion. Though Adlard has his qualities and after the initial shock I became accustomed to his sketchier style. But I will always have a bittersweet feeling, when I page back to Moore's arc...

Last but not least: Thank you, Image Comics, for this massive paperback! 1088 pages of story for 35 Euro, if you're (like me) new to "The Walking Dead", this is the book you want to buy. The only bummer is that all the covers are missing from this collection, but it's the story that counts.

RATING: A-