Powerful Pages - The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman (2003 - 2019)

Powerful Pages - The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman (2003 - 2019)

In a surprise move, writer Robert Kirkman brought his comic book powerhouse The Walking Dead to an end in July without any fanfare.  The end of the line for the written exploits of his beloved hero Rick Grimes came in issue 193.  That's quite a run for a series that truly came from out of nowhere, a title the creator himself acknowledges had little chance of surviving a dozen issues.  Instead, it became a major brand in and of itself, leading to a massive hit for AMC in the form of a television series.  That show has produced one spinoff already with others waiting in the wings, and there are feature films in the production line.  The property has also yielded novels, board games, and video games, as well as collectibles and apparel.  It is undoubtedly one of the most successful and culturally significant comic series of its time, and the franchise lives on despite the abrupt conclusion to the books that launched this phenomenon.

I am a fan of both the comics and the television show, though I have always favored the former--and I have always tried to make that clear.  Fans of the show, which has always had its ups and downs, need to understand that there is a vastly superior undistilled format of this story out there.  Now, I'm not going to argue that the comics haven't seen their fair share of ups and downs, no series can last that long without a few hiccups.  I will state, however, that the peaks have always been far higher while the valleys have rarely cut that deep.  In fact, I will hail Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead as one of the finest stories ever penned, and those who cherish a grand opus in the horror genre will find few alternatives as big, bold, and insightful.  Truthfully, if I am searching for a signature work of similar breadth, only a few candidates come to mind.  While Stephen King's The Stand is a finer offering, I would rank this alongside Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons.  Some might say that's high praise for a comic, but I rate Alan Moore's Watchmen among the best things ever written, and I view the format no differently than I view books, screenplays, essays, songs, or poems.  Okay, that's a lie: poems are always dead last where literature is concerned.

In addition to my love for the written word, I'll claim some expertise here as a horror fanatic who has some serious love for the zombie sub-genre.  And I'll ramp up the praise here by stating that I'm not sure that anyone other than dear departed George Romero himself has done as much for that niche.  Where zombie tales are concerned, I would rank only the original Dawn of the Dead above Kirkman's comics, and I see that as debatable.  It's not just that this series revitalized the zombie craze, it took it to even greater heights.  It did so by presenting an epic journey, the story of one man who forever changed the landscape of a searing apocalyptic vision.  Rick Grimes faced incredible odds.  He encountered devious villains.  He won fierce battles and suffered heartbreaking losses.  Unlike many protagonists, he also made devestating mistakes.  This character's story gave readers so much to enjoy, so much to mourn, so much to debate, and so much to savor.  I don't think the medium had ever seen anything like it, and I'm not sure we'll ever experience anything to rival this gargantuan undertaking again.

In taking us on this journey, Kirkman actually took us on numerous journeys, and many of these episodes would rate as epics on their own.  In the beginning, Rick struggled to find purchase in a terrible new world; zombies were the greatest threat in this grim environment, but there were other threats, to include his best friend.  Then came Hershel's farm, and that gave way to one of the richest and most celebrated arcs, the prison storyline.  Kirkman introduced us to the Governor during this chapter of The Walking Dead, and in facing this vile foe, our hero would lose damn near everything.  Then came Alexandria, and something that genuinely resembled hope.  Later we would meet Negan, one of the most hated baddies ever to grace the printed page.  Negan earned this status by virtue of maybe the biggest shock Kirkman ever assailed his devoted audience with, and major jolts have been one of the staples of The Walking Dead from the very beginning.  The Whisperers would soon join the fray, representing perhaps the creepiest fiends to appear in these pages.  The tale would reach its unexpected end in the Commonwealth, another gripping piece of this unforgettable puzzle.  There were other stories woven into this mammoth tapestry, introducing us to countless characters we would come to love or hate.  AMC has brough most of these players, places, and events to the small screen, often to tremendous effect.  And yet, aside from where Jon Bernthal's work as Shane is concerned, it has repeatedly fallen well short of the mark.

Like most readers, I am sad to see this story come to an end.  However, I cannot find fault with Kirkman's decision, and I found the last beat in this tale to be a powerful one.  The Walking Dead ended in much the same way that it began--the finale was equal parts unforseen and satisfying.  It came as a surprise, and it resonated because it worked on such a personal level.  In telling his tale and establishing Rick Grimes as a legend, I feel that Robert Kirkman has done something truly legendary.  I give this saga my highest recommendation, and I can't thank those involved enough for nearly two decades of stupendous zombie excitement.  Lest I forget, let me note here that while I think Kirkman's vision and talent are the primary ingredients in The Walking Dead's success, the artwork has always been a perfect match to his gruesome musings.  The initial run was brought to life by Tony Moore, who is also credited as the co-creator, and Charlie Adlard took over from there--though Moore still handled the covers until issue #25.  The stability represented therein, which is a true rarity in this industry, is yet another driving force behind the scope and the magnificence of this once-in-a-lifetime venture.  In summary, there are few works of art that have meant so much to me, and I am truly sorry to be writing what I hope is both a rave review and a fond farewell.

Final Grade: A+

Short Attention Span Review: Rampage (2018)

Short Attention Span Review: Rampage (2018)

As someone who played the video game this movie is based on in my youth, the news that this property was being developed into a film hit me like a ton of meh.  There wasn't much in the way of a plot so far as the game was concerned, and even after The Rock signed on to star in the picture, I just didn't see how this could be anything special.  I think I was expecting something more along the lines of Pixels, so I got a pleasant surprise when I took my son to see this one in the theater.  We revisited it on Blu-Ray this weekend with the whole fam, and my opinion hasn't changed: Rampage is a solid creature feature.  It's not quite on par with Kong: Skull Island, but it isn't too far off, and while I think the 2014 version of Godzilla is a superior movie, Rampage offers a lot more in the way of entertainment.  The effects were pretty awesome, there were some big laughs along the way, and anyone who enjoys seeing giant monsters run amok is guaranteed to enjoy the shenanigans that unfold in this nonsensical romp.  The Rock does a bang-up job in the lead role, investing a lot of heart into the picture, while most everyone else is relegated to playing a cliche aside from George, the albino gorilla/CGI spectacle who enjoys quite a bromance with our star.  Genre fans will likely enjoy the little Predator homage embedded in the first act, and the last reel is a cinematic bombardment of carnage on an epic scale.  Perhaps most impressive is the fact that the movie manages to tell an interesting tale and deliver some serious kicks while also finding a way to pay homage to the simplistic video game it is based upon.  While I'm a big fan of The Rock as a personality, I have often found his filmography to be a bit lacking, and I surely didn't expect Rampage to offer anything new and different.  In truth, it didn't, but those who enjoy my blog should know by now that I'm sucker for a creature feature, and I'm not one to throw stones at a servicable B movie.  This is both of those things, and it is also one of The Rock's most enjoyable offerings.

Final Grade: B+

Surprisingly, Rampage emerges as a solid creature feature and one of The Rock's  most entertaining movies.

The Walking Dead: Season 5, Episode 1 - "No Sanctuary"

I'm not going to do a full-fledged review here because it would be impossible to do so without killing you guys with spoilers, but let's just say that this premiere really tied off a lot of plot lines that were set in motion last year.  Not only that, but the payoffs were delivered in style.  We saw things looking as bad as they possibly could, then we saw a lot of ass-kicking, and finally things got nice and tender in a conclusion that probably had most everyone who follows the show reaching for their Kleenex.  And it was all good.  Sometimes the show falls flat when it's time to deliver a killer action scene, sometimes the gore has looked a bit cheesy in recent seasons, and they've frequently bungled emotional payoffs, but that was never the case with "No Sanctuary."  The tension was incredible, the action was well-choreographed and sufficiently bloody, the gore was impressive, and the heartstring-plucking we were served up this time out was probably the best hearstring-plucking we've seen on the show.
Honestly, I think I'm in love again.  I thought the first two seasons of the show really elevated the material.  I was seriously stoked when they moved toward the prison storyline, which is my favorite arc from the comics to date, and unfortunately seasons three and four left me feeling a little empty deep down inside.  With the onset of season five, AMC has once again elevated the source material, and for the first time since Rick killed his best friend (who was probably the best thing about the show in some strange, twisted way), I am once again fully invested in the television show.  So, yeah, "No Sanctuary" was everything we were hoping for.  If you're a fan and you haven't seen it yet, avoid shit like this.  I'm probably the only person who is going to say much about that premiere without spoiling the whole thing.  I've probably said too much, but it was so awesome that I know many reviewers are going to lay all the cards on the table, face-up, and I assure you that you would rather see it for yourself.

It was grand, it was epic--it was one hell of a premiere.  The Walking Dead is back in a big way, and I'm hoping they can keep things rolling. 

The Walking Dead: What Comes After

What a wait!  After the last volume, Something to Fear, I was so eager for the next installment of The Walking Dead that I almost started buying individual issues.  However, I was a late arrival to the party, and since I was on Volume 16 of the trade paperbacks before I caught up, it makes sense to keep scoring these collections.  Anyway, Something to Fear was one of the most difficult reads yet, establishing Negan as perhaps the greatest threat Rick and the gang have yet to face.  Considering that they have already dealt with The Governor, that is quite a compliment.  Of course, when I speak of The Governor, I'm referring to that devilish badass who wreaked havoc in the comics, not that pansy who found time for a little rage every once-in-a-while on the TV show and spent the rest of his time sulking and screwing the mockery of Andrea in the comics that AMC's Andrea became. 
Rant over.

So, after a gut-wrenching read that killed off two of the book's most likable characters, What Comes After changed gears and slowed down enough to let us wallow in the aftermath.  We saw Rick's people losing faith in their dedicated leader, and we saw another side of Negan that makes his character incredibly complex.  He was still depicted as a violent madman and we came to learn that he is nearly as selfish and arrogant as he is vicious.  Yet we also saw that he can be quite reasonable, and at times he was almost likeable.  Not only does this give the character incredible depth, but it makes him wildly unpredictable going forward.  It may even present Rick with some conflict as he preps for war, but I wouldn't expect him to be too forgiving.

Carl also played a major role in this arc, and he remains as entertaining and puzzling as ever.  It's easy to forgive Carl for pretty much anything in this series given what he has been subjected to, and in this storyline we saw him veer from wounded son to absolute badass to scared little boy to level-headed son of the apocalypse.  His presence is a tremendous boost to The Walking Dead, for he is also wildly unpredictable, and he's probably the only good guy that still has the ability to shock us.  We're pretty sure of how everyone else is going to respond to most situations, but Carl is an enigma.  This particular arc gave him a wealth of things to do, and I think much of the material that centered on him was among the staunchest stuff in What Comes After.

There wasn't as much action this time out, but there was enough carnage to satisfy me, and even if this wasn't one of the most groundbreaking or exciting arcs to come down the pike, it was incredibly informative.  Negan continues to dominate the landscape, and Rick and crew have seldom seemed so vulnerable.  This felt like a bridge between Something to Fear and whatever it is that Kirkman has up his sleeve for the next arc, but it was a satisfying read and another stellar installment in an epic series.  You may like the show more than I do, but it suffers greatly when compared to the source material.  If you call yourself a fan of The Walking Dead and you're not reading these books, you're truly missing out.  Additionally, there is so much disparity between the two, it's not going to spoil anything for you.  For every element of the comics that AMC has embraced, there are two to three major plot points they have altered or discarded altogether.  I would encourage you to start at the beginning, but whatever you do, don't read What Comes After without reading Something to Fear first.

Now, I just have to wait for the next one . . .

Read my review of the previous installment, Something to Fear, here.

The Walking Dead: Something to Fear

I'm eagerly awaiting tonight's episode of The Walking Dead, but last night I finally got to sit down with the latest graphic novel and catch up with Rick and the gang.  I was already dreading "Something to Fear" as one of the big deaths (yes, there are more than one) had already been spoiled for me (thanks again, Scott!), but I wasn't expecting to see more than one of my favorites perish and this was a tough read from start to finish. 

I've frequently described Kirkman's The Walking Dead as a title that I would put up there with Stephen King's The Stand so far as scope and depth are concerned.  This is a challenging story that has riveted countless readers with its dedication to delivering an unrelenting product, and the latest installment is another indication that Kirkman will not pull any punches in his quest to unnerve and disturb.

Like usual, I tore through this volume as soon as I had an opportunity to sit down with it, and I wasn't disappointed.  The tension was unbelievable, and while one of the big deaths that shook up me up was sudden and completely unexpected, one of them was a grisly affair that seemed to go on forever.  This isn't a title for the faint of heart, and "Something to Fear" was one of the most gruesome offerings we have been served up thus far.

In fact, it quickly went from grim and difficult to thoroughly depressing, though the last page revealed an unexpected direction that will make the wait for the next collection nearly impossible to endure.  Everything was top-notch about this installment, though I was most impressed by Negan, the bloodthirsty thug who was unveiled with such grandeur that he instantly joins The Governor as one of The Walking Dead's most memorable villains.  In fact, thus far I think he represents a more terrifying and powerful adversary, and if Kirkman can deliver a finale deserving of his potent introduction, well then, we may just have a villain who is actually capable of dispatching The Governor as the title's most despicable menace.

Negan beating  ________ to death with a bat wrapped in barb-wire.

 Can you imagine that?  What would it say about Kirkman and his talent if he can equal or top The Governor?  Does one story deserve two villains of such stature?

I love the show, and I'm eager for tonight's mid-season finale, but the source material is superior, and "Something to Fear" was a great example of just how good this book is.  This was not the most exciting or entertaining entry to date, and it was actually rather dreary at times, but at the same time the strength of this arc was impressive to behold.  It was challenging, it was saddening, it was sadistic, and it was extremely violent.  As the story progresses and Rick's journey becomes more and more difficult, I feel that we are at the onset of a descent into a new realm of horror, or at least that's my take after enjoying another dastardly sampling of The Walking Dead.