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• melrailey-412132

  (5/5)

  This is the first volume of the comic series that the AMC TV show is based on. I haven't watched any of the TV show but it's been getting pretty good reviews; so, I decided to read the graphic novels. In this volume, Rick is a police officer that gets shot in the line of duty. He ends up in a coma. When he wakes up, something has happened and there are zombies all over the country. Rick works his way down to Atlanta where he hopes to find his family. I was very surprised at how quickly I got into this story. I read almost no zombie stories and, in truth, they don't interest me but it was very easy to identify with Rick and cheer for the characters. I'm curious to see how things are explained and find out exactly what it was that caused the zombie outbreak.
• clurb

  (4/5)

  '28 Days Later'-esque, Rick Grimes, a small town cop, wakes up from a coma to find that society has been destroyed by an epidemic of zombies. This volume details Rick's journey across country to find his wife and son. Whilst the idea of a long, character-driven zombie story intrigues me, and I admittedly raced through this volume, I wasn't overly taken by Kirkman's sometimes corny dialogue, or the overall quality of the artwork where characters can change appearance several times during the length of a page. The jury's out with this one.
• zhyatt-1

  (4/5)

  I got into the whole zombie trend a bit late - around 2008, in fact. Thus, I was able to witness the mass-production and trivialization of one of horror's best-loved icons after discovering it so very, very late in the game. I was essentially driven backwards in time, drinking in the Romero series, forming vehement opinions on fast zombies vs slow zombies, and basically becoming as pretentious as possible.I first heard about The Walking Dead when AMC came out with the series; I loved the first season of the show. Telltale Games' game series made me cry bitch tears. I decided that I should go back to the source and try out the comics. I'm not sure why, but I wasn't expecting quite as much... camp.Now, don't get me wrong, I love cheesy, campy horror - especially the self-aware kind that knows just when to play it for laughs. But TWD almost NEVER plays it for laughs, which makes potentially funny moments awkward, and serious moments unintentionally funny. Example: In the first several pages, when Rick wakes up in the hospital and finds his first walkers, the following dialogue is uttered (emphasis not mine): "What's WRONG with you?! Can't you UNDERSTAND?!" As Rick makes a face that could have come out of a '70s giallo film, I could hear the pipe organs in my head.Despite the awkward moments, I did enjoy the first TPB and am still catching up with the series. The plot is standard zombie fare - what's happening, where are the survivors, don't get bit, shoot 'em in the head. Nothing really new is brought to the table, which is just fine with me. From what I understand, the series gets much more involved and convoluted as it goes on. Overall, fun, familiar story, nice-if-exaggerated characters, and zombies. What's not to love?
• selinalynn69

  (3/5)

  very different from the show
• cynical_ames

  (3/5)

  #1 read 09 Aug 2014 {free from Humble Bundle}
  #2 read 09 Aug 2014 {free from Humble Bundle}
  #3 read 09 Aug 2014 {free from Humble Bundle}
  #4 read 02 Sep 2014 {library book}
  #5 read 02 Sep 2014 {library book}
  #6 read 02 Sep 2014 {library book}
• boundtogetherforgood

  (4/5)

  Since we are big fans of the show, I wanted to read the graphic novels that started it all. I'm not a fan of graphic novels. I'm enjoying them okay. I very much prefer the storyline in the tv series, compared to that of the novels. The written characters are hard and mostly uncaring. The characters in the AMC series are much easier to like.
• bookworm_naida

  (4/5)

  I'm a big fan of the tv show, The Walking Dead, so I was curious to see how the comics are. So far, from reading this first comic, the show stays pretty close to it. This first installment ends with Shane's death and if I remember correctly, that was how season 2 of the tv show ended. There's a few characters in the comic that aren't in the tv series, but from what I see the show pretty much follows the comic. So far, anyway because I have heard the two are different.However, I think the tv show and the actors truly bring these characters to life. Rick Grimes is one of my favorite characters, ever, and to see his character change over these four seasons has really been one of my favorite aspects of the story. Actor Andrew Lincoln is truly wonderful in this role and does an amazing job. Creator Robert Kirkman promises that we will know what happens to Rick in the end, there will be no wondering.I think the comics are a nice complimentary reading for fans of The Walking Dead series. The illustrations are pretty neat, I like how they capture the grim reality of what is going on in this post apocalyptic world. I'm a fan of zombie stories because I feel like it's interesting to see what such a world can do to people, and how it can change them. The zombies aren't the scariest part, the people are. It's human nature to want to survive, but at what cost?Robert Kirkman paints a dark and difficult new world here in a realistic and intriguing way. What I really want to get my hands on are the Walking Dead books, starting with the The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, also written by Kirkman.disclaimer:This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any type of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers and authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I purchased my copy of The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye.
• mothwing-2

  (1/5)

  You probably have to like comic books to get like this. In this one, zombies and people breasts or muscles do things that ordinary people with intact brains (living or dead) most likely wouldn't do, but given that there are idiots everywhere could be seen as realistic by a forgiving audience.
  
  The artists don't look at women the way they do at men. Men have various looks and have diverse features, women have large breasts and make-up in spite of the apocalypse (no, female eyes don't naturally look like that). They can't draw fat women worth a damn, too, but, er, points for trying? I don't know. As mostly with comics you get 2D male characters and 1D female characters (with DD breasts, though).
  
  That ought to explain the target audience and why I'm not it.
• aethercowboy

  (5/5)

  There's something to be said about zombies. They are a very interesting pop culture phenomenon, from Plan 9 from Outer Space to Left 4 Dead, zombies have swarmed into our culture and multiplied, most likely by biting elements of the culture, and thus turning those elements into zombies. Why else would we have things like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?Or The Walking Dead?The Walking Dead is like the NeverEnding Story, only instead of luck dragons and childlike empresses, we have zombies and humans trying not to be turned into zombies. It follows the story of a police officer, after waking up in the hospital (which seems to be a very common theme among zombie and zomboid films). He slowly makes his way to Atlanta, which is overrun with the undead. He finds his family, having left him in the hospital, and he and they and the rest of the survivors live (if living you could call it) on the outskirts of the town.Beautifully drawn by Tony Moore, this comic features panel after panel of black and white images. Additionally, it is masterfully written by Kirkman, a fan of the classic (and in my opinion, only) zombie.If you like books by authors like Brooks or films by Romero, you'll most certainly have a place for Walking Dead in your heart. Just make sure it doesn't get to your brains.
• annenoise

  (2/5)

  For all the hype this series got, I have almost no drive to read the second volume - the characters were predictable and boring, the plot was... predictable and boring, and unless more interesting story arcs start to come out of the woodwork, I doubt I'll continue after the second volume. Good art if somewhat uninspired. That's actually how I felt about the entire first volume - uninspired. The zombie genre is done to death, and this adds nothing interesting or original.
• titania86_1

  (5/5)

  The Walking Dead comic book series is one of the most well written and interesting piece of zombie literature out there. There are currently 10 mass market paperbacks out and it's still going strong. The story follows Rick, his family, and his band of random friends as they struggle to survive in a post-zombie apocalypse world. The characters are diverse in every way: in sex, race, age, and sanity. As you probably know, many horror movies rely on the characters doing stupid things to move the plot ahead. This really isn't the case with The Walking Dead series. Of course the characters sometimes make fatal mistakes, but it isn't the main plot device. (I think it's wonderful that stupidity is swiftly punished in this world.) Problems in this world do not only stem from zombies. There are so many other things to worry about: food, shelter, raising children, inner group conflicts, and even other humans. Sometimes, encountering other humans is much more dangerous than any zombie. Keep in mind that there is no longer any government, laws or regulations to follow. People can essentially do whatever they want without any repercussions. I think this is the scariest aspect of this world. Some people turn into complete monsters and do terrible things. Even the main characters have to struggle with their own humanity because they are surrounded by so much violence and gore. No character is safe in this series. Anyone could die at any time for any reason. The deaths are unexpected and often pretty brutal. I like this unpredictability because it keeps my interest and makes me want to know more after I read each issue. The only problem with this series is that the mass market paperbacks don't come out as often as I would like. I would recommend this series to any zombie fan. If you don't usually read comic books, please give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.
• pastorbob_1

  (5/5)

  A striking and powerful graphic novel. Kirkman is clear in his introduction that he wants to write about characters changing in response to extreme situations, and at the same time critique our culture. He wants us to question 'our station' in society, and the station of our society itself. With urban & suburban backdrops that look like a Walmart and a Target smashed head first into each other at high speed, this first novel follows Officer Rick Grimes who wakes from a coma to find the world has fallen apart. As he searches for his wife and son, and struggles to help a camp of survivors stay safe, volume 1 sets the stage for an epic tale intended to follow Rick over the next years as he finds his way forward through the dark.
• 4everfanatical

  (5/5)

  I am a huge fan of The Walking Dead series, I just knew I had to check out the comic series that they were based on. It didn't disappoint.
  
  It is the first time I have ever really read a comic and I LOVED it! It is a bit different then the TV show but I liked that cause it meant that I was surprised by some of the different storylines. The black and white artwork is amazing, and I don't think it would be the same if it was full colour.
  
  I can't wait to read more in the series.
• tina1969_1

  (4/5)

  The Walking Dead for me is the best programme and my favourite of all time. I haven't read any of the comics or books and I haven't read a graphic novel before either.I found that I read this volume very quickl but had to get used to the order of the speech. If it weren't for the tv show I perhaps wouldn't have picked this up. I'm intrigued to see how close the show is to the original story. Up to yet quite close but with a few changes along the way. Characters are there that I remember and maybe a couple that I don't. Not sure if I can become a comic or graphic novel fan but it was certainly different from reading a novel.
• ellsbethb

  (3/5)

  While I'm told the comics are quite different than the TV show, this first volume stuck pretty close to the TV narrative. It was a good read and I'll probably pick up another volume.
• tapestry100

  (3/5)

  Much like the TV series, I'm still left very much "meh" when it comes to this story. The art here, presented in B&W, is good, and the writing isn't necessarily bad, it just leaves something to be desired for me. I'll give the second volume a try and if it doesn't really capture my attention more, I think I'm going to give up on TWD entirely.
• booklover3258

  (4/5)

  I'm a fan of the TV show. However, I have missed a few seasons and wanted to start reading the graphic novel and get caught up on the show with the past seasons. I enjoyed this book. So weird to see Rick as a cartoon but I got used to it. Happy it was in black and white so I didn't get to see the gore in color (yes I'm a wus). The end was surprising with Carl saving his dad's life. I'm looking forward to reading the other graphic novels in the series and comparing it to the tv show.
• ssimon2000-1

  (4/5)

  I know I'm late getting on this bandwagon...
  
  4 stars. Good start to the story.
• amyghilton

  (5/5)

  This is where it all started! I have not seen the show yet, so I wanted to experience it on paper first. Great first volume!
• sharonluvscats

  (1/5)

  This book was so obnoxious. The women spend the whole novel doing wash and acting like a bunch of wimps. The only strong female character who protests their treatment comes across like a whiny bitch. At one point one of the male characters wonders how her husband can even "put up with her." All the male characters are super macho and spend their time hunting. Too many stereotypes for me in one novel. If this is what the zombie apocalypse is going to be like I pray that I am one of the first victims! I'd rather shuffle around eating brains than live with these people.
• jasonli_1

  (2/5)

  "The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye (vol 1)" is the opening chapter of a long-running series on life in a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world. Kirkman chooses to focus on Rick, a former police officer, and his evolving relationships with his family and those in their survivor camp. The illustration style is sharp and employs a healthy variety of different layouts.Perhaps I'm coming to this too late, but I found that "the Walking Dead" reads like other zombie comics/shows/movies, and does not do enough to put a twist in the formula. (It doesn't help that the first scene is more or less a replica of the one in "28 Days Later" (the movie).) To be fair, Kirkman stresses in his introduction that the goal of the series is to watch its main character change and grow over time. So there's potential for the series to pick up as time goes on. But for now, I'm not staying long enough to find out.
• ravenswoodpublishi-1

  (5/5)

  ROBERT KIRKMAN'S "WALKING DEAD: DAYS GONE BY"(A REVIEW)Once upon a time I was one of those women that was scared to death of zombies and I wouldn't even watch anything that had them on it. I didn't want to see pictures I would turn my head in disgust and literally run away almost screaming at the sight. I think deep down it was always the thought of 'what if' that kept me from wanting to have anything to do with a genre that is becoming rapidly more popular. Those days ended when my husband decided we were going to watch "The Walking Dead" on AMC.I was instantly hooked, and it really had nothing to do with the zombies as much as it did the humanity of the people that were still living. The books are no different. Having read the first one in a series I can honestly say I intend to seek them all out one by one.You get a feeling of what it would truly be like to live through such a horrible plague and discover that you are perhaps one of the last living people on the planet. There is emotion, turmoil, truth and sincerity in these graphic novels as well as the show on television.You soon even begin to feel sorry for those that have been turned and you have to ask yourself what you would do if that happened to someone in your family. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised and now I'm not as horrified by the zombies as I once was. Robert Kirkman has done a phenomenal job and I can only hope he'll continue with the story for as long as he can.-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
• israfel13

  (4/5)

  Strong characters that you actually care about keep this one from just being one more zombie story.
• jayrogers_1

  (5/5)

  This first book, illustrated by Tony Moore, is the best-illustrated of this extended post-zombilyptic graphic novel.
• arctic1stranger

  (3/5)

  First caveat--this is a comic book, and if you think all comics are graphic novels in the vein of Maus, you will be disappointed here. Second, it is a Zombie comic. Now I happen to love Zombie lit, and comics, and I dont have very high expectations of them. I did enjoy this series, and ended up reading all seven volumes. (And I am awaiting the 8th.) This is not the most original piece of Zombie lit I have read, but it is entertaining, in the same way watching TV reruns can be entertaining. Kirkman uses old themes, and does not add many new ones. The protaganist wakes up in a hospital after the intitial outbreak (shades of "28 Days Later") and then the series takes a decided Romero direction. Kirkman does not add anything new, but builds on the traditional Zombie themes. Over the series he does provide space for the characters to develop. The first volume is probably the weakest, probably because you really haven't gotten an opportunity to care about these people yet. But they do grow on you.
• kayceel_4

  (5/5)

  Being completely enamored of zombie stories, it's not at all surprising that I love this series.Rick Grimes, small-town cop, wakes from a coma to discover the world as he knew it gone, and surrounded by zombies. His wife and son are gone - to Atlanta, he comes to believe - and he decides to try and survive and find his family.When Rick finds them (a bit unbelievable, yes, but go with it), he joins the motley group of survivors they've been staying with, and tensions quickly arise when Rick feels they should move farther away from the city of Atlanta and Shane, Rick's cop friend who's been serving as the unofficial leader of the group, disagrees.This is a story about survival, pure and simple. Yes, they're trying to survive among zombies, but they still must face incredibly difficult choices. What are you willing to do to survive? How far will you go to protect those you love? How can very different people work together to survive.Compelling and very dark, I recommend this one heartily!
• cmwilson101

  (4/5)

  A graphic novel with some amazing art. Really beautifully illustrated. The story centers around a cop, his family, and a small group of survivors after a zombie apocalypse.I've not read many graphical novels, and it was interesting to see the illustrations while reading the book. It adds a new element to the story. This was a very short book, though, so I can't really comment as to the plot. I felt like I was just getting started and then it was over. I'll have to get all the volumes so I can read at once.
• silenceiseverything

  (5/5)

  Okay, so I've never read a comic book or graphic novel in my life. It just didn't seem like my type of thing and I've always thought that I would never get into reading something like that. But I figured since the TV show is coming out soon, I love zombies/horror/apocalyptic books and movies, what better way to branch out of my reading comfort than to about things I usually enjoy. And I must say that it was far from a mistake because I loved the first volume of The Walking Dead. Zombie fan that I am, I had assumed that the only thing I would like about The Walking Dead would be, you know, the zombies. However, while I liked the zombies, I was completely enthralled by the characters and the whole dire situation that they were in. I was also very into the drama of their lives: the love triangles, the spats between the non-judgmental with the actual judgemental, etc., etc. The way humanity was portrayed just seemed very real to me. In times of crisis, people's true colors come out whether those colors happen to be pleasant or not (and most times they aren't pleasant). There was no sugar-coating of the human spirit. It was what it was. Like I've mentioned before, I've never read a comic book before so I'm not sure what's considered to be "good" comic book art and "bad" comic book art. The illustrations seemed pretty well done to me (Sure, I confused Rick and Shane a couple of times until I remembered "Okay, Shane is the bulky one with the scowl permanently attached to his face and Rick is the string bean one with the heroic facial expressions"). The zombies seemed zombie like and brutal (of course not as they look on TV or movies but still pretty damn good). It did take me a few pages to follow who was saying what (the bubbles got a bit confusing for a minute) and to get used to the comic book format in general. But it wasn't too bad for a complete and total newbie like me. And I did laugh when the zombies "Ugh"-ed and "Glak"-ed since apparently that's all the zombie vocabulary requires; in fact it's practically a staple. So, I did love The Walking Dead. It was brutal and gory but most importantly it had heart. It's about a man trying to protect his family. That was heartwarming. In the interest of full disclosure, I am going to say that this comic book did make me cry, not only once, but twice. This was just very entertaining and really great. I have Volume 2 waiting for me and I've already put volumes 3 and 4 on hold from my library. Yay! for me finding a new form of reading. Can't wait to seek out more comics/graphic novels.
• darkfaerietales_1

  (5/5)

  Quick & Dirty: This darkly dangerous tale pulls you into an apocalyptic world of zombies, mayhem, and cannibals. You can run, but you can't hide. You are The Walking Dead...Opening Sentence: This is not good.The Review:This October a new series on AMC, The Walking Dead, will premier. Frank Darabont, director of The Mist, one of my favorite horror movies, is the new series’ writer, director and producer. I knew The Walking Dead was based on the comic book of the same name, so I decided to check out the source material, and wow! I’m glad I did. The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore (with help from Cliff Rathburn) is among the greats of the genre, comfortably sharing the stage with Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later and Max Brooks’ World War Z. The Walking Dead is, if nothing else, certainly the best zombie comic to date. Admittedly, as a sporadic comic reader, I had really low expectations before I sat down to read this series. I’m pleased to say that Robert Kirkman shattered my expectations and that The Walking Dead is genuinely one of the most compelling stories I’ve ever read in any format.Volume 1: Days Gone By covers issues 1-6, which follows Rick Grimes, a small-town sheriff. Rick awakens in an abandoned hospital (evoking a little déjà vu for those of us familiar with 28 Days Later). It isn’t long before Rick realizes something horrible has happened while he’s been in a coma because there are bodies everywhere. Worse still, Rick soon discovers that these corpses don’t stay still. They roam. They lurk. But worst of all, they bite. Rick and his family, along with other scattered survivors, struggle to survive in a world overrun by the walking dead. Survivors are outnumbered and completely fu*@ed. You’ll quickly get swept up in Rick’s story. You’ll find yourself hoping for the best, but also dreading what might lurk around the corner, under every car, and behind every closed door. Kirkman excels at conveying an almost palpable sense of dread and the result is no one EVER feels safe.This is a character driven story and is as much about each character trying to cope with their new reality as it is about huge action scenes. Quite naturally, this new reality takes its toll mentally and physically. The constant threat of death from the walking dead is only part of the horror. Indeed, the living are to be feared as much as the dead. Sometimes more so. Much of the story of The Walking Dead centers around whether people are fundamentally good or whether in times of crisis they will do anything to survive. Are you willing to do anything, and I mean anything, to survive? Will you leave a friend to die to save yourself? Would you kill to save yourself? Would you kill to save your child?The artwork for The Walking Dead is beautiful. Every emotion is captured with great detail by Tony Moore and Cliff Rathburn. It takes real talent to draw ordinary people. An old man or a scrawny teenager is a lot harder to draw than a brawny spandex clad superhero. The artists pay just as much attention to the decaying cityscapes and to the undead themselves. It’s amazing that no two walking dead ever seem to look alike and quite a tribute to the ample artistic talents of Tony Moore and Cliff Rathburn.The Walking Dead is a MUST read series. It’s well written, finely detailed in black and white, and addictive. Trust me; the only thing tougher than trying to survive the zombie apocalypse is having to wait for the next issue.The Walking Dead Series:1. Volume 1: Days Gone Bye2. Volume 2: Miles Behind Us3. Volume 3:Safety Behind Bars4. Volume 4: The Heart's Desire5. Volume 5: The Best Defense6. Volume 6: The Sorrowful Life7. Volume 7: The Calm Before8. Volume 8: Made to Suffer9. Volume 9: Here We Remain10. Volume 10: What We Become11. Volume 11: Fear The Hunters12. Volume 12FTC Advisory: I purchased my own copy.
• bibliolisa

  (4/5)

  Okay, so it isn't War and Peace...but this graphic novel (and the popular AMC series based on the graphic novels) may be deeper than you would expect. There is something really compelling about the idea of a band of survivors starting over in a post-apocalyptic world. Why zombies? I'm still trying to figure that out...why zombies, and why now? What do zombies mean? While I'm pondering that, I really did enjoy this graphic novel, and will probably read the whole series. The art work is beautifully done. The graphic novel differs substantially from the television series, and I think I will like it better. Graphic novels are not my usual fare--I usually read literary fiction and classics. But I trained as an artist, and do appreciate a well-drawn and well-written graphic novel now and then.