What's that? You didn't know it was the end of the world? Haven't you heard the prophecy?
The Mayans? Nope, not talking about them. I'm talking about that legendary scribe: Robert Kirkman!
All kidding aside, I wanted to take a moment to talk about one of my favorite horror comics that is also one of my favorite television series: THE WALKING DEAD!
I love zombies(As a horror device, so keep your dead hands off me)! And comic writer Robert Kirkman(INVINCIBLE, THE ASTOUNDING WOLFMAN, etc.) had the genius idea to write a comic that was basically an ongoing George Romero movie set to paper. Thus was born THE WALKING DEAD, a comic in which we follow a group of survivors, led by Rick Grimes, as they try to find shelter from the hazards of this new world, both dead and undead. The series has gained a definite following. So much so that in 2010, AMC(the network that brought us MAD MEN and BREAKING BAD) began working with Kirkman to bring the comic to life. To everyone's surprise, the television series set during a zombie apocalypse was not only a smash hit but very enthralling television.
With the premier of the second half of season 2 a month away(February 12! Mark you calendars!) I decided to take a look at the constantly alternating cast and do a rundown of my 10 favorite characters from both the comic and television series.(Note to the comic fans: I am a little behind on the comic. So any characters introduced during/after the journey to D.C. will not be on this list. Yes, I am lame. I am also not made of money, thus will catch up on those trades later.)
10. "Bicycle Girl"
When Rick gets out of the hospital, one of the first "Walkers" that he runs into is one which fans have affectionately(?) named "Bicycle Girl." Lying next to a bike, she is missing her bottom torso and clearly has been decaying for quite some time. Craving to bite Rick but lacking the strength to crawl towards him, she is both a terrifying and depressing sight. It's a reminder that, while monsters, these people use to be like us. On his way to Atlanta Rick returns to "Bicycle Girl," apologizing for what happened to her and putting her out of her misery.(There was also a series of webisodes that aired before the premier of Season 2 that explained what happened to "Bicycle Girl." While not too bad, I prefer the anonymity of this particular zombie.)
9. Dale (Comic Version)
It was tough call picking the comic version over the television version. Both interpretation are similar: Dale is the old likable guy in the group with the RV who offers sage advice(even when you don't want it) while wearing his signature hat. What edges the comic version is the purported, er, "relationship" that he has with Andrea and her younger sister, Amy. While it seems unlikely do to their age difference (1) They are initially the only two survivors who slept in Dale's RV, (2) Dale and Andrea DEFINITELY hook up after Amy's death, and (3) it's the FRIGGIN' APOCALYPSE so he is literally one of the last men on Earth. While the comic version of Dale has faced more hardships(including a leg amputation) I'm sure "Shacking up with two hot twenty-something blond sisters in my RV" was definitely on his bucket list!
8. Andrea (Comic Version)
While the television version of Andrea has slowly grown on me, I've always had love for the comic version. Sure, she has had moments where she has shut down emotionally(particularly when her sister Amy dies), but with Dale there to comfort her she has risen above the pain and agony and proves that what doesn't kill you can make you stronger. Plus, ever since she was handed the rifle she has become the group's go-to Sniper. Good luck to anyone in her cross hairs.
7. Carl
When a horror genre introduces a kid, it usually takes on an exploration of "Innocence Lost." Enter Carl Grimes, the son of Rick and Lori. Only 7 years old, his father's hat doesn't even fit his head. But now he is forced to grow up in a world where the dead rise. It is quite sad and unsettling watching a child forced to grow up. Nonetheless, Carl has somehow managed to come out intact(aside from a few bullet holes) and has become a decent shot...
6. Tyreese
When it came to taking out zombies and protecting the group, Tyreese is a fucking tank! An ex NFL star, he and his daughter, Julie, along with her boyfriend Chris join the group of survivors as they leave Atlanta. He and Rick quickly become friends and help lead the other survivors. Despite all the gun training Rick offered him he is a terrible shot. But that doesn't matter much when you're a 6 foot something former pro ball player who carries around a hammer! Zombies never stood a chance! When he was cut from the series(no pun intended) it reminds us readers that the zombies are not the only threat in this new world.
5. Shane (Television Version)
Shane was Rick's best friend and former partner in the police force. Yet he was cut early in the comic and, other than throwing doubt on the father of Lori's baby and forcing Carl to grow up, didn't have much impact on events of the comic. Expanding on Shane is the best thing the TV series could have done. Like the comic, he has been protecting Lori and Carl in Rick's absences and has been guiding a group of survivors. Changes are made however when Rick is reunited with his family. While he still has conflict thanks to his "relations" with Lori, the main conflict comes from the fact that Rick's "return-from-the-dead" signifies the falter in his leadership.(After all, with the sheriff in town who wants to listen to the deputy?) The biggest change however is Shane's will to survive against all odds and what he'll do to keep the group safe. After Carl is injured, Shane and a survivor named Otis go to retrieve an item required for surgery. In one of the best scenes of the series, we witness Shane reliving the ordeal in his head. As he and Otis are surrounded by zombies, he makes a decision in order to make it back with the medical equipment. While you may or may not agree with his decision, you understand why he did it... and that's kind of scary.
4. Glenn
If the movie ZOMBIELAND taught me anything it was that the most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse would be the small limber kids who can get out of tight spots and were good at running. Glenn demonstrates this point completely. A former pizza delivery kid, we first meet Glenn when he rescues Rick from a pack of "Walkers" in zombie-infested Atlanta. Quick on his feet and good with directions and shortcuts thanks to his former job, he is usually appointed the scavenger of the group, grabbing up food and supplies before the "Walkers" even know he was there. Despite basically being the "Zombie-Bait" of the group, he seems to be a rather optimistic individual. With all the loss and hardships he has witnessed he somehow seems to look on the bright side of life. As dark and pessimistic as Kirkman's story gets, I feel we need a character like Glenn around to give us hope.
3. Daryl
Daryl is so far an exclusive character to the TV series, which may be a controversial pick for those comic purist out there(you know who you are). Well I've got news for those people: Superman's weakness to kryptonite wasn't first introduced in the comics but a radio show, Batgirl was first introduced in the 1960's Adam West and Burt Ward BATMAN series, Harley Quinn and Mr. Freeze's origin were introduced by the 90's animated BATMAN series, etc. My point is if it works in another media form, chances are it will make the jump to the comic format. And considering how bad ass Daryl is I have no doubt he'll join Rick and the other survivors in the pages of Kirkman's work. Daryl, a Redneck survivalist, has become the hunter/tracker of the survivor group. A loner thanks to the way he was raised, the group was originally wary of Daryl for fear of setting him off.(Particularly when he found out about the fate of his racist miscreant older brother, Merle.) But after a while he begins to let his guard down. He helps T-Dog survive the "Walkers" on more than one occasion, searches for Carol's missing daughter Sophia on his own, and comforts Carol as his searches turn up empty. Plus, he's makes the crossbow look cool again. When was the last time someone made the crossbow look cool?(If you said "Huntress" you're wrong!)
2. Rick Grimes
At the beginning of our story, Rick was just a small town sheriff who had never even shot a person on the job. While attempting to apprehend a criminal he is shot and falls into a coma. When he becomes conscious he finds himself seemingly alone in an abandoned hospital filled with dead bodies. Hell of a thing to wake up to a zombie apocalypse. After getting the update on the deal with the "Walkers," Rick makes his way to Atlanta, assuming that his family will be camping there with other survivors. Rick is the "hero" of THE WALKING DEAD. In the beginning of the series, as a former officer of the law, he is trying to distinguish from right and wrong in a world where morality has been thrown out the window. When he finally joins with his family and the other survivors, they look to him as the group leader. And it goes well... for a while. But with death all around, shit goes bad fast. With so much pain and loss on hand(pun intended), Rick begins to lose it. The one thing that keeps him balanced is trying to keep his family safe. That's all that matters to him in the long run.
So if Rick doesn't grab the top spot, who does?
1. Michonne
The one character from the comic that I am anticipate making the leap to the small screen(Get on that, Kirkman!) is also my number one pick. The mysterious Michonne. How shall I describe the awesome that is Michonne?... I got it! If you threw the character of Elisabeth from THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO into the middle of a zombie apocalypse and give her a katana you would have Michonne. When we first meet her, she is wandering around the country side, carrying in tow her sword and two zombies who are chained together who have had their arms and jaws removed.(For those who haven't read/watched the series and don't understand the genius of this, "Walkers" hunt using all their senses. One of the reasons they don't turn on each other is because they can smell the difference between fresh and dead flesh.) Seeing her survival instincts and her sword skills one would believe she was a bad ass before the apocalypse, but apparently she was merely a lawyer with a husband and kids. Michonne seems distant from the group but has a deep respect for Rick, opening up to him and acting as a protector for the survivors as well as a surrogate mother for Carl. But one should never cross her: after her, Rick and Glenn are captured by another group of survivors she ends up being raped and savagely beaten by their malicious leader, the Governor. When Rick and Glenn free her from imprisonment, she leaves temporarily to get her revenge on the Governor... have I made the comparison to THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO yet? Cause her revenge rings true to that!
*HONORABLE MENTION*
Hershel (Television Version)
Hershel from the book was self-righteous, a bit of a bigot, and so blind to faith that he believed that he believes the end of days is here and keeps a barn full of "Walkers" as he awaits the Rapture. He didn't become likable until the end of his run in the comics. Television Hershel seems more humane. A hard man thanks to his father, Hershel informs Rick that, once Carl is healed and Sophia is found, Rick and his group must leave. It has nothing to do with Rick: he thinks Rick is a good man. But he has taken the responsibility of protecting the group of survivors that reside on his farm. Rick may promise to abide by Hershel's rules but he knows that Rick can't keep guys like Shane and Daryl in check. Even keeping the barn full of walkers seems to make sense. While Rick and his group of survivors have seen the horrors these "Walkers" present, Hershel and his group live out in the middle of no where. They don't see some monster; they see family, loved ones, friends, next door neighbors, etc. They see these people they know as being very sick and very carefully store them in a safe location that way, whether an act of god or mistake of science, they can heal them once a cure is found. The television version of Hershel might have made the list, but after what Shane and the others did during the midseason finale who knows where Hershel's head is at right now. Guess we'll find out in the rest of season 2.
Speaking of:
THE WALKING DEAD RETURNS FEBRUARY 12 ON AMC!
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