Why You Need THE WALKING DEAD in Your Life


The Walking Dead Season 5 is upon us, with October 12th (October 13th UK) being a date marked in many fanboys calendar. It’s this reason I thought I’d use this edition of Fanboy Recommended to show people who aren’t a fan of the series exactly what they’ve been missing, and why they should give Season 5 a chance. Warning there will be spoilers, and there will be further spoilers whenever I talk about the comic book series. So if you are interested in The Walking Dead, but don’t want anything huge ruined then close this page and head of to your TV to watch this amazing series.

Characters

The main thing that has made The Walking Dead as awesome as it is today is it’s rich selection of characters. This is the case with both the comic series and the TV series, with the gritty reality, and emotional depth allowing readers/viewers to truly care what happens to them, whether it be good or bad.

The main cast of characters in The Walking Dead are lead by former police officer Rick Grimes, who changes dramatically over the course of both. The group accompanying Rick does however vary from comics to TV, with his son Carl, and friends Michonne, Maggie, Glenn, Carol, Andrea, Hershel and Tyreese being the main ones to join him in both. Though some are dead in one or the other.

Walking Dead characters#

Many other characters have joined Rick over the course of both the comics and TV series, with a fair few not featuring in both. The most noticeable among these characters is Daryl Dixon, with the crossbow wielding badass having quickly become a fan favourite in the TV series. Along with Daryl you have his brother Merle, who sides with the villainous Governor, Hershel’s daughter and Maggie’s sister Beth, Tyreese’s sister Sasha and fellow survivor named Bob, just to name a few.

Walking Dead Season 5 daryl dixon

Whether new or old, or in the comics or TV series these characters have given us some exciting moments, as well as sorrow, with the every changing dynamic of the group allowing things to stay fresh.

Zombies, Survivors and Other Foes

One of the main queries I’ve had about The Walking Dead (both comics and TV series) has been who’s the biggest threat to our main cast, zombies, survivors or something else? The conclusion I have came to is ultimately that both cause the same amount of threat, with survivors being the more deadly. As for other threats part of this sub-title you have the group themselves, general health, and mental stability.

But lets break the main two options down, starting with the good old flesh eating zombies. These foes may not be completely stupid, knowing how to get the food they so clearly crave. But at the same time they’re hardly going to solve the cure to cancer (even though in a zombie apocalypse that probably isn’t as serious as normal). It’s this middle ground that really intrigue me about zombies in The Walking Dead, with them being somewhat unique. What make them a great foe on the other hand is the fact they travel in hordes, with the vast numbers making it near impossible for a small group let alone an individual to survive for long.

Walking Dead zombie

Other survivors have also proved to be a serious threat to the group, with the survival of the fittest truly being put to the test. The most noticeable among these deadly foes is Philip Blake, better known as the Governor. This sinister foe proved to be a thorn in Rick’s side in both the comics and the TV series, with his lust for violence causing a deadly war. The other more noticeable villain is Negan, as though he’s yet to appear in the TV series, his dictatorship, and lust for power caused a much deadlier (though not as explosive) war.

Walking Dead Season 3 The Governor

Comics Book Connections and Differences

Though the comics have had a huge influence on the TV series, it has became it’s own unique entity, taking bits and pieces from the comics and changing them up. It’s this change, and difference in direction that has allowed both to remain separate yet connected, with each one in it’s own way feeling like a must have, without being necessary to enjoy the other.

Walking Dead tyreese Walking Dead Season 4 hershel death

The main way that the TV series has embraced change is by twisting the already known story arcs of the comics, and either leaving certain plot developments to a later date, or giving the fate of one character to another. The later has been seen several times, with Hershel getting his leg chopped off instead of Dale (who was dead in the TV series by this point), as well as also getting his head chopped off by the Governor instead of Tyreese. This example makes the show look mean to Hershel, but others have suffered similar, with Carol’s daughter Sophia taking her place on the death column in the TV series (though in a different way), with Shane and Lori also dying at different times.

In a Nutshell

The Walking Dead is the number one show on television, also being one of the top selling comic book series over the last decade. This alone is a great reason for trying The Walking Dead, but the ones I have mentioned are much more vital, being the core essence of both the comics and TV series. But why is now the time to let The Walking Dead into your life? Simple, the new season of the hit TV series. With a new season comes new possibilities, and having a knowledge of the comics and prior events from the show itself will make watching The Walking Dead Season 5 all the more intense. So get to your local comic books shop, and video store and buy what you can of both, as I’d be surprised if you regret it.

Fanboy Recommended