Walking Dead Guide: The Show vs. The Comic Book (SPOILERS)

[Thorn]

The Walking Dead is the biggest thing right now, and that makes me really happy; not just for Frank Darabont, who’s finally gotten a recent project off the ground that isn’t a Stephen King adaptation (or, uh, The Majestic), but for creators Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, who brought into the world a comic that was selling boffo numbers long before the TV series came out.

Still, it’s hard not to compare and contrast the two, especially when it comes to a TV show adapting a comic book with scores of fans. Plus, as visual mediums, comics and cinema are cousins that look a lot alike but are, in many ways, very different. You can especially see some surface-level similarities between comics and TV, both known for serialized installments and trade paperback collects kind of resembling full season DVDs.

Despite being a visual medium, Robert Kirkman writes an incredibly verbose comic in The Walking Dead. Characters speak in paragraphs that fill the pages, and much of it would sound rotten if spoken aloud by real actors. Not to say his dialogue is bad per se, but it was written to be read, not spoken. To see what I mean, go watch The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The script was by James Dale Robinson, of such comics as the classic 1990s Starman and the current Justice League of America, and you can tell he writes comics because the characters make declarations about what’s on screen, which (bad) comic books do, but movies don’t have to. Apparently Kirkman himself is writing episode 4 of the show, “Vatos,” and I’m curious how he’ll fare. Hopefully somebody on staff will set him right as far as screenwriting versus comic book scripting.

Read the rest here:
http://www.moviesonline.ca/2010/11/walking-dead-comic-guide-show-comic-book/

[Ghoulman]

I think Darabont said it best when he said, not quoting mind you, that he'd veer from the path but stay true to the core story. So far he's done axactly that. For a story of this size and scope, 3 episodes is almost too few to guage anything... Almost!

So far we've seen just about every key comic book point translated to the small screen. They are:

-Rick is shot and awakens to the World of the Walkers.
-Rick encounters Bicycle ghoul.
-Rick meets Morgan and Duane.
-Morgan fills Rick in on events.
-Rick goes to the station for guns and cars.
-Rick, morgan and Duane part ways.
-Rick drives toward Atlanta.
-Rick runs out of gas and finds a horse to finish his journey to Atlanta.
-Rick finds is attacked by a sea of dead.
-Rick is saved by Glenn.
-Rick arrives at the camp and reunites with Lori, Carl and Shane.
-Shane and Lori having a falling out.
-Jim's character is set up for a fall.
-Amy's character is set up for a fall.
-Rick and Glenn encounter a Walker eating a dear and Rick has an idea.
-Rick and Glenn go back to Atlanta for more guns and cover themselves in "guts"...

And after the trailer I saw following Friday nights "Tell it to the Frogs" there will be more to add to the list Sunday night. Happy viewing y'all! I f**king LOVE this show!!

[babomb]

I have friends who've never read the comics and are 'casual' undead fans, meaning they like some zombie flicks but aren't really fans of the genre as a whole, that say they've never been so excited about a TV show in their lives.
I know a couple girls who love the show that I would've never thought would watch something like that.
As a fan of the comics since 2005, I couldn't be happier with the adaptation to tv series.
You're always gonna have naysayers.

I'm interested to see exactly how this "gun run" turns out.

[Ghoulman]

Sorry I didn’t finish my initial post, daughter woke up in a dither and needed some quality Daddy time.
Anyway, as far as comparing the characters in the TV show to their comic book counterparts goes, here’s my take:
-Rick is a strong, take charge, do what he feels is right, kinda guy. Dead on with comic version.

-Shane appears to be an honest to goodness great friend to Rick, plays the alpha male role real well but attempts to hide his dark side poorly, has been developed far better than villain comic book Shane. Still a bad guy brewing but better than the comic version.

-Lori is more developed and complicated this early on. She loves her son and family and will defend them, well Carl anyway, as best she can from real or perceived threats. Her slightly mocking tone to Dale “Yes mother” displayed yet another layer to the character I didn’t see coming. To me, she’s not even close to being developed. Different than the comic version.

-Andrea is a caring, compassionate, loving, guardian to her baby sister Amy. Strong-willed, independent and determined. Pretty close to what I compare Andrea in the comic book to about 12-16 issues in. Better than the comic version.

-Amy is young and particularly kind (unlike her comic counterpart). She adores her older sister Andrea. Kinder but less developed than the comic version.

-Glenn is young and inexperienced risk taker. He is willing to follow those who at least pretend to know what the hell they’re doing. Dead on with the comic version.

-Dale is the plainly spoken older man who understands how the world and people work. He is uncomplicated and doesn’t parse words. Dale wants to do what best for all and has no pony in any fights whatsoever. Simply put, Dale cuts straight through the shit. Dead on with the comic version.

-Carol, so far, is a dependant woman who wants to do right by her fellow survivors. Not a great deal of development here yet.

-Donna is very underdeveloped so far.

-Jim is undeveloped as well but I get the sense he’s the quiet type. Close to comic version.

Spoileriffic note: They need to develop Jim and Amy QUICKLY!!