The story. The Walking Dead is an account of a diverse group of survivors that have banded together to try to find a new, safe home and hopefully re-build what's left of their lives after the zombie apocalypse. The story line centers around Rick Grimes, a cop from Cynthiana, Kentucky. The story begins with Rick and his partner Shane, caught together in a shoot-out. Rick gets shot by a bad guy and ends up in a coma. He wakes up in a hospital and discovers the undead are all around him. Rick decides to return home but then quickly realizes he needs to go to Atlanta, where the survivors were supposedly told to await help. Rick hopes to find his wife Lori and 8 year-old son Carl there. When he gets there he discovers the city is overrun with zombies. He runs into Glenn, a skilled scavenger for a group of survivors. Rick finds Lori and Carl are among Glenn's group along with Shane, who, for reasons initially unknown, is less than happy that his former partner has returned. He also meets new survivors. The group begins their search for a safe place to call home. They are constantly moving, settling in several temporary camps and finding that they are always in danger. As the series advances, we delve into the personality of the characters and their personal tribulations. Each character's personality is well balanced to the development of the storyline as every individual struggles to stay alive and to WANT to stay alive. The human condition is constantly tested as all the members of this group find themselves doing things they never thought they could or would do. The battle to keep their humanity intact isn't easy, especially for Rick.

The all important zombies. Fairly traditional, slow-moving, brain-craving zombies and plenty of them. Your thirst for zombies will be thoroughly quenched, like an ice-cold treat on a hot, scorching post-apocalyptic day. There is a delightful twist that I love to see implemented in different zombie films and books. The group this series centers around classify the zombies with different names and attributes. As they come upon other groups of survivors they learn they too have all developed their own theories on the zombies and their own names and classifications. Most disturbingly, one particular fellow has his own theory of how to deal with the zombies he encounters (like, by not killing them!). Some zombies, dubbed "roamers", chase prey and noises. Many "roamers" will follow a group that is walking, creating packs and herds of hundreds of zombies. They do not tire, and a bite can lead to death if the infected body part is not cut away and cleaned immediately. "Lurker" zombies await prey to come close to them, making noise only if they are agitated. Also following the more classical route, the only way to kill these zombies is by destroying the brain. Zombies do not notice humans who smell like zombies, such as when a survivor rubs "zombie grime" on their body or stays in the vicinity of badly disabled zombies. Later in the series, several "early generation" zombies are noticed that are too malnourished to bite, no matter how close a potential snack is. I love that addition, I think it helps to convey the passage of time and is a possible insight into the plight of the zombies as the human population dwindles.

What does this reviewer really think? 
The Walking Dead is so good you should read it with a flashlight in the dark and maybe with a little creepy background music (something instrumental) because this series deserves the full effect. If you don't love to be scared, don't read this series BUT if you do, you are in for an absolute treat. The high tension moments mixed with the more somber, sad aftermath of countless violent confrontations create a perfectly balanced action-packed and dramatic tale. The world this story takes place in, clearly inspired by the godfather of zombies George. A. Romero, is the perfect stage for an epic narrative of this magnitude. I care not to give away too much of the storyline or details about the characters as I know I thoroughly enjoyed discovering this series on my own. One of the most enjoyable aspects of experiencing TWD series is the delicate harmony of the way the story is united with the artwork, it is a craft of pure genius. One supports the other and gives visual life to this series and connects the reader with the characters. You are affected by all of the players in this series, whether you despise them or love and care for them. It's beautiful, in a dramatically, brutally gory kind of way.

Are you drooling yet? Well, get ready to really wet your panties. On Wednesday June 2, 2010 production began in Atlanta for AMC's adaptation of The Walking Dead. A zombie TV series?! No freakin' way! YES WAY!!! The six-episode first season will be written, produced and directed by three-time Academy Award-nominee Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile). I feel like a kid at Christmas and Zombie Santa can't come soon enough. Ok, wait a second, pause on the happy dance. Is this Darabont character gonna do this series justice? Oh I think so. When asked what attracted him to the zombie genre, he replied with the following and calmed any fears that I had.

"I've always wanted to do my take on the zombie mythos, since I was a kid and I saw Romero's Night of the Living Dead - the 1968 black and white version. For our zombie show I'm calling that the Book of Genesis, and whenever there's a question about zombie behavior I go back to Night of the Living Dead. Here's my favorite thing: the endless debate among the fans about how fast a zombie can move. There are the folks who just can't stand seeing zombies running. I'm kind of in that camp, but if you look at the very first zombie in Night - the one in the cemetery chasing Barbara, he gets up to a pretty good jog. I'm keying our zombie behavior off of that film: Whether they're in a very languid state or they're on the attack, they'll move no faster than that first zombie in Night of the Living Dead."

He gets it. He gets us. Double-drool, I think I'm in love.

Check out the rest of the interview here if I'm not credible enough for you to believe: 
Full Frank Darabont Interview 

Hopefully I've conveyed the message of my highest praise for this series and you're already on Amazon ordering your first issue. If not, what the heck are you doing on this site anyways?

Peace, love and a decent shotgun.