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Our Latest Distraction: AMC’s The Walking Dead

Posted by under *like, Comics, Television |

Those of us who have enjoyed reading comics for most of our life have been blessed with a decade of comic book movies. By the end of next year, with the exception of a few DC headliners,  every major comic book character will have been turned into a major motion picture and licensing opportunity. We’re blessed… Except almost every one of those movies is cringe-inducing. (I’m 99 percent sure PTB doesn’t agree with this assessment, but bear with me.)

I’m not saying there aren’t nice moments in almost all of those films. I’m not saying I don’t line up to see most of them. It’s fantastic to see Superman stop a crashing airplane, but yet another Lex Luthor real estate scam? It’s moving to see the X-Men battle intolerance, but the wacky battle atop the Statue of Liberty to stop Magneto from turning everyone into a mutant? I digress… Comics don’t translate well into films largely because one of the major appeals of comic books is their serial nature. Three X-Men or Spider-Man films in a decade (1.5 watchable ones of each) cannot recreate that serial experience, but it’s been clear to me for years that a television series probably could. The problem is that the only example we’ve had to test this theory during last decade or so is Smallville

At least until last night’s debut of The Walking Dead.

KevinMLD: To me last night AMC changed everything for the comics to live action translation by delivering a feature film quality product on television in The Walking Dead. There’s nothing a fan of the series could have wanted to see in a Walking Dead movie that was missing from that show’s premiere, except maybe for a solid ending. But the cliff hanger ending is a major element of the Walking Dead comic series. Nearly every single issue of the comic ended with one… Which scares me for how they’ll end the season finale, but that’s a whole other issue… If I’m not mistaken both of you are pretty unfamiliar with the comics, correct? How did the show work for you?

PTB: I haven’t read a single issue of the comic series. I intend to, but last night was my first exposure to this universe. I really enjoyed it. It’s incredibly well produced and something I’m glad (and a little surprised) to see on TV. I can’t speak to how well it translates from the comic, but given the nature of the story I can’t help but think it may actually be an improvement on the source material. The only thing that stood out as remotely negative was the the main character’s introduction to the zombie new world order being so similar to 28 Days Later (which I love).

Ryan:  I have yet to read an issue.  I may have to jump in now because I know 75-80 some books exist and I’d like to know what happens next.

KevinMLD: I remember the opening being an issue for me when I first read volume one. Both 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead launched in 2003 and series writer Robert Kirkman claims the second issue was being finished up before he saw the film… The book didn’t actually get published for a few months though. I don’t know if what he claims is true or not, but I have to think that the similarity drives him nuts, because people are going to THINK he stole the opening regardless.

One of the major successes of Frank Darabont’s vision was the overwhelming sense of dread that’s there around every turn. For example, Rick walking down the dark hospital staircase with just a match for light seemed like such a bad idea! And yet Darabount let the moment be tense and scary on its own without throwing in a zombie scare. To me that means we’re never going to see the scares coming on this show.

PTB: I really appreciated the fact that the stairwell was zombieless, but you didn’t know! Rick didn’t even know there were zombies at that point and that made it even more suspenseful. Even the scene where he meets the father and son was left unclear to make you think a zombie had creeped right up on him.

KevinMLD: Yeah. I saw what they were going for there but I was too familiar with the comic to fall for it.

Ryan:  I think we are just so used to the quick easy scare we are looking for it.  The dark hallway. Expecting things around the corner.  The half-zombie was such an out-of-nowhere moment that truly was frightening.

KevinMLD:  So many moments like both of those you guys cited are pulled right from the comics, but one of the most poignant moments was completely new. That was the presence of the zombie mother and her trying to get back in the house. That was horrifying.

PTB: Truly. The inclusion of the zombie mother was pretty intense and was actually one of the things I remember being chilled by when watching the promotional trailers for the series. It’ll be interesting to read the comic. I just don’t know if that medium can really convey the horror, suspense and fear of a story like this quite the way live action can.

Ryan:  I was not scared of the zombie mother’s attempted entry.  The father-son did not appear too scared.  I felt it was more tragic.  Either way, it was extremely effective.

KevinMLD: Yeah. I did not say scary. I said horrifying. Just think about your dead wife showing up at your door every night trying to get in.

I think the comics are incredibly compelling.  I read the entire series in two weeks. I was obsessed. There is the unbelievable sense of doom that just grows from story to story. You certainly never know what’s going to happen next (for the most part). But I wouldn’t say the comics are scary or ever really could be. Though the ideas in the comics, especially what people do to one another, are often horrifying.

I thought the acting was pretty great throughout the episode. Rick had to carry so much of the first 90 minutes without anyone to talk to but it was consistently compelling.

PTB: There was a good chance that things could have come off silly or overdone and thankfully none of the actors let that happen. I will say that there was at least one point where I thought the soundtrack got a little too pleasant and failed to reinforce the mood.

KevinMLD: They’ve shown what Shane’s been up to a little sooner than we got it in the comics, which is an interesting decision. I wonder if that will affect how his story plays out.

PTB: I was a bit surprised to see him and Rick’s family so soon, but I understand bringing that in for the pilot episode. You can’t help but want to see what happens when they reunite knowing that they’re out there.

Ryan:  You have to take into account there are only 6 episodes in the first season.  When dealing with so few episodes I think it makes more sense.  Plus, it creates a bit of dramatic irony for the main character as he tries to reunite with a family that may have already moved on.  Or the wife was possibly cheating on him before the gunshot injury and resulting coma.

KevinMLD: I’m sure we’ll see soon enough what they’ve been up to…

Interestingly enough, if I’m not mistaken, episode two is supposed to play like a lost issue of the comic. That could push any reunion at least a little further down the line.

I really just want to jump ahead to the fourth season! One of the things we’ll find is that you have as much to fear from the other survivors of this plague as you do the zombies. An early foreshadowing of that paranoia played out beautifully in the scene where Rick was tied to the bed.

PTB: That’s a great thing about the way this story is constructed. It’s far more about survival and desperation than gore.

KevinMLD: This is true. If it does stay true the comics, at times the zombies almost become an after thought… An ever present, always hungry after thought.

Ryan:  I kept thinking throughout the first episode how little Rick was thinking about the zombies. He was walking into homes. Looking through windows. His head was not on a swivel as of yet.  Maybe he has not experienced the loss that the father/son had already experienced. They seemed on guard. I expected a bit more fear out of him.  Maybe he will be more careful after his encounter in Atlanta.

KevinMLD: I think you’re exactly right Ryan. He doesn’t comprehend the situation yet. Give Rick time. He’ll learn to be afraid.

While I get that there’s probably more money in it for studios from a successful feature film, I really hope the creative freedom enjoyed by the folks behind The Walking Dead inspires more high quality comics to television projects. There’s already been talk of series coming in the next few years based on Chew, Fables, Sandman, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, and more. Hopefully some of these can live up to the standard set by AMC.

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  • kamila said,

    Darabont is a genius! This was amazing. I can’t believe that was 90 minutes, it went by so fast. Acting, lighting and production is great. I can’t even think of what my favorite part was at the moment. The horse/tank part was pretty amazing. Target practice from the upstairs window was just beautifully done. Just loved this and can’t wait for the next episode (and to start reading the gigantic book).

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