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The Walking Dead, Volume 1: Days Gone By
Written by Robert Kirkman
Illustrated by Tony Moore
Published by Image Comics
The Gist: While Officer Rick is in a coma from being shot in the chest, an undeadly virus sweeps through the nation, possibly the world. Rick wakes up to find everything changed and his family missing. An optimist, Rick travels to where he believes his family would go and by dumb luck manages to find his wife Lori and son Carl. What follows is what happens when the only thing to get in the way all the things important in life are zombies.
Story Review: The art is gorgeous. A specific instance that comes to mind is on the first page when Rick is shot, my first thought was, “This looks beautiful!” and my second thought was, “OOOOOWWWW!” I generally don’t talk about art because I don’t feel qualified so that should tell you how beautiful this art is. The story is eloquent. A panel depicting Rick laughing followed by a panel of Rick feeling guilty about laughing, Rick going from happy to sad in six panels and once Rick is brought to the encampment the idea that they need to rely and protect but not always agree is beautifully illustrated in two panels. The text and the art work so well together that they tell a powerful story succinctly. As Kirkman mentions in the foreword it’s not about zombies, it’s about the human experience when all humans have to rely on for everything is each other.
Two small continuity problems (and when I say small, I mean it): no hoof sounds on the road when Rick is riding the horse and there is a page with a disappearing-reappearing shirt stain.
Immersion Activities:
-interview a cop
-go on a road trip in search of long, lost family (It’s from Kentucky to Atlanta in the book, however it’s also post apocalyptic and partially done on horseback amidst zombies. I’m sure some liberties are acceptable.)
-ride a horse
-go to a shooting range and learn to shoot
-go to a paintball location and learn to be both predator and prey
-go camping
-learn how to hunt
-participate in a zombie apocalypse (for ATLiens I recommend the Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse, it’s going on for the entire month of October!)