COMIX-TO-FLIX is a JoBlo.com column featuring reviews of comic book graphic novels that have been optioned to be made into motion pictures. Seeing as the universe of comic books and movies is becoming more and more connected, we figured that we may as well jump right into them as well, especially since we love both mediums to begin with. We hope that you enjoy this new addition to the site and be sure to email us with your thoughts.
The
Walking Dead Vol. 1:
Days Gone Bye
by
Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore
BUY
THIS NOVEL AT AMAZON.COM NOW!!!
PLOT:
Rick
Grimes is just a cop. Not a
superhero. Not a super
soldier. Not a demon hunter.
Just your average, small-town
Kentucky
police officer; the kind who hardly ever has to even draw his gun,
let alone shoot it. Then one
day, Rick finds himself on the wrong end of a prison escapee’s
shotgun. The
next thing Rick knows, he’s just woken up in an abandoned
hospital…to the end of the world, as he knows it.
See, just like in the movies, the dead have risen.
The dead are walking.
And the dead are hungry.
Now,
it seems while Rick was in a coma, the government told everyone to
seek safety in the big cities. Which
means Rick’s wife and only son probably made their way to
Atlanta
. And Rick Grimes is a
cop…and a husband…and a father.
In
a world now at the mercy of the walking dead…
“He
was going to try to eat us, Dad.”
– Duane
FILM
STATUS:
There
are no concrete plans yet to for The
Walking Dead
movie. However,
Kirkman has mentioned that he’s been approached by a director
who’s interested in the material.
(Comics2Film.com)
CRITIQUE:
Holy.
Crap. Just…wow.
Best book I’ve read all year (and I just read The
Long Halloween the night before this).
Just
had to get that out of the way.
Seriously,
this is one of the best zombie movies ever.
It’s as good as Romero’s stuff (better than some of
it). It’s better
than Savini’s stuff. It’s
better than the Dawn of the Dead remake.
It’s better than 28 Days Later.
And I love all of those movies.
First
of all, Kirkman has crafted some of the most authentic characters
I think I’ve ever seen in a comic book.
Everyone, from protagonist Rick Grimes on down, just looks
and reads like someone you might meet on any given day.
They behave like real people, not your typical stock
characters from your average horror comic or film.
There’s no pair of young lovers, no weasel looking out
for only himself, no cocky hotshot out to eliminate the zombie
menace on his own. No
heroes. No villains.
Just characters written like actual human beings who’ve
effectively survived the bloody apocalypse.
Basically, this is the antithesis of Resident Evil
and House of the Dead.
Would that all zombie (Hell, all horror) movies
could be like this.
Of
course, character dramas of any kind don’t work if the words
they speak don’t ring true.
Fortunately, Kirkman totally knocks it out of the park when
it comes to that aspect to. A
lot of writers often suffer the pitfall of trying to make their
dialogue to…well, quotable for lack of a better term.
Too grand, too epic, too preachy, too sweet, too much!
Kirkman deftly avoids this.
His characters speak to one another like you or I very well
might in the same f*cked up situation.
He uses simple and direct speech, always driven, while
never being inane or “hit you over the head” obvious.
Just great, great work on his part.
“I
need to scratch my nose.”— Rick
Of
course, a comic book without an artist wouldn’t be a comic book,
and thank Jeebus for Tony Moore, who does some outstanding work
here. For every
written boon on Kirkman’s part,
Moore
matches it artistically. Everything
the man does in this volume is just golden.
His style matches the story perfectly.
In fact, when I called Days Gone Bye a movie earlier, it
wasn’t wholly in jest. For
reasons beyond my explanation, Tony Moore’s artwork is just
inherently cinematic in nature.
His pencils glow with detail, both of the everyday and
horrific nature. His
characters’ faces are beautifully expressive.
His action sequences are gripping, claustrophobic things to
behold. I defy someone
to read certain scenes in this book and not have their hard
pounding with the same fervor as after sitting through the first
ten minutes of last year’s Dawn of the Dead.
The
Walking Dead, for the record, is a black and white title.
While a put off for some, this worked extremely well for
me, complimenting the stark nature of the book greatly.
“I
don’t know about you but I was getting sick of all that sunshine
contradicting what was going on down here.” – Glenn
WHAT
ELSE?
Again,
the action sequences here are some really gut wrenching stuff.
The interaction between the zombies and humans tend to be
extremely claustrophobic and fast paced.
Additionally, Kirkman sets up some really innovative
situations, particularly one where Rick and one of the other
survivors have to infiltrate
Atlanta
(where he incorporates a variation of an idea actually used in Sean
of the Dead). He
also takes a unique (at least to my knowledge) approach to how
zombies behave, and specifically what they will and won’t
attack.
As
a side note, animal lovers might find this book a bit hard to get
through.
“Jim’s
gun store is five blocks from where I found you.
I never go that far in. There
is no way we can do this.” – Glenn
Needless
to say, this puppy is pretty graphic.
The best part is, not only is this a zombie story, it’s
one in which there’s no such thing as a special effects budget!
That means all sorts of gory, bloody brutality!
And
fine, I have one qualm with this book.
The opening is pretty much the exact same thing as 28
Days Later, except replace “bicycle accident” with
“shotgun blast.” But
y’know what? In this case?
Not gonna complain.
“It’s
not the same as killing the dead ones, Daddy.” – Carl
IN
CONCLUSION:
I
cannot stress enough how much this book rocks.
Every aspect of it rules all.
If you like zombie movies or horror movies, check this book
out! If you like thrillers,
check this book out! If you
like character stories, check this book out!
It you want yet further proof that comic books truly can
transcend into the upper levels of storytelling, then damn it,
check this book out! Simply
one of the greatest horror stories I’ve ever read.
Somebody
needs to option The Walking Dead now!
I have not read a more perfect comic book for film (or T.V.)
adaptation since "30
Days of Night". Some
outstanding potential lies amidst these pages.
I truly hope I get to see a faithful version of it on the
big screen soon.
"It
never should be, Son. It
never should be.” – Rick
GRAPHIC
NOVEL RATING (10/10):
MOVIE
POTENTIAL (10/10):
PREVIOUSLY:
Fables
Ronin
Transformers
Luke Cage
Death
The Avengers
The Simpsons
Conan
Origin: Wolverine
Southland Tales: Two Roads Diverge
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6:24PM on 09/16/2005