When it comes to zombie stories, nothing comes close to the stark brutality and realism found in “The Walking Dead.” It’s a story of what happens after most zombie stories end, when just a handful of survivors remain.
The graphic novels that started it all follow Rick Grimes, a small-town cop who wakes from a coma to find the zombie apocalypse well under way. We get to see what I call the “hardening” of Rick as he learns to do anything to protect the ones he loves.
The TV show follows Rick as well, but introduces new characters and challenges. One of my favorite characters, Daryl Dixon, is a rough country boy with a lot of heart and grit. He has become so popular that a Facebook community called “If Daryl Dies We Riot” was founded in his support.
“The Walking Dead” adaptation by Telltale Games revolves around the unlikely pairing of a convicted murderer and a little girl named Clementine. This is not an action game; it’s a story that progresses through making difficult decisions.
Ultimately, you are a man trying to save a little girl, but how you do so matters. And not just in the game, but to you as well. You become so attached to Clem that you care what your decisions are teaching her about humanity. You want her to survive, but you also want her to survive as a decent person. For as any fan can tell you, it’s not the zombies that are scary, it’s the survivors.
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