The Walking Dead

One of the best comic books being produced these days is, of all things, a zombie story. The Walking Dead is written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Charlie Adlard. The background is the basic zombie story as reimagined by George Romero: most of the people in the world have turned into zombies, and our heroes have to survive. Kirkman is basically writing a zombie movie that never ends–48 issues so far. It’s gripping because the focus is on how people react to the end of civilization. Kirkman tells a straightforward story, but he doesn’t follow any plot conventions. The resulting story is wholly unpredictable and sometimes horrifying. It’s the most unnerving thing I’ve read in years, but much too good to stop reading. Not recommended for the squeamish.