As a reader of comics for about 25 of the 35 years I have lived, I can say with some authority that this is the best series currently running. AND it has maintained that stature since the completion of it's first story: Days Gone By, which is of course included in this compendium.
The artwork of The Walking Dead may not have the most creative or stylized art, but as an art teacher I can say that the composition and style always support the needs of the drama, characters, and story. This is a black and white book, but that actually helps maintain the detail the artist includes; the grays and contrast are used to create feelings and moods that keep the reader hooked. The best thing about the artwork, however, is even beyond this huge compendium into issue 74 of the series it is consistent. You meet many many characters who fall in and out of the story, yet without giant S's or spiders on their chests' the artist manages to keep you aware of who's who - even when the cast count goes higher than the average X-men story.
As for the story, The Walking Dead is most amazing in that a huge earth-shattering Zombie apocalypse is only the scene on which the characters interactions and relationships are the star of the show - and that most fans don't even notice because of how sly Kirkman can be. Each included sequential story takes the stakes higher and pushes the reader to do anything to get to the next page, even to the point of speed-reading the zombie fights to get to the effect or aftermath of them.
The only fault of this book (garnering 4 stars rather than the deserved 5) is that it has been published in paperback and weighs about 5 lbs. This makes it nearly impossible to take with you, but if you do attempt to read it anywhere but a flat surface the tome will most likely pull itself into pieces before you're able to lend the book out to your friends (which no doubt you'll be dying to do).Get more detail about The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1.
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