Unpopular opinion: The Walking Dead comics are actually better than the show

I know everyone always talks about how the show went downhill after season 5 or whatever, but I just got done reading the full comic run for the first time. Found the compendiums at a used bookstore for $30 each, three of em. What surprised me is how much faster the story moves in the comics. Negan shows up way earlier and the whole arc with the Whisperers is totally different. The show dragged stuff out for seasons that the comics wrapped up in a few issues. I get why people like the show actors and all, but the pacing in the comics just felt more real somehow. Anyone else feel like the books get overlooked because the show got so big?

2 comments

2 Comments

benc535d ago

Yeah, no kidding. The show was basically "The Walking Dead: The Extended Edition" for 8 seasons. I remember waiting around for entire episodes that were just people staring at a wall or having a sad conversation about a can of beans. The comics just cut to the chase. Negan shows up, bashes some heads, and you're already onto the next crisis. Meanwhile the show spent two whole seasons on a boring farm and a prison that never felt real. The Whisperers arc in the comics was actually creepy and tight, but the show stretched it out so long I forgot who was wearing whose face. I get that TV needs filler, but the comics felt like someone actually had a plan instead of just making stuff up as they went along.

hugo_bennett4d ago

I get your point @benc53, but I actually liked the show's slower pace. The farm and prison seasons let you really sit with the characters and feel the weight of what they lost. The comics are great for quick hits, but the show gave me time to care about people like Dale and Hershel before things got crazy. Different strokes, I guess.