Review: Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor: Part One – Robert Kirkman

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; Mti edition (October 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312548176
ISBN-13: 978-0312548179
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Characters:

Phillip Blake – Leader of a group of Zombie Apocalypse survivors in a town called Woodbury. Known as the Governor.
Bob Stookey – Alcoholic and Veteran resident of Woodbury.
Lilly Caul – Survivor and resident of Woodbury.

Synopsis:

Philip continues his reign over the city and residents of Woodbury until he’s threatened by outside forces. Violence and tragedy follow, in what could lead to the end of Woodbury.

Review

This novel really started to parallel the events of The Walking Dead Comic series. While the comics present the story from the view of Rick Grimes and the band of survivors he is with, these novels present the story from the other side, the people of Woodbury. Like the comic there is a lot of excellent zombie fighting action, characters you’ve gotten to know may live through it, they may not, the suspense gets intense.

While there may be spoilers for those who’ve read the comics, I found that knowing what is going to happen didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I loved getting a glimpse into the mind of Phillip Blake, a character darker than some of the great literary evils.

That is where the beauty of The Walking Dead, and these books really take off. The Walking Dead is character driven. You get to know the characters, you get in their heads, and when they die, or those they love die, you feel for them. You grow to despise the governor, feel for Lilly, and hold your breath when the characters you like find themselves in danger.

Overall a great entry in The Walking Dead series, and a great followup to the previous two. If this is any indication, I’ll be sticking with this novel series for as long as they want to crank them out.

I’d rate it teens and older adults for blood, gore, guts, and general zombie mayhem. May be too violent for some readers, but for fans of The Walking Dead and zombie flicks in general, I heartily recommend it.

Robert Kirkman is best known for his work on The Walking Dead and Invincible for Image Comics and SKYBOUND.

He is one of the five partners of Image Comics and is an executive producer and writer on AMC’s critically acclaimed television series The Walking Dead.

 

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE says, “Jay Bonansinga has quickly and firmly established himself as one of the most imaginative writers of thrillers. His twisting narratives, with their in-your-face glimpses of violence, are set in an unstable, almost psychotic universe that makes the work of many of his contemporaries look rather tame.”

His novels — which include THE WALKING DEAD: THE ROAD TO WOODBURY (2012, co-author, with Robert Kirkman), THE WALKING DEAD: RISE OF THE GOVERNOR (2011, co-author, with Robert Kirkman), PINKERTON’S WAR (2011), PERFECT VICTIM (2008), SHATTERED (2007), TWISTED (2006), and FROZEN (2005) — have been translated into 9 different languages. His 2004 non-fiction debut THE SINKING OF THE EASTLAND was a Chicago Reader “Critics Choice Book” as well as the recipient of a Superior Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society. His debut novel THE BLACK MARIAH was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award, and his numerous short tales and articles have been published in such magazines as THE WRITER, AMAZING STORIES, GRUE, FLESH & BLOOD, OUTRE and CEMETERY DANCE, as well as a number of anthologies.

Jay also proudly wears the hat of indie filmmaker: his music videos have been seen on The Nashville Network and Public Television, and his short film CITY OF MEN was awarded the prestigious silver plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival. In 2008, his feature-film debut, STASH (based on his short story of the same title collected in CANDY IN THE DUMPSTER), won the Gold Remi at the Houston International Film Festival and Best Comedy at the Iowa City and Queens International film festivals. STASH was shot in Chicago and stars Tim Kazurinsky (POLICE ACADEMY) and the late Marilyn Chambers (INSATIABLE), and has appeared on On-Demand nationwide in 50 million households. Jay has also worked as a screenwriter with horror legend George Romero, Will Smith’s production company Overbrook Entertainment, and Dennis Haysbert (THE UNIT).

The holder of a master’s degree in film from Columbia College Chicago, Jay currently resides in Evanston, Illinois. He is also a visiting professor at Northwestern University in their Creative Writing for the Media program, as well as the Graduate Writing Program at DePaul University. He can be reached at jaybona@aol.com.

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