The Walking Dead: Volume 32 – Rest in Peace

I had no idea that this series was coming to an end. The creators didn’t announce the historic last issue and promote the end of an era. They didn’t even try to stretch out the story to finish with issue #200. Instead, they quietly ended the comic book series that had been going strong since 2003 with issue #193.

Robert Kirkman justified this decision at the end of the book. He wrote, “As a fan, I hate it when I realize I’m in the third act of a movie and the story is winding down. I hate that I can count commercial breaks and know I’m nearing the end of a TV show. I hate that you can feel when you’re getting to the end of a book, or a graphic novel.”

So, he just let the story end and it was shocking. I don’t want to give any spoilers here, even though this volume has been out for several months now.

I like that there was a happy ending, of sorts. It wasn’t what I was expecting but I can truly say that I am happy with it. Thank you for an incredible ride over the years. There were times when I was horrified and I’m actually surprised that I actually stuck with it all these years. I’m generally not a fan of horror, but this story was more about survival and rebuilding society. It was about learning how to live in a brand new world without all of the modern conveniences we take for granted.

The television show is still going strong but it is a separate entity in a lot of ways. Characters that died in the show didn’t in the comics. Some story lines were completely different and others were close but not quite the same. If you are a fan of the show, why not dive into the comics too. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

My List of 2020 Reads – coming soon!