The Walking Dead: Compendium Two

The Walking Dead #9-16

by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard

Returning with the second eight volumes of the fan-favorite, New York Times bestseller series, The Walking Dead, collected into one massive paperback collection!

This is the perfect collection for any fan of the Emmy Award-winning television series on AMC: over one-thousand pages chronicling the next chapter of Robert Kirkman's Eisner Award-winning continuing story of survival horror - beginning with Rick Grimes' struggle to survive after the prison raid, to the group's finding short solace in The Community, and the devastation that follows. In a world ruled by the dead, we are finally forced to finally start living. Collects The Walking Dead #49-96.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Zombies, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Post Apocalyptic

1068 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2012

About the author

Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.

Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.

In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Waking Dead returns in this second compendium!


This is the second volume of “Compendium Edition” of The Walking Dead, collecting the comic book issue from #49 to #96.


My general rating is an average result of the sum of the ratings of each chapter in the collected edition.


Creative Team:

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Illustrators: Charlie Adlard

Additional gray tones to inking: Cliff Rathburn


Chapter Nine

HERE WE REMAIN

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

What if everyone dies on your way there?

A new compendium of The Walking Dead begins, and we get back to Rick Grimes and his group of survivors in a dystopian world where zombies roam it.

At the ending of the previous compendium, it was portraited the final confrontation between the forces of the town of Woodbury and Rick’s grup while living inside of a prison.

Things got nasty. People died. And nothing would be the same anymore. For better or worse.

Enter: Sgt. Abraham Ford...

..., brawny former soldier who can give to The Rock or Sgt. Slaughter a run for their money.

New people got in the mix of Rick’s group and while the interaction gets shaken AND stirred between the remaining members of Rick’s group and the new arrivals, they find a common goal to look for.

Now, instead of just wandering aimlessly, a new merged group is forged, still under the leadership of Rick Grimes, and now they have a clear destination.


Chapter Ten

WHAT WE BECOME

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

You’re some brilliant scientist – working for the government – and you wear a mullet?

Rick’s group have a clear destination, but one thing is to know where to head to, and another is being able to reach there.

And if you think that a bunch of zombies were dangerous, just wait for a dang herd...

Do you remember good old Morgan from the first chapter and also starring a Christmas Special? Well, his Christmas became a living ( or more accurate) a dead Halloween, a walking dead Halloween. And with nothing to lose, he will be part of Rick’s group.

And as I told you before, zombies are easy to understand, people don’t, and in this dystopian crazy world, kids are no longer really kids anymore.


Chapter Eleven

FEAR THE HUNTERS

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

And in the end, when it’s over – I won’t hesitate.

You may think that in an insane world where men-eater zombies are everywhere, those would be your highest threat, but hardly, since there is a more deadly predator to men...

...other men.

And the worse of that is that men always will have the need of eating.

Hunger is a bitch for evolution.

The roles of predators and prey can be too easily interchangeable, and in this new dark world, love is the most tested emotion...


Chapter Twelve

LIFE AMONG THEM

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

I’m really good good with a gun… …Very goddamn good. It’s kind of ridiculous.

Welcome to Alexandria.

Rick’s group is now in a whole new situation...

...living in a civilized community.

And this can be ironically as unsettled and volatile as living on the road facing zombies.

You can’t be living out there, sleeping with one eye open, seeing your teammates dying without notice, killing zombies, killing… men, without losing an irrecoverable piece of your soul, and certainly getting back to live in society can’t be the same anymore.

Now the question is from whom do you have to be really afraid now?


Chapter Thirteen

TOO FAR GONE

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

I remember when you didn’t want to be the leader. That’s what made you a good one.

Rick’s group collide with Alexandria’s community while living inside of the same walls.

Leaderships are tested.

Loyalties fall down.

Romances are in a mess.

Mental health is long gone.

Living AND dead menaces are in their own ways toward them...


Chapter Fourteen

NO WAY OUT

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Well, boys… Good plan so far. Now what?

Rick’s group is again...

...Rick’s group...

...but now it’s larger...

...and so its the menace falling over it too.

Alexandria is under masive zombie attack and it will be impossible that everybody would get alive from this...


Chapter Fifteen

WE FIND OURSELVES

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Good effort everyone – but save your bullets. I’ll take it from here.

Maybe the herd is over, but hardly Rick’s group is safe again, and definitely they got out from that soaked with blood, all over their bodies and deeply inside of their souls.

Hope is not here anymore, but the quest for recovering hope in the community of Alexandria maybe it will be the only thing saving them from getting totally insane.

However, they still are in the slow and hard working process of finding hope, so there is still plenty of time to get crazy between each other.

And if they really want someday to have hope again, somebody will have to take the hard decisions...


Chapter Sixteen

A LARGER WORLD

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

I’m not talking to a fucking hat.

Rick’s group is facing challenges in many fronts. Food is scarce. Ammo is low. Faith is even lower.

But winter is coming...

...and so is Jesus...

Enter: Paul Monroe...

..., or as his friends call him... Jesus.

Rick’s group will meet this man who works in mysterious ways and sometimes do some miracles, but no, he’s not that Jesus... isn’t him?

Jesus aka Paul Monroe appears with good news and the word is...

...trading!

He will explain Rick’s group how their world is bigger than they thought possible. A world with other groups, other communities.

And it seems that they only way that all these groups may survive is creating a trading system.

But as you can guess, this just can’t be as easy as it sounds.

If we kill all these bad guys, will you start to giving us half of your food and stuff?

If you think that the problem was that zombies would get increase their numbers, you’re wrong...

...the uncertain new scenario is that men are getting to be more of them...


This is...

... THE WALKING DEAD!!!

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 4 out of 5]

The season for Walking Dead has ended and my library finally got in my copy of this book. *fangirls*

I very rarely watch tv. Everyone asks how I read as much as I do and it is that simple of an answer. The Walking Dead show is one that I do make time and get a bit cray-cray if someone calls me during it.

It's amazing to me how different they have made the show but been able to keep some of the elements of the books. I honestly think I'm more of a fan of the show than the books, not that they aren't good too. The show to me just fleshes out the story so much more. I care more for the characters, most of them get on my nerves in the books. I'm looking at you Maggie.
If you worry about reading the books and spoiling the show, don't. They are so different that you feel like two different stories are taking place that just happen to involve some of the same people.

You have no Daryl, Carol, or Sasha in this collection of the books. I miss them.

You still have these though:



Rick still has a bit of the crazy going. I'm not caring for the fact that he is still talking to Lori on the phone but who's judging. Look at those eyes and leave the man alone.


Towards the end of the book I did notice that some of the stories are starting to repeat themselves and I did find myself losing interest. I'm hoping that does not continue to be a trend.

[Miltos S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Καλό ήταν, άξιζε και ο δεύτερος τόμος.
Η ιστορία συνεχίζεται χωρίς να πέφτει καθόλου η δράση και η αγωνία, ενώ φαίνεται ότι όλη αυτή η ιδέα "κάπου το πάει".
Σίγουρα υπάρχει πλέον μια επαναληψιμότητα. Κάποιοι πρωταγωνιστές πεθαίνουν, νέα μέλη προστίθενται, η ομάδα συναντά άλλα γκρουπ ατόμων που δεν ξέρει - κι εμείς μαζί - αν πρέπει να τα εμπιστευτεί ή όχι και όλο αυτό ξανά και ξανά.
Παρ' όλα αυτά, σίγουρα θα προχωρήσω και παραπέρα στη σειρά και το προτείνω ανεπιφύλακτα και σε όλους τους φίλους των κόμικς.

[Trudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first impression of Kirkman's The Walking Dead series after reading all 1088 pages (and 5 lbs) of Compendium 1 was of:

a post-apocalyptic zombie soap opera, where the soap is made out of lye. The story is harsh -- almost nihilistic in its way -- extremely violent, and peppered throughout with characters hooking up in almost sure to be doomed relationships.

Now, after wading through another 1068 pages of Compendium 2 I can't say much has changed.

Other than the fact I'm completely, utterly exhausted from all the carnage and devastation.

Seriously guys, when this series goes dark side it does not fuck around. It is bleak goddammit, B-L-E-A-K. Surviving the zombies is the easy part; it's all the crazy, fucked-up, out to slice and dice you and take what you have humans with Grade A mental issues that Rick's gang has to worry about the most. It's one tragedy heaped upon one depravity after another. And what does it do to a person to take on the savages and repel them? End them? Mutilate them? It's certainly changed Rick from the man we first came to know in the first few issues. It's most definitely changed little Carl (who is starting to creep me out a little bit truth be told). In some ways, all the survivors have been carved into new animals by forces beyond their control.

It's good. It keeps the pages turning most of the time, but it can become positively grueling and yes, even a bit repetitive at times, over the long haul. Especially if you're a pig like me and devour the story in huge non-stop helpings. The big shocker for me this time was Carl getting half his head blown off. My jaw literally dropped open. But then he survives, and I mean, nothing against the kid, but I felt cheated. I felt like Kirkman was out and out cheating. That's the kind of thing that happens on soap operas all the time and we roll our eyes. I'm surprised there wasn't an "experimental" brain transplant tried or some such thing.

What's more, I find myself missing characters introduced in the television show -- namely Carol, Daryl and even Merle. It really sucks not to have those guys around and I find the story is suffering from their absence. Michonne however, continues to be kick-ass and delightful. She is the saving grace of this entire series character wise if you ask me, reminding me of Agent 355 from Y: The Last Man series. I like Glenn too, but I find Maggie really whiny most of the time. I should be more forgiving I suppose considering everything the poor thing has been through.

So the series is not without problems. By issue #96, it's starting to repeat itself and Kirkland needs to get serious about wrapping this baby up. Go out on a high note, man. Some are already saying you've stayed too long at the party. The goal should be for the narrative to remain fresh and bloody and vital. The gore should still feel wet on the pages. Unfortunately, it's starting to feel like a limping, dessicating zombie. I've given it my all, I've suspended my disbelief where I had to, and I would argue this remains required reading in the genre; however, let's end it. It's time.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second compendium of The Walking Dead was excellent. I knew what to expect, (mostly), from watching the show, but there were a few significant changes. Even though I don't think this volume was as quite as good as the first, it was still above average, and I do plan to continue on with the series.

[Johann (jobis89) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"After everything we've been through, all the people we've lost... I suddenly find myself overcome with something I thought we'd lost... hope."

Compendium 2 is made up of issues 49-96, i.e. volumes 9-16. Following the loss of the prison and the devastation that followed, Rick and the group must move on. They very quickly come upon a community protected by walls, but the solace does not last long...

It's difficult to review these comics as they're so fast moving and so much happens!! That's one of the major positives of The Walking Dead - it doesn't really get stagnant. Even when the survivors settle down in one location for a while, there's always new dangers and new characters constantly being introduced.

The general outline and journey of the survivors is similar to that of the show, but there's still huge differences with regards to individual character storylines, so even as a fan of the show, I'm kept on my toes.

This compendium was exciting because characters such as Abraham, Eugene, Rosita etc were introduced, as well as those who reside at Alexandria. And then towards the end we get to meet Jesus and those over at Hilltop! And Negan is mentioned!

But amidst all the excitement of meeting those characters I know from the show, ultimately... The Walking Dead is bleak. So bleak. It can be exhausting and relentless, but a zombie apocalypse ain't gonna be all sunshine and rainbows! But this compendium really drives the message home that humans are the real danger. Rick and co know how to deal with the walkers now, that's easy (most of the time), it's the people are also just trying to survive that are the problem.

Perhaps a bit slow at times but it never lost my attention. I give it 4 stars out of 5! Taking a short before Compendium 3, but I'll be back!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just so fucking good.

I can definitely say that The Walking Dead has cemented itself as one of my favorite comics. I'm never bored while reading because there are just so many different facets explored; the fight against zombies, the trials and successes with other communities, and the human condition in general. Amidst all of the violence and pain you find so much damn heart and humanity. I can't even praise this series enough. Go forth and read... do it!

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the Walking dead in these compendiums is both great and awful. It's great because I get to read four years of Walking Dead in a single night. It's awful because now I have to wait four more years to know how everything turns out.

I'd recommend that you don't wait four years to read this compendium.

[Feyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gleich vorweg: Ich lese sehr selten Comics. Mehr als ich zu Sammelband 1 sagen konnte, kann ich auch zu Band 2 nicht sagen. Die Story sehr spannend, die Charaktere durchwachsen und ich weiß jetzt auch wieder, warum ich die Serie damals abgebrochen hatte. Zu viel Rick, zu viel Carl. Beide sind einfach nicht meine Charaktere.
Das spannendste für mich wäre jetzt, wie Negan dargestellt wird, der alleine wegen seines Darstellers schon ein Highlight in der Serie war. Das ärgerlichste für mich an diesem Buch war aber auch, dass ich immer noch das Problem habe, dass ich die Figuren teilweise nicht auseinanderhalten kann.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not quite as good as the first compendium, which (after a slow start) culminated in the prison storyline. The second compendium eventually lands our group in the Alexandria "Safe Zone" and the action gets less frequent and the story moves forward much more slowly. The final part of the book sees the very gradual start of the Negan storyline which will kick into gear around issue 100 (early in the third compendium). So, yeah, it's slow in stretches but still it's a ridiculous amount of content for the money.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man the start of this book was sad. After the events at the end of the last book, everyone is either dead or separated. Here it’s just Rick and his son Carl. They find a house to hold up in and Rick passes out due to his stomach injury. He’s out for a few days and Carl is dealing with the fact that his dad might not make it. A rough intro to this volume. They eventually find the other survivors, Mishonne, Andrea, Glen etc etc. They were staying back at Hershel’s farm. This is where we get some new characters introduced, Abraham and his crew. After Abraham makes a convincing argument that staying stationary is a bad idea, Rick and his crew decide to join them on their trek to D.C. Along the way, they run into a group of cannibals. That whole story bit was crazy. They eventually stumble across this community. A group of about 40 people have walled off this neighborhood and they even have power with the use of solar panels. Rick’s crew end up trying to make a home here with these people. They deal with a rouge group trying to attack them and deal with a wave of zombies breaking in through a weak point in the wall. That sequence was extremely chaotic and there were some very tragic deaths during it. After all of that, a new guy, calling himself Jesus, shows up telling Rick that there are other communities like his out there and he wants to show him where he comes from. Nice place they have set up. Lots of food and supplies. However this is where the name Negan first comes up. I haven’t seen the show but I’ve always heard people talk about this Negan person so I know it’s a lot of bad news coming in the next volume. Can’t wait!!

[Brett C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, great writing and storyline in my opinion. This omnibus picks up right where the first volume left off. As with the first compendium, there are several deviations the show producers chose to make but that does not take away from overall effect. As I read more, both the graphic series and the show have their strong suits. I would recommend these large compendiums to anyone who enjoyed the show, especially in the early seasons. Thanks!

[Yodamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations with all kinds of hidden stuff to look at. Interesting characters and emotional expressions I can interpret. I'd reread this may times-it earned it's 5 stars all the way

[Kandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

2016- I like this series so much! I was really just going to skim this in preparation for Negan's appearance on the television series, but got sucked in! I am so happy that the show doesn't follow the comics as closely as some would prefer. If they were exactly the same we would have no reason to keep reading/watching. The story is always about the people and Kirkman is a genius at finding the situations that show us the most. I will, of course, now have to read volume 3. AGAIN!

2014-
I find this second compendium focuses more on the threat of other living beings as opposed to the threat of the undead that was the primary focus in the first. Much like The Road by McCarthy, these issues show us how truly frightening other human beings can be. We all want to believe we are compassionate, intrinsically good people, but are we? Really? Those that think about evil in the world we inhabit today can actually act on it in the apocalyptic world with very few consequences. This in turn, forces those of us that do have good intentions to be distrustful and afraid which can lead to our own misdeeds. It’s a vicious circle and once it begins, seems to be a perpetual ouroboros.

I’m re-reading these because my mind has become confused between what happened in the books and what happened in the television series. I’m feeling grief all over again at the number of main characters we’ve lost in the books that are still around in the series. I felt their loss as fresh even this second time around! There are other characters that I wish would show up on the page, Dixon, of course, although keeping him off the page is a great way for Kirkman to keep both the book and television audience. Tricky!

One thing that never bothered me on first read was just how often the book characters use guns and how infrequently they use tools to kill the undead. I feel that’s an improvement the show made. Noise draws them, why in the world would they continue to use bullets, especially when they can run out, as opposed to hammers, screwdrivers, swords, etc. like they do in the show? It makes so much more sense!

I read quite a few of these as issues, later as collections, and now again, as compendiums. I think I am going to wait for the third compendium to come out to read anymore. It’s so satisfying to read so much at once. I no longer want the sips of issues, but rather the gulps of collections. If I’m this greedy today, how greedy (and awful) would I be in a zombie apocalypse? O_o

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! That's what I thought. The first bit of it was so agonizing to read/watch unfold before my eyes. The amount of pain and hurt people endure in this story is truly brutal. In fact alot of this novel was really dealing with alot of heartache and how people go on in the midst of it all.

However by mid way the story got more positive. Still dealing with a real threat of the walkers, and really dealing with what it's like to be living in a time like that. How do people carry on? What sort of traditions do people need to carry on in this world? Good questions and they start answering some of them, and just when we think things will be resolved... sometimes they are and sometimes they're not.

My favourite part of the novel was Chapter 16. The main reason I started reading the novels was because of the hope I saw while watching the show (as ironic as that sounds.) It's so hard to have hope in the midst of such crappy circumstances. This had some of the most heart warming moments in the whole graphic novel (if you watch the TV show, it reminded me of a Season 1 moment when Carl and Lori meet Rick.)

I hate zombies in general, never have gotten into them at all, never was a genre I wanted to delve into, but The Walking Dead really helped me in a lot of ways to potentially look into other zombie things (I'm still not convinced that I will like them.)

I really appreciated the authors/artists who compiled this and the way they put it all together. It fit so well! And you can tell there was a lot of thought put into how they wanted to present the big news, or sometimes make it seem minor when it was actual huge news. Very thoughtfully done.

The dialogue in it sometimes was a little bit wooden, but you can't get away from that, it happens in some graphic novels/comics. But, overall very impressed with how intelligent and coherent the story is so far. I look forward to Compendium 3 or wherever this story goes until.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had its ups and downs. Boring parts and interesting parts. I'm not as hooked to the story as I was when I finished the first compendium but I don't dislike it. Will wait a few weeks/months before reading the 3rd compendium though.

[Kristina Coop-a-Loop · Rating 2 out of 5]

For those of you who are fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead but haven’t read the graphic novels, let me assure you: you aren’t missing anything. My apologies to Robert Kirkman, but the tv show is a million times better. The show’s characters are more fleshed out and the storylines are much more complex. Most of the time I think it’s a good idea to read the book that a movie or tv show has been adapted from because the book usually gives you a more in depth look at the characters or story, but that does not hold true for The Walking Dead graphic novel. In the comic books, the characters and storylines are the barebones that the tv show does an amazing job of expanding.

I don’t care for the graphic novel at all. The art work doesn’t really do anything for me and the characters never really come alive for me. Some of the characters are the same in both mediums (Rick, Maggie, Glenn, Michonne, Carl, etc.) but they aren’t the same. The actors give the characters much more depth and complexity than the comics can. I also don’t have any strong feelings for the comic book characters. I’m rooting for them, but I don’t particularly like them. Andrea (who is still alive in the comic books and portrayed as a very young-looking, freckled-face blonde with a perpetual ponytail) I actively dislike. I can’t say why. I just don’t like her. I don’t like book Maggie either. She’s rather whiny and teary-eyed. When it comes down to it, I guess I really don’t like anyof the book characters. They’re just not as interesting as the tv characters.

The storylines are not as interesting or as well-developed as the show. No Terminus in the books. The cannibals are there, but if you blink, you miss them. It’s over very quickly. That’s what’s weird about the books—the stories are very quick. They aren’t complex at all or developed fully. A new conflict or problem develops quickly, there’s a climax, then, boom! it’s over and the characters move on. I kept thinking maybe I skipped a few pages by accident. Last season, the incident with Rick and Jessie’s husband, Pete, took time to develop. The writers teased out the attraction between Rick and Jessie, slowly let the viewers know that Pete beat his wife and you watched Rick get angrier and angrier and more frustrated with the situation until he loses control and violently confronts Pete. This all happens within a few panels in the book. There’s no subtlety, no build-up, nothing. It was rather poorly done. It was interesting to see what specific stories and actions are pulled from the books (sometimes almost exactly except the characters involved may be different) but that’s really the only interesting thing about the books—how they relate to the show.

The characters in the book don’t seem to be as smart as their tv counterparts. There is a story that involves the community’s walls being overtaken by walkers. What drew them? Lots of gun fire, which is their primary means of defense. Effective, but noisy. I’m reading this panel thinking…hmmm…this is where Daryl and his kick ass bow would come in handy…So after just barely saving the community from a walker herd by using quieter means (sticks and axes, etc.), what new policy does book Rick implement? Everyone who wants a gun can carry a gun and Andrea (the sharp-shooter for the group) will train people. So a few days later after being invaded by a herd drawn to them by gunfire, Andrea’s out there with a bunch of people doing what? Shooting guns. *Head smack* Darryl and show Rick would be like: WTF? The book suffers a lot from not having Darryl and Carol, my two favorites. Carol’s character did exist in the book, but she was not cool at all. She died; killed herself, I think. Show Carol is way more bad ass than anyone in the comics.

There are a lot of soap opera-y panels dealing with relationships—who’s sleeping with whom, who loves whom. It’s just…sigh. Really? Do you people seriously think you need more drama? Walking dead people isn’t enough for you? And one of the things that always irritated me about the show was when some episodes would have these time-outs in which the characters had these long conversations about morals and what kind of person am I turning into yadda yadda yadda. Dale irritated the snot out of me and his comic book character does too. I was glad to see him go. Hershel was different and I liked him as the moral compass of the show. But whenever the show (and the book) turns to explicitly describing the moral conflicts and underlying themes, it’s annoying. We (the readers and viewers) are not idiots. We know this is more than a fight for survival; it’s a fight to stay human—whatever that means in this apocalyptic time. So when the book pounds me over the head with its moral message, I’m irritated. I think that’s where the show gets it from, but luckily the show does it more gracefully and less often than the book. There are quite a few teary-eyed self-doubting oh-woe-is-me-and-this-world Rick scenes in the book; let my eye-rolling commence.

Seriously, if you’re not a fan of graphic novels and you enjoy the show, don’t bother with this twenty-pound graphic novel. It does not provide the reader with any new insight into the characters or the stories from the show. The show is much more complex and way more intense. The only reason to look at this compendium (or one of the comic books) is to compare the uncanny likeness of Abraham the ink-drawn character with show Abraham (actor Michael Cudlitz). It’s positively freaky how much they look alike. Also, the characters in the book are allowed to curse. It seems appropriate in this zombie reality that people may get cranky and let a few f-bombs drop now and again. It’s too bad that AMC cannot get over the necessity of the occasional fuck on the show. It’s on late at night and it’s not child-friendly. I’d be a lot more concerned about my child watching a zombie eat a person’s face off than hearing the f-word. I mean, let’s keep this in perspective. But no, this is America, land of the senseless and completely illogical censorship. Female nudity? That’s A-okay. Sex? Also fine. Gratuitous violence? Sure, g’head. Profanity? How dare you! The children might hear it. This is why the Terminus-Rick & Co.-trapped-in-a-boxcar-by-cannibals season finale ended with the lame: “They’re screwing with the wrong people” instead of the way better “They’re fucking with the wrong people.” AMC, you’re such hypocrites. I hope this episode on the DVD has the latter version. It’s much more powerful (and linguistically more accurate). Anyway, stepping off my soap box…this compendium does extend past the end of last season’s WD, but not enough to bother reading it. If you’re missing Rick and Co., watch a few of last season’s episodes (one of my favs was the “Carol and Darryl Go Exploring in Downtown Atlanta” ep. Love those two together. Not necessarily in a shippy way. I just think they have excellent chemistry and I like their relationship.). October and the walking dead will be here before you know it. Yippee!

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping, addictive, and brutal.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here We Remain: 5 stars.
What We Become: 4 stars.
Fear the Hunters: 4.5 stars.
Life Among Them: 4 stars.
Too Far Gone: 3.5 stars.
No Way Out: 2.5 stars.
We Find Ourselves: 2 stars.
A Larger World: 3 stars.

2024 reread:
Here We Remain: 5 stars.
What We Become: 5 stars.
Fear the Hunters: 5 stars.
Life Among Them: 4 stars.
Too Far Gone: 4 stars.
No Way Out: 4 stars.
We Find Ourselves: 4 stars.
A Larger World: 4 stars.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I said in my review of the first Compendium, if you're not a follower of comics (like me), but if you're a fan of zombies (also like me) and particularly The Walking Dead (like just about everyone), then there's no better place to start than this.

More of the same. And that's a good thing.

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 5 out of 5]

Съдържание:

Глава девета Ние, останалите
Глава десета Онова, в което се превръщаме
Глава единадесета Пази се от ловците
Глава дванадесета Живот сред тях
Глава тринадесета Твърде далеч
Глава четиринадесета Без изход
Глава петнадесета И ето че се намираме
Глава шестнадесета По-голям свят

Зомби постапокалипсисът е благодатен декор за екшъна и насилието в тази чудесна графична новела, но сюжетът е перфектно балансиран и не ги превръща в самоцел, често допускана грешка в хорър жанра. Сценаристът Къркман се заиграва с вечната тема за доброто и злото, в свят, чийто морален компас генерално е променил настройките си, търсейки отговор на въпроса дали можем да останем човеци, след като сме принудени да вършим нечовешки дела, а под умелата му "диригентска палка" протагонистът Рик търпи непрестанно развитие и израстване в усилията си да запази целостта на групата.

И ето го, току-що доведен в подножието на Хълма, което подсказва, че наближава появата на Нигън (нетърпелив емотикон).

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not as compelling or engrossing as Volume One, but still good enough. Like Amy Lee, it was good enough for me.

Here I stand still, still addicted to zombies. Just not to the living ones. Or the ones I came across in Paris circa 2016.

This was way better than the Zone One and definitely better than the low quality, really bad Fear of the Walking Dead. I am still watching that though.

Hehehe

illustrations still blows me away. Just amazing. Oh, we write reviews to recommend books, generally. So read away.

Skulls and Bones. Stolen word : Skellery.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This stuff is like a slab of chocolate...a really, really, BIG slab of chocolate. It's OK until you start it, then it gets really difficult to stop chomping through it until it's gone...even though you know it would be wiser to quit now and save some for later...

...also, Rick is a psycho.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Once death becomes a normal sight, there is little in the world that can reach deep enough into the heart to break a person any more than they already are. While some will wish to hold onto an illusion of normalcy, life will find ways to bring them back to reality, a reality where they’ll wish that it was nothing more than a nightmare they can wake up from. But in a world overrun by zombies, only the most resilient will find ways to survive, to hold onto life, and to find ways to keep hope alive. Collecting issues #49-96 (or volume #9-16), creator Robert Kirkman continues his brilliant foray into the horrors of a zombie apocalypse by raising the stakes and exploring the psychological trauma with frightening accuracy.

What is The Walking Dead: Compendium Two about? Picking up after the disastrous event at the prison, Rick Grimes and his son find themselves on the run while dealing with the terrifying and unexpected losses they witnessed. As they regroup with the remaining survivors, they set off into the wild world looking for hope and an opportunity for respite. A chance encounter leads them to cross paths with a peculiar group promising answers in Washington but their journey, through hell and high water, leads them to find short solace in The Community, where everything seems possible once again. However, there’s a price to living and the dead isn’t ready to give up just yet. Will the group ever be able to find a semblance of peace?

What a dark, dark road they walk on! Relentless, ruthless, and gruesome. Their journey is unforgiving yet temporarily and continuously rewarding. Creator Robert Kirkman achieves an unprecedented level of terror, despair, and chaos once again with this group that is never spared of the evil that roams this post-apocalyptic world, living or dead. While the pacing is breakneck, it brilliantly delves into the broken psyche of each key character and offers mindnumbing insight into the horrors of this period void of any true form of a social contract to assure one’s security. Unfortunately, the sinister nature of this chaos, aptly epitomized by the pitiless walking dead, does not forbid these morally grey characters from doing all that is within their power to recreate a life they once had but the realization of its fleeting essence is what drives them to ponder the psychological sacrifices that they must make to become the very creatures they would have never dared to become if they are to survive.

Charlie Adlard’s black-and-white artwork continues to be phenomenal as well. The very concept adds a much-needed air of oppression that simply captures the group of survivors’ sense of loss and hopelessness. Brilliantly playing around with shadows, the emotions drawn and depicted for each character throughout the story also tells far more than any words could ever describe, sometimes hinting at evil intentions and enhancing the dark atmosphere filled with danger and mistrust. Although human characters are central to this narrative, thus making it crucial that the artwork properly conveys their emotional state, there’s no denying that the walking dead themselves are also drawn perfectly. In fact, whenever they do appear, it is hard to forget how worrisome and distressful it can get for these survivors. Their rotten allure is a not-too-fresh reminder of what fate awaits them if they do not continue to survive.

The Walking Dead: Compendium Two is an unparalleled and illustrative zombie apocalypse odyssey shedding light on the foul and grisly nature of humanity.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Stephen the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the time readers get around to wading through the one-thousand-plus pages of The Walking Dead: Compendium Two, they’ll see that Robert Kirkman's hard-hitting world of the zombie post-apocalypse has hit its stride, and the ground rules firmly established. The vast majority of mankind has long since been wiped out by an inexplicable pandemic, one that has left hordes of shambling corpses in its wake. Society has crumbled. Supplies are scarce. No one is truly safe—anywhere. People die with heart-breaking frequency…and once decent, law-abiding individuals must now commit heinous acts just to keep breathing.

The Walking Dead: Compendium Two, which collects Issues #49-96, is an excellent companion piece for fans of the monumental TV adaptation, though these collected comics make the show look lightweight in terms of sheer brutality. Here, we see how Kirkman has driven Rick Grimes and his ragtag group further into the darkest recesses of humanity. Rick’s tortured son Carl struggles to mature in an unforgiving world wherein innocence is stolen and daily survival remains the unwritten code. In the wake of the deadly prison onslaught, new allies are gained in the form of ex-military type Abraham Ford, Rosita Espinosa, and Eugene Porter (who claims to hold the key to curing the infection and thus restoring order to this bygone world). Survival is paramount as Rick and Co. face new threats, amongst which a small band of desperate humans who’ve decided to forego whatever canned goods still remain and hunt bigger, more convenient game: other humans. Even as the survivors find sanctuary in a lively oasis called the Alexandria Safe-Zone, the unremitting cycle of death continues.

While the artwork remains consistently impressive—though it’s still occasionally difficult to distinguish some of the characters at times—the tone dark and gritty, but the awful dialogue and paper-thin characterizations are even worse than that of the previous compendium. Kirkman uses the word “just” a lot—and I mean A LOT! The narrative takes some familiar turns though not without throwing an occasional fork in the road. Still, this compendium is not without its share of tedious plot rehashing. For instance, on two distinct occasions, the group encounters a new character with a proposition that seems too good to be true, and Rick’s response is to sucker-punch the character, subdue them, and squabble for numerous panels before eventually accepting the newcomer’s offer. There’s also a weak amnesia storyline that only serves to compel Rick and Carl to retread familiar introspective territory. Despite being a good, sprawling adventure, these abovementioned flaws prevent this hefty tome from being a mammoth achievement.

[Allan Nail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. It is good. Now, I need to decide how far I pursue this story.

When I first heard of The Walking Dead, I was excited about the possibility of a never-ending survival story featuring zombies. Now I'm wondering if there wouldn't be better story telling if there was an end in sight. The Walking Dead Compendium 2, while fulfilling my need for a continued experience with familiar and beloved characters, starts to repeat itself. New place to live, new zombie invasion. New place to live, more humans to deal with. After awhile, I can write the story in my head as I go.

There's a part of me that wonders if this isn't because the story is meant to be a serial in the old-fashioned sense. I'm reading 48 comics at a sitting, and in this case doing it over a weekend. But that's [i]two years[/i] of comics as they originally were released, and there's a part of me that wonders if that isn't why things are starting to sound repetitive. Would all indefinite comics (and I haven't heard to the contrary that WD has no known end date) read like this, in large collections?

The only other lengthy comic collection I've read to compare it to is Y The Last Man, but that was a limited run. Even then, the same problems I had with emotional impact being lessoned because of the formate (for me, for me!) were there. But it wasn't repetitive; it had a direction that WD doesn't seem to have in the second compendium. In all honesty, the first compendium may have only seemed to because, after the first few issues, I was reading the source material of a TV show I'd actually followed farther than the book. I had the show as a marker, and the end of the collection corresponded to what was upcoming on television (oddly enough, I finished Comp. 2 on the night of the season three finale).

I don't know. I think I might wait for the next compendium to come out before I return to Rick and his compadres. Kirkman isn't really doing anything that hasn't been done before with zombies, save doing it on a larger (read: longer) scale. It's nice, I like it, and the characters are great. But after a while, a story about rebuilding life after a zombie apocalypse eventually becomes just a story about life, and the ho-hum aspects of life, at that. Still, it beats some of the other crap out there.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the events of the first compendium, this one sees Rick and the survivors trying to cope with their losses and then they are invited to become part of The Community, a town which is working to survive the apocalypse. But after so long on the run, can the group ever adjust to normal life again? And is the community as safe as it first appears?

My favourite thing about this is that it's a great mixture of zombies and apocalypse surviving. It's mostly about surviving and people trying to rebuild civilisation. After everything that he's been through, Rick especially struggles to return to normality. There's still some awesome zombie action in what is probably the most intense encounter of the series so far but the zombies kind of take a back seat for most of the book, which is a good thing because continuous zombie attacks would get dull after a while.

There's some fantastic character development in this book too. Rick is very conflicted, we discover how growing up in this new world is affecting Carl and Glen and Maggie's relationship continues to develop. We re-meet Morgan for the first time since the start of the series and meet lots of new characters including tough-guy Abraham, the conflicted priest Father Gabriel and leader of the community Douglas. They are all believable and interact fabulously, better then the characters of any other comic series. Unlike in a novel we only get to see their feelings from their speech and expressions but the writers still manage to display them brilliantly.

This is quite probably my favourite read of the year. It continues the saga and is pretty much unputdownable. I can't wait to see where the series goes next given the ending of this!

[It's just Deano · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the end of The Walking Dead - Compendium Two the series shows absolutely no signs of letting up on the thrills and action! Given the enormity of this series you'd think that you'd be bound to hit some speed-bumps along the way, but that's just not the case here. In fact it feels like we're just getting started!

The plot continues directly on from the first compendium and the carry over is incredibly seamless between issues and volumes - one thing the series does incredibly well!

The action does seem to be somewhat less of a primary focus here as our characters begin to settle, but what does remain is absolutely condensed and brutally intensified. Compendium Two has its story more rooted in diplomacy, highlighting the fragility of relationships and the consequences around decisions and power. Don't be fooled though - it remains incredibly exciting!

Charlie Adlard's art is a continuing force of black and white horror and feels even more stern with this second compendium.

Overall, to be this deep into such a lengthy series as The Walking Dead and still feel like it's just getting better and better is a phenomenal achievement in modern comics. Bring on compendium three! Kirkman and Adlard - take a bow.
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My Score: 10/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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[Jared Walz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My God. That was not what I was expecting, at all. The first compendium built up a rapport of emotional strain, and the second one finally sees that rapport begin to splinter. The first half of the book was absolutely devastating... not to mention revolting. One scene in particular (involving Dale, of course) was so downright gross that I had to stop reading. But I forged on, because I couldn't bear to leave the remaining cast of characters in their horrible predicament. And, boy, was I rewarded. This volume generates some of the most striking characters the series has to offer... most prominently Jesus and Abraham. I cannot stress enough how titillating this series is. It keeps you hooked- violently hooked- through every single second of its storyline. This is probably the first or second comic book I've ever read, and I'm now afraid that no other will ever be able to live up to it. Here's hoping Kirkman is able to continue the saga for as long as he wishes.

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book weights nearly a metric ton but it is stock full of blood in black and white. I really appreciated the format for reading at home on the couch even if the stories eventually get a bit repetitive in the Walking Dead universe.