One of the most popular shows on television right now is “The Walking Dead.” It is based on the popular series of graphic novels. The show seems to have diverged a bit from the books. For those of you that haven’t heard of it, “The Walking Dead” follows a group of survivors after a zombie apocalypse has killed most of the population.
Today, I present to you the biggest differences between the show and the comics:
1. No Dixon Brothers In The Comic
That’s right. Neither of the Dixon brothers is in the comic books. During an interview, Robert Kirkman (the author) said that Norman Reedus initially auditioned for the part of Merle. He didn’t get that part, but the show runners were intrigued, so they made a character just for Reedus.
2. Trip To The CDC in Season 1
SPOILERS: If you have not seen the show or read the books. These are spoilers. In the first season finale, the group made a trip to the CDC office. They learned more about the virus and they stayed for a few days in a cushy government shelter. They enjoyed wine and showers and fresh clothes. But, then the shelter was overrun, so the doctor blew himself up to keep the other viruses from getting out. None of this was in any of the graphic novels. It was still a good episode. though.
3. The Retirement Home Episode
Also, in season one, there was an episode where the group met up with some men that were trying to take their weapons. They kidnapped some of Rick’s crew. When Rick went to retrieve them, it turns out the kidnappers were trying to protect a group of old people left in a nursing home. Most of the members are too feeble to be moved, so these guys help out by feeding them, getting them their medicine, and keeping the building free of zombies. It wasn’t a bad episode, but it was not in the comic books. I’m not entirely sure why the show runners added it, but it’s cool.
4. Andrea Being Annoying
Many of the show’s fans were annoyed at how bad Andrea was. I don’t know if it’s her fault or the writer’s fault. In the books, she was super bad ass. She had a sexy scar on her face from a fight, and she was the best shot in the group. She is a good character, though.
5. Child Obsessed With Feeding Zombies a.k.a Lizzie
When the group is living at the prison, there are more characters in the show than there were in the comic books. One of the children at the prison, named Lizzie, was feeding the zombies and naming them. This crazy kid was not in the comic. She eventually killed her own sister just to turn her into a zombie. Carol shoots her during the famous “look at the flowers” scene.
6. Michonne
On the show and in the books, she is definitely the badass, katana-wielding warrior we all love. But, the character in the comic books had more of a sensitive side. The Michonne on the show is a little more detached. The show did try to show her sensitive side with flashbacks of the child she had before the apocalypse. In the books, she even pursues a relationship with Tyrese. For whatever reason, the show went a different direction with that part of the story.
So, these are definitely NOT all of the differences between the shows and the books. It is a great story in both comic form and television form. I would recommend it to anyone that loves a good horror/zombie/survival story.
Featured image by Casey Florig via Flickr, available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
