Many of you are probably going to blast me for saying this, but I do not think that Robert Kirkman should still be writing The Walking Dead comic. The last year and a half have been fairly bland and the comic needs fresh life blown into it.
The Walking Dead Comic
Yawning at The Walking Dead Comic
I remember jumping on to The Walking Dead comic and reading it from the first issue on. Up until the around issue #90, I could not wait to see what Rick and the other survivors would do next. As the issues of The Walking Dead comic progressed through the 90s, I grew less and less satisfied. By issue #100, I had gotten to the point where I was ready to drop it off of my pulls. Instead, I held on for another six months and finally decided to walk away from what had been one of my favorite comics of all time. I have tried a few issues since and found that I just did not care anymore.
What is Wrong with The Walking Dead Comic?
Comics have what you might call a “story life.” This is similar to shelf life for food. Once the story life is over (typically once a story has been completely told), the comic becomes stale. That is where The Walking Dead comic is for me, and for many of the readers I have spoken to in the last few months who have decided to walk away as well.
Robert Kirkman Needs to Step Back
What I think is happening is that Robert Kirkman is spending so much time on the TV show, the comic has become an afterthought. The issues read as if they are written by someone simply going through the motions. Don’t get me wrong, issues #1-#90 tell one of the greatest stories ever in comics. The story should have ended there, but the comic continues to sell and the demand continues to be there.
Questioning the Demand
The Walking Dead is the top show on cable, but has troubles breaking the Top Ten for the Diamond Industry Statistics most months. A large majority of customers that I see who buy The Walking Dead comic, only buy The Walking Dead comic. Many have jumped on with the comic because of their fandom. I would not be going out on a limb by saying these people might not realize how the story has digressed and been elongated over the last twenty issues.
What the Story Needs
Either The Walking Dead needs to have an exit point (read: Final Issue), or Robert Kirkman needs to bring in another writer. He can still be listed on the front page, but most of the work should be given to someone who has the time for the project. There is something wrong when I read a particular issue and said “Oh, Glenn died” instead of “OMG! They just killed Glenn!”
