Wednesday, November 14, 2012

What I'm Reading Now "Walking Dead" Spoiler Alert (Updated 11/16/2012)

Hello,

Just a quick update on what I'm reading. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I read the fourth "Walking Dead" comic book collection "The Heart's Desire". I look forward to reading the fifth volume soon, "The Best Defense". I was hoping in that collection it was going to reveal who's on the other end of the phone that Rick answered at the end of the television episode "Say The Word".

I read "The Best Defense" last night and it was good. I love how in some ways the two forms of media are different, but in other ways they are also similar. For instance, Lori is an annoying character in both and I'm cheering for the zombies to get her. It finally happened in the TV series, I hope the zombies get her soon in the comic book. In "The Best Defense" Rick, Hershel and crew are alive and well and at the prison. Glenn and Rick are siphoning gas from one of the cars left behind at the prison. They want to get gas for the generators. In the books they want to get the generators to run, in the TV show they did what they could to turn off the generators. I love subtle differences like that.

Rick and Glenn see a helicopter crash. However the helicopter is attached to a TV station and not a military unit. Michonne, Glenn and Rick go to investigate. (In the comic book Michonne shows up at the prison first, Andrea is already there.) They find the helicopter crash, but they don't find any bodies. What they do find are a lot of footsteps, obviously people had been there before them. Those three go to investigate further, and come across a sign that says that Woodbury is only 1 mile away.

They get near Woodbury and are captured by the Governor's men, although there's no Merle in sight. They are held captive by the Governor. In the TV series his being evil and craziness are much more subtle. In the comic book the Governor is pretty much straight up evil. He hears about the prison and wants to move his camp there. The Governor tortures Michonne, terrorizes Glenn and chops off part of Rick's arm.

In the comic books there's a former NFL player named Tyrese, he hasn't shown up in the TV series yet. However  there's going to be a new character introduced on the December 2nd episode, I hope it's Tyrese. He's a very cool dude in the comic books. In the TV series Rick's gang needs a few more humans. I hope they let Oscar and Axel become part of their crew and that Tyrese joins them too. The show has to find a balance between too many characters and not enough characters.

Speaking of characters the character with the biggest divergence of personality is Dale. In the TV series he's played as a weak, whiny and speechifying person. I was so glad when the zombies finally got him, it didn't happen soon enough. Through the fifth comic book collection he's very much alive. He's also much tougher and just saved Tyrese's life with his ingenuity. Thankfully no lame speeches for him, he didn't whine about Shane and even has a girlfriend.

Unfortunately no further clue who's on the other end of the phone that Rick answered in the TV series. I'm starting to wonder if it's someone from Woodbury? But who would they be? And how did they get the phone number? Certainly they didn't Google it. Hmm. And how is it logical that the phones even still work? Maybe it's someone calling from in the prison itself?

Can I tell you how much I love having both the comic book series and the TV series. The stories are different enough that it's almost like a choose your own adventure series. I don't have a preference between the two.

With the announcement that "Star Wars 7" will be made, I've been completely geeking out about it. I've read every rumor about who'll be involved in the upcoming trilogy. I'm so excited that this series will finally be continued. Yes, I know the first 3 episodes in chronological order weren't very good. And I also acknowledge how difficult it's going to be for the final 3 episodes to live up to the middle trilogy. But I'm so glad they are trying. Those middle three movies are some of my favorite movies ever, especially "Star Wars".

What does that have to do with what I'm reading now? Because as soon as I heard the announcement that "Star Wars 7" is going to be made, I jumped into the so called expanded "Star Wars" universe. Right now I'm in the middle of the first of the Thrawn Trilogy, "Heir To The Empire". The events in this book are 5 years after the end of "Return of The Jedi". It's so good to see what Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, R2D2 and C3PO are up to. But it's also cool to see new relevant and interesting characters. For instance, Thrawn and Mara Jade. And thankfully no Jar Jar Binks in sight.

The particular "Heir To The Throne" that I'm reading is the 20th Anniversary Edition. This has been annotated by the author. He gives a lot of interesting perspectives into the entire "Star Wars" universe.

I'm not very familiar with the expanded "Star Wars" universe. If you have any suggestions of what I should read following the Thrawn Trilogy, I'd appreciate it.

themusicaddict

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