The Walking Dead Vol. 5: The Best Defense
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Cliff Rathburn
Fear and savagery rule in a world ruled by the undead, and at the heart of that darkness is… THE GOVERNOR!!!
Ranking: 4 stars
The most innovating aspect of zombie books is that they focus not on the flesh-eating monsters themselves, but rather on the psychological torment they inflict upon the survivors of the apocalypse. Robert Kirkman's THE WALKING DEAD is no exception. Both the comic book and TV series devote their time towards the ongoing perils that Rick and his band of survivors face. Although they are surrounded by walkers, the most dangerous monsters they face may not be the undead, but themselves. A zombie apocalypse creates a world that relates to William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES, where civilized society has crumbled, and people have the potential to unlock a darker area of their soul, and unleash it! THE WALKING DEAD portrays this theme through the survivor's struggles to retain their humanity in a world that can bring out the best or worst of people. If there was one character in both the comic and TV show who represented the worst of human nature, it would have to be the Governor. After becoming hooked to the TV series, it was only natural that I read the comic books that inspired it. While I prefer the TV show over the comics (one of the few times I do), as the comics don't deeply explore the characters to the same extent, Kirkman definitely provides an expertly-crafted thrill ride for readers. Having finally secured the prison from the walkers, Rick and his band of survivors (his pregnant wife Lori, and his son Carl, as well as Tyreese, Michonne, Dale, Carol, Hershel, Glenn, Maggie, and Andrea) are beginning to establish a permanent residence behind bars. As they begin to salvage supplies to set up shelter, Rick and Glenn suddenly spot a helicopter crashing nearby into the woods. The two are then accompanied by Michonne as they head off to investigate the wreck. But Rick and his allies soon discover that they may have bitten off more they can chew when their search leads them to the small town of Woodbury. They quickly run into a group of survivors who have shielded off the walkers by converting four blocks of the town into a heavily armed fortress, led by a man who calls himself the Governor. Appearing friendly at first, the Governor welcomes the party into Woodbury, but almost immediately, Rick and the others discover that Woodbury houses an evil far more dangerous than the walkers. The Governor soon reveals his sinister nature as he begins to interrogate and torture the group, demanding the location of their base. Will Rick, Glenn, and Michonne be able hold back the information the Governor desires, or will all of the survivors at the prison be threatened by this psychopathic madman? THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 5: THE BEST DEFENSE may be my favorite chapter of the series yet. I highly enjoyed how the first volume DAYS GONE BYE set up both the plot and mental vulnerability of the characters, and how the third volume, SAFETY BEHIND BARS, established a long-term setting for the story (my fondness for the odd-numbered over even-numbered volumes is kind of a reverse of a conspiracy towards the quality of each classic STAR TREK film). Volume five may possess the best character development so far, as not only are readers introduced to the first major antagonist of the series, but that the Governor represents the lowest levels that humans can reach in a lawless society. In the Governor, we see a vile, heartless man who is driven solely by his hunger for power, and power in a zombie-dominated world is possessing the best shelter and supplies, something he wants from Rick and the others. Although he puts on a friendly demeanor at first, the Governor quickly reveals how far over the edge he is as he tortures the group. I dare not spoil exactly what the governor does to them, but I will mention that his actions permanently scar Rick for life, and what he does to Maggie in the TV series is only half of what he does to Michonne here. Despite his cruel and perverted nature, readers can still humanize with the Governor. After coming to his home to rest from the interrogation he conducted, the contents of his living quarters reveal potential backgrounds for what has made him the villain he is (those who've watched the TV series know what I'm talking about). Although we aren't give a full exploration of the Governor's character like that of the TV series, the Governor of the comics is definitely a complex and innovating antagonist who further aids to the theme of human savagery that is the backbone of THE WALKING DEAD. Another character I felt was expanded on in this volume was Michonne, who in my opinion is just bada**. I was a little disappointed by her introduction in the previous volume, as although she is still incredibly awesome (who couldn't resist a woman who wields a katana to kill walkers), I felt she served no purpose other than to provide temptation for Tyreese's inner lust. But here in volume five, Michonne reveals her life before the apocalypse, and her tough as nails personality is expanded through the pain inflicted upon her by the Governor. This is best portrayed when after being severely tortured by the Governor, all she can tell him, "I'm not crying for me. I'm crying for you. I think about all the things I'm going to do to you and it makes me cry. It scares me." This not only further enhances the bada** factor of her character, but also lets the reader imagine how frightening it can be to realize you might become something dark and monstrous when humanity is disappearing from the world. Like with the rest of the series, the fast-pacing can get on my nerves, a few pieces of dialogue feel a little out of place, and the amount of language is still strong (but I've gotten used to that. I criticized it in the first volume as I wasn't prepared for it). But THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 5: THE BEST DEFENSE (and the entire franchise) is a masterpiece that provides an in-depth tale of character exploration and human savagery. We have not only the first appearance of the series greatest villain, but also a character that symbolizes human savagery at its prime. Robert Kirkman definitely understands the that men have the potential to become monsters even worse than zombies. A theme he incorporates to a greater extent in this volume than he has in previous ones. "Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us." ― William Golding, LORD OF THE FLIES
