Here is where we have to know where the writer's coming from here, and I can explain it (not excuse it) in one easy sentence: he's a dude.

Sure, guys change when they have kids, but nowhere near as much as women do because males have no other biological role in child-birthing (notice I did not say "child-rearing"; I want to be specific here) aside from insemination. I don't have to mention that guys don't go through the physiological and psychological changes that women do when they have children. (I think that's a shame, but I'll save that for another rant.) We stay relatively the same during the process. (Again, I'm being specific here. Our purely mental changes boil down to "protect and serve my pregnant wife" - and guys have been mentally conditioned to serve in the role of "protector" since time immemorial, so this should be commonplace - and "protect and serve the baby".) We know women change during the process of child-birth and child-rearing, but we are still mystified by those changes. It's like a special kind of magic to us. (If we - and I mean all humans here, not just males - weren't mystified by it, would there be quite as many scientific studies of it?)

A guy can write a strong female character well, and a guy can write a weak or crazy female character well. Can a guy write a good, honest mother well? If he does the research - in other words, if he just turns to his wife/girlfriend/mother and asks her, "Hey, what would you do in this situation?" - then sure he can!

Did Kirkman do any of that? Probably not. I'm not going to say he was lazy or a bad writer; both of those are obviously not true, as he is currently one of the five managing partners of Image Comics as well as a prolific writer who not only puts out issues of The Walking Dead every month, but several issues of other comics, too. However, with all that stuff going on, he might not have the time or the focus he should to really nail down every part of the story as realistically as he could. Again, I'm not trying to make excuses for him, I'm just trying to figure out how the hell to explain his writing.

I've just finished reading all the way through issue #78. Having come to the end (at least, for now), I think I can say that one of the most interesting characters has been Carl, the seven-year-old. Although, I'm not entirely sure the comic presents a realistic depiction of a seven-year-old (even in a survival situation). Carl is a miniature Rick in more ways than one, and also serves as a mirror reflection for Rick. I find the other surviving child, Sophia, to be a disappointment. It's as though the writer created the character of Sophia just to be a miniature version of the typical "helpless female" – and Sophia exists only to further develop Carl's character as a protective, miniature Rick.

Honestly, the writer needs to shed a few tiresome, preconceived notions about women. It's like guys who see women only as "whores" or "madonnas" – but in this case the women are either "helpless" or "super-powered." Which, actually, seems to be the standard comic-book depiction of women in general ("helpless" vs. "super-powered"), catering to adolescent male fantasies.

In spite of all this, The Walking Dead comic is still a cracking good, addictive tale!

-- Nephele

Agreed on all points. Comics, as a medium, seem to be written with males in mind. It's sort of humorous to me how the writers/artists of these things gear their comic series towards young males - which, admittedly, is what their core audience consists of - then bitch because more women aren't reading the books. Well, when you write all your female characters as either helpless little flakes running around like headless chickens or Amazon-like super-warriors with cantaloupe-sized mammary glands, what the hell is there for the average young woman to identify with?

Yes! That's the same thing I thought about Sophia!

I just read issue #79. The series has its first gay couple! I'm really surprised (and pleased). I had thought the writer was catering a lot to heterosexual male fantasies, and an awful lot of heterosexual males get squeamish over gay sex scenes in movies and stuff, so I didn't expect to see this at all. It'll be interesting to see how the writer develops this gay relationship, and whether he portrays gays better than he portrayed women.

-- Nephele

I had those two pegged(no pun intended!) when they first appeared together. For some reason the way the interacted made me go "hmmm". I doubt that they will be portrayed any better than the women. Not for malice, but just ignorance of firsthand knowledge on the author's part.

I was wondering that, but I honestly didn't think the writer would explore a relationship like that. The writer had previously hinted at lesbian hook-ups in earlier issues, and appeared to be basing that on the "shortage of available men" premise. (Which is irritating.) Plus, lesbian hook-ups figure into male fantasies, too.



Agreed. He's got me hunting down issue #80 though (which was supposed to be released this month), out of curiosity to see where this leads.

-- Nephele

If he's actually going to go anywhere with it, you mean. He could've just tossed those guys in there to give the survivor colony at DC some variety.

Good point! Especially since it was a passing scene in issue #79. Or, maybe he deliberately did that to make people rush out to buy issue #80 to see what he does next! Hahahaha! He got me!

-- Nephele

Kinda makes me want to grab a copy of his Marvel Zombies series to see what he did with that...

I don't want to make too many assumptions, but 5 will get you 10 they end up as zombie fodder - quickly.

I'm afraid of that, too. Although, to the writer's credit, before this pair was revealed to be gay, they had been (as a two-man team) carrying out one of the most dangerous jobs of the Washington D.C. group, and proving to be very competent survivors.

-- Nephele

Well....they are men.

Yep. And the writer does appear to be aware of the fact that gay does not always and automatically equal effeminate.

-- Nephele

I have just seen the first six episodes (sans the bloody adverts!) and I can see why its so popular. Blood, loads of guts and dwama.