‘The Walking Dead Volume 8: Made to Suffer’ – Robert Kirkman.

This is the volume where things get really intense...
The thing is, there’s only so much story a writer can be expected to easily come up with when all the characters are safely tucked up in a prison and making a new life for themselves. The zombies can’t get in but Rick and his friends can’t get out either. What do you do with a situation like this? You could have them all settle down and live happily ever after (with occasional zombie escapades) or, if you’re Robert Kirkman, you could just blow the whole thing straight to zombie hell and leave the survivors to pick up the pieces...

‘Made to Suffer’ makes for some uncomfortable reading that is truly compelling at the same time. We get to see the Governor trap a whole town in a web of lies and send them after the people at the prison so he can take revenge. You can’t really blame him for this though after the mess Michonne made of him... These are desperate times and people are looking for a strong leader to follow. The Governor may be completely insane but he does get things done!

There are also bittersweet moments made all the more poignant in the face of what we know is to come. People find love (or at the very least, physical comfort) in the most unlikely places, others make their farewells and leave before things get too hot to handle. There is also heroism when it’s least expected and hard choices have to be made...

When the end comes it’s swift, brutal and reminiscent of the ending of the original ‘Dawn of the Dead’ movie. ‘Might makes right’ and consequences be damned... ‘Made to Suffer’ is a hard lesson in not getting attached to any of the characters as less than half of the people living in the prison are alive by the end of the book. Death comes when you least expect it and to those that you’ve really made a connection with. As is always the way, the zombies are almost incidental in all this. It is humanity’s capacity for evil that trips everyone up and the fate of the surviving Woodsbury citizens shows the ultimate futility of this.

If you’ve read ‘The Walking Dead’ then you will know whose death takes centre stage in this book. If you haven’t then you’re in for a bit of a shock. I didn’t think Kirkman would take it that far but he definitely did! It’s a brave move but one that definitely pays off as it shows beyond any doubt what a cruel place this new world is. Things will never be the same again...

I know that I’ve said it before but I’ve got to say it again, if you enjoy reading comics then I’d surprised if you’re not reading ‘The Walking Dead’ already. Comics don’t get much better this.

Ten out of Ten