The Walking Dead, Volume 3: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman

PictureThis is the third volume of The Walking Dead comics and continues the story from the point that was reached in the second volume. While I won’t write any spoilers for this volume in this review, if you’ve not read either of the last two, I’d not read this because there may be spoilers for the past volumes.

The story starts with the group finding an abandoned prison and deciding that it would be a good place for them to stay because a secure building like that will be hard for zombies to penetrate. So, that must mean it will just be smooth sailing for Rick and the gang from now on then?

No. Not at all. Even though the first two volumes both had very grim and dark storylines (after all, they are set in a very graphic and violent zombie apocalypse) this takes it just that little bit further. What’s more is that this volume is the first to really bring up any real degree of moral ambiguity. Once certain things have happened you’re likely to have a different perception of certain characters. Personally, I think the main characters made a lot of wrong decisions, but you may well feel differently! It’s always interesting to be able to apply a critical moral eye to a story. I guess a small downside is that none of the characters seem to share my point of view.

Speaking of characters, there are some new people introduced when the group arrive at the prison. Unsurprisingly enough, there are some prisoners in the prison and they bring an interesting new dynamic to things and make for some tension.

So, on the whole, this volume was better than the last (which, in turn, was better than the one that came before it) so I have high hopes for the later volumes. The sex and violence is brought up another notch for Volume 3, which might be off-putting for some, but it never really felt gratuitous to me. Plus, there were some unexpected character appearances which made me quite happy, which adds to my overall enjoyment.

Rating: 9.1/10

Buy it here.

(Don’t miss today’s Finger Puppet Show!)

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