I finished reading the 'Walking Dead' graphic novels earlier this month. Well, not all of them. There have been a handful that have been published since I got the set I have. Either way, they are straight up amazing! The first graphic novels I have ever really wanted. I wanted them because of the television show. I wanted to see the similarities and the differences. I read 'The Watchmen' after seeing the movie and enjoyed it as well. Graphic novels are basically grown up comic books that make you sound not like a little kid when talking about them. But here's the thing with graphic novels or any other written material, they can go a bit further than you can with a television show or movie. That's the nice thing. The Walking Dead is so much darker as a graphic novel set than the show ever will be. And I love it. But here's the thing, because you can't be as dark on television or movies, the show/movie developers have to make changes. Which can be a good thing, but also a bad thing. And it's up to those who have read the original source material on whether or not to make a big deal about it.
The first time I remember finding out a book and movie had different things happen was with 'Jurassic Park'. I saw the movie when it came out a couple of times because it was only two dollars back then. Yeah. TWO DOLLARS! I loved the movie and even today it is still entertaining. I read the book a few years later and was dismayed at the differences. I just didn't understand why the book and movie differed. Over the years, I have come to the decision that the book was better than the movie, but when I first read the book I was a little pissed about it. I didn't quite understand that the book came out before the movie. How do you fully explain source materials to an eleven year old and how a movie and book can have different events happen in them?
During the seasons of The Walking Dead, I have had these thoughts go through my head like 'Well that's different from the books.' or 'That didn't happen to that character, it happened to someone else!'. Sometimes the changes are irritating and other times I look at them as they are for the best for the characters or story lines. There are two major differences from the books to the show that always sit in my mind and both have major impacts. Don't worry, these aren't major spoilers. The first is that the character Daryl from the show doesn't even exist in the books. At all. In the show he is a major character in the main group and has become a fan favorite. He is an overall badass. The other difference is that the character of Rick is disfigured in the books. It is a major setback for him but so far in the show it hasn't happened (and who knows if it will!). I like these differences from the books and show, but have read rumblings about the disappointment of others on the internet. I say who cares? The main story is still going and that is what should really matter.
As long as the main story is intact, than who cares about some of the details? I have learned to enjoy some of the changes from original material to new a format. If anything, it can make for a great conversation. You can talk about the similarities and differences and how that helps or hinders the overall plot. Original material can be hard to transition from book to screen. With books, there can be great narration for pages and pages (see Hemingway, Ernest or McCarthy, Cormac) that just flat out cannot be made on the screen. Beauty can be captured on the screen, but not all the time. At times, it is best left on the pages.
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