The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye (Comics) | Review

Few comic-book series manage to transcend their genre limitations as effectively as Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore's The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye, which introduces readers to a zombie apocalypse and plunges into the brink of extinction.

Without any flashy heroes or fancy colored costumes, it gives us small town sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, a man out of time; thrust into a world of nightmare that tests every moral boundary he thought he'd ever known.

When Rick Grimes awakes in an abandoned hospital, groggy from a coma, the silence hits him first. It is as if the world simply stopped and he's the last to know. The corridors echo with death and the emptiness isn't just around him— it seeps into him.

Rather than bogging down the narrative with exposition about how the outbreak began, we're thrust directly into Rick's disorienting experience of discovering this new reality. The hospital sequence alone with its haunting emptiness sets a tone of dread for rest of the story.

It's a moment of unsettling stillness before he meets the first walker when opening the elevator door. He was even more shocked after finding a group of zombies behind the blocked cafeteria, only to run off to streets and meet the half-eaten Bicycle Girl.

In Rick's journey to Atlanta, we glimpse at glimmers of hope— and the price those glimmers demand. Meeting Glenn feels like seeing a glimpse of light through the darkness, and finding Lori and Carl finally gives Rick something to fight for.

Rick's journey from confused awakening to reluctant leadership feels authentic and earned. His reunion with his family— wife Lori and son Carl— provides emotional anchor points that ground the supernatural elements in recognizable human experiences.

Yet trust comes at a cost and the group's tenuous bond snaps abruptly when unforeseen violence erupts in the campsite. The ending lands like a gut punch— not because it's flashy but because it feels inevitable and heartbreakingly human.

Shane's complex relationship with Rick and Lori hints at deeper conflicts to come, while characters like Dale and Glenn represent different approaches to survival. Each character feels purposeful rather than expendable, which makes constant threat of death more meaningful.

If there's a weakness in this opening volume, it's that some zombie encounters feel slightly repetitive. While the threat of the walkers remains constant, a few of the action sequences blend together without distinct characteristics.

Kirkman's writing is deceptively simple but brutal in its honesty. There are no quick answers, no hero's journey checklist met. Rick scraps for basic survival— gun, boots and directions, while fear and doubt gnaw at him while every decision carries the weight of life or death.

We watch him adapt to life in this new world from officer to refugee and the way he eventually morphs into a leader of a small group of survivors feels earned. The quiet questions— "What am I living for?"— become louder than any zombie moan.

Tony Moore's black‑and‑white art suits the story perfectly. His clean yet uncompromising line work breathes life into every detail. The walkers are grotesque in their simplicity but the livings are drawn with fragile realism that holds tension in every glance.

Kirkman's central thrust isn't zombies— it is how quickly society fractures under fear. The moral gray zones between survival and humanity are where Days Gone Bye truly resides. It's ugly and honest horror, anchored by a father who lost everything.

Despite its monochromatic art style, the moral landscape of "Days Gone Bye" is anything but black and white. Kirkman presents scenarios where traditional ethical frameworks break down, forcing characters to make impossible choices.

Days Gone Bye is a master class in hush-horror— a zombie apocalypse stripped of spectacle, laid bare in black and white. It's a story of grief, leadership and survival that doesn't feel like a genre exercise— it feels like a warning.

At times conversations drag and character beats feel brief but they set the foundation for the emotional weight to come. For those ready to see humanity tested in the worst possible scenario, this volume delivers— and does it with heart.

For readers new to zombie fiction, this provides an ideal entry point that prioritizes character development and emotional stakes over simple gore. For horror veterans, it offers a fresh perspective on familiar themes with many genuinely surprising elements.

The volume leaves you immediately wanting to continue Rick's journey, which is perhaps the highest praise any first installment can receive. It's a compelling beginning that promises even greater depths to explore in the volumes that follow.

Grab a copy of The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye as a trade paperback here on Amazon or read it digitally via ComiXology or the Image Comics app.