The Walking Dead: Miles Behind Us (Comics) | Review

Survival horror reaches new emotional depths with second volume of Walking Dead by writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible: Family Matters, Invincible: Perfect Strangers) completely strips away the illusion that anywhere is truly safe.

Miles Behind Us operates as both road trip thriller and psychological examination of people pushed beyond their breaking points. What started as desperate flight from Atlanta becomes something far more devastating– a harrowing journey that reveals how quickly fragile hope transforms into crushing heartbreak.

This volume marks the series transition from basic zombie survival into complex character drama. Kirkman understands that real horror isn't just avoiding walker bites– it's watching ordinary people make impossible choices while clinging to fragments of their humanity.

Following Shane's death in Days Gone Bye, Rick Grimes leads his survivor group away from Atlanta's ruins, seeking safer territory during the brutal winter months. The survivors believe distance from major cities might offer better survival odds but their cross-country trek proves that zombie hordes aren't confined to urban areas.

Resources become scarce, temperatures drop dangerously low and group tensions escalate as leadership decisions carry life-or-death consequences. The story introduces Tyreese, a former professional football player traveling with his daughter Julie and her boyfriend Chris.

Tyreese quickly becomes Rick's closest ally and a secondary leader, bringing both physical strength and emotional stability to the fractured group. His integration feels organic rather than forced as Kirkman develops these new characters through action rather than exposition.

Hershel Greene's farm emerges as the volume's central location– a seemingly perfect sanctuary that offers everything the group desperately needs. Hershel presents himself as a man of faith maintaining civility despite civilization's collapse but his farm harbors some dark secrets that challenge everyone's moral assumptions.

The farm setting allows Kirkman to explore themes of false security and willful denial about the world's new reality. Greene family dynamics add layers of complexity through Hershel's daughters Maggie and Beth, who represent different responses to their transformed world.

Maggie displays pragmatic acceptance of harsh realities, while Beth clings to pre-apocalypse innocence. These contrasting approaches create tension that extends beyond simple survival concerns into questions about what aspects of humanity are worth preserving.

Winter conditions intensify every single challenge the group faces. Food shortages force difficult rationing decisions, while freezing temperatures make outdoor travel potentially fatal. Kirkman uses the brutal seasonal setting effectively, showing how harsh environmental factors compound the existing deadly zombie threat.

The cold weather creates urgency around finding permanent shelter, making the farm's discovery feel like genuine salvation. The volume's pacing builds methodically toward devastating revelations about Hershel's approach to the zombie crisis.

His religious faith leads him to some dangerous conclusions that put the entire group at serious risk, creating moral conflicts between survival pragmatism and compassionate idealism. These philosophical differences drive character development while maintaining the series' unwavering commitment to showing consequences for every decision.

Personal relationships evolve under extreme pressure, particularly Rick and Lori's marriage, which continues deteriorating due to Shane-related guilt. Kirkman explores how couples handle shared trauma differently, with some strengthening while others fracture.

The romantic subplot between Glenn and Maggie provides genuine hope amid the surrounding despair. Violence escalates throughout the volume, but Kirkman maintains sharp focus on emotional impact rather than mindless gore spectacle.

Character deaths carry weight because readers invest in these people's survival struggles. The series establishes patterns where temporary safety always precedes major losses, creating constant tension about who might not survive the next crisis.

Character motivations remain clear even when their choices seem questionable, creating empathy for people making desperate decisions. The script balances ensemble cast development with Rick's central leadership arc.

Supporting characters receive meaningful development rather than serving as mere zombie fodder, making their eventual fates far more emotionally impactful. Kirkman establishes complex character relationship dynamics that will drive future compelling storylines while resolving the group's immediate survival challenges.

Charlie Adlard's artwork achieves perfect tonal balance for Kirkman's increasingly complex narrative demands. His character designs emphasize weathered faces and exhausted postures that communicate the physical toll of constant survival stress.

The black-and-white approach enhances the series' bleak atmosphere while forcing readers to focus on character expressions rather than flashy visual effects. Adlard's zombie designs avoid cartoonish exaggeration, instead presenting walkers as genuinely disturbing former humans.

His panel layouts create effective pacing between quiet character moments and intense action sequences. The farm setting benefits from detailed backgrounds that establish the location's deceptive tranquility before horror elements intrude.

Kirkman's writing demonstrates significant maturation from the first volume's more straightforward zombie action. His dialogue feels natural for people under extreme stress, avoiding both unrealistic heroic speeches and overly dramatic breakdowns.

Miles Behind Us succeeds as both zombie horror and character study, proving The Walking Dead's potential for long-term storytelling. Kirkman moves beyond simple undead survival into complex examination of how crisis reveals human nature. The volume establishes patterns of hope and loss that will define the series' emotional core.

The Hershel farm storyline provides the perfect setting for exploring themes about denial, faith and moral compromise during civilization's collapse. Character development feels genuinely earned rather than forced, with new additions like Tyreese integrating seamlessly.

This volume demonstrates why The Walking Dead became the definitive zombie comic series. It combines visceral horror with genuine emotional investment, creating stories that resonate beyond genre boundaries. Readers seeking thoughtful apocalypse fiction will find it.

The cliffhanger ending sets up future conflicts while providing satisfying resolution for the volume's central narrative. Miles Behind Us proves that zombie stories can examine profound human themes without sacrificing entertainment value or horror effectiveness.

The Walking Dead: Miles Behind Us covers issues #7–12, which is collected in trade paperback, hardcover compilations and The Walking Dead: Compendium One. You can also find it digitally on Comixology, Kindle and other e-book platforms.