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

Book Details
The Walking Dead, Volume 3: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman
Paperack, 136 Pages
2008, Image Comics
ISBN: 9781582408057
Series: Book 3 of The Walking Dead

Synopsis
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled: there is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living. This volume follows our band of survivors as they set up a permanent camp inside a prison. Relationships change, characters die, and our team of survivors learn there's something far more deadly than zombies out there: each other.

Review
The Walking Dead graphic novels never fail to shock me and Safety Behind Bars continues that tradition wonderfully. From start to finish, I'm always torn between wanting to linger on each page absorbing the details in the artwork and racing through the pages to see what unimaginable horror occurs next.

In this volume, the survivors start clearing out and moving into the prison they found at the end of the last book. As hope has often lead to death in the series, many characters were decidedly unenthusiastic. No matter, I was excited for them. Sure, the place had tons of zombies that needed to be killed and burned. No problem for the survivors. The tragedies (and there are a lot in this volume) stem from something far more dangerous - living people.

We learn what Julie and Chris were planning (which is a huge surprise that makes complete sense afterwards), see Tyrese go a little crazy, encounter more questionable "new" people, reunite with the destined-to-never-stop-suffering Hershel, and even have some budding young love.

What I really love about this series it that no one is ever safe. Just because a character has been around since day one doesn't mean they aren't going to be bitten or shot on the very next page. Newly introduced characters aren't necessarily the first to die, which leaves the reader having to constantly fear for their favorites. Even while death should always be expected, Robert Kirkman seems to always have a way of catching you completely off guard, making the experience all the more traumatic.

After Safety Behind Bars, I don't like or love this series, I'm completely obsessed with it. It's so much better than the TV series, which I absolutely love. Just knowing that I have ten more volumes left to read before I catch up makes me very happy.

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