Hey gang, it’s time for another comparison of the comic to the show! A little late this week but, hey, it’s not my fault! It’s busy here at Skybound HQ. The OUTCAST writer’s room stopped by, AMC picked up The Walking Dead Companion series for TWO seasons, and Lizzy is galavanting around the frozen northeast slinging Superfight. But enough about me, let’s get to it:
Dinner Party
The dinner party is a big deal in the comic as well as the show. In both instances it shines a spotlight on the group’s new reality. Is Alexandria really a safe haven? If so, will easy living make them weak? Who the hell ARE these people to be so care-free?
In the comic, Michonne is the one who has an outburst when she realizes that the Alexandrites worry about the most trivial things. In the show, it’s Sasha that blows up.
Another difference:
Gun Heist
In the show Carol visits the armory earlier in the day to undo the window latch and then sneaks out of the party to collect; in the comic, Glenn uses the party as an excuse to feign drunk and when he stumbles out of the party, he scouts the armory and sees that the window will be the best way in. He doesn’t actually undo the latch until the next day, and then promptly steals some sweet biscuits. And also some guns.
Spencer
Ah Spencer. In the comics, Spencer is the only son of Douglas Monroe. Here in the show he has a brother, Aidan. Now, Aidan is an ass hat in the show. We haven’t seen Spencer’s levels of douchebaggery, so it’s entirely possible the Monroe’s only have one intolerable son. But Spencer’s intro in the show is pretty similar to his first appearance in the comic as well.
Michonne Hangs It Up
Michonne commits herself to Alexandria in pretty much the exact same way in both the show and the comic. Odds that sword stays there?
BUTTONS?!
BUTTONS! We mention buttons ALL the time around here at Skybound. Poor, lost, and forgotten Buttons, beloved horse of the Greene family. Buttons was on the Greene farm and made it all the way to Alexandria before never being mentioned again (outside of Letter Hacks anyway). In the show, Buttons never existed before this episode. I’d like to think that Buttons some how magically transferred from the comic to show. Although, wait, that would mean Buttons got ripped apart and then shot in head. Hm. Nevermind. #LongLiveButtons
At least now maybe you’ll get the joke when we include Buttons in one of our polls (one of our favorite things to do).
Ok, you’re up. Plop the ones we missed and/or didn’t have time for in the comments down below!
PLEASE CHECK OUR RECAP AND DISCUSSION FOR THIS EPISODE:
THE WALKER STALKERS DISCUSS THIS EPISODE:
Awesome write up guys! It’s not really a comic similarity but my friend Carlyyougoonie found that Sasha is wearing Tyreese’s belt and suspenders similar to how Andrea wore Dale’s bucket hat after he died.
And it made me tear up anew!
Yeah, it’s obvious that Michonne hangs her katana in the same way than in the comic (although in TV she puts it in the opposite direction), BUT there are two details that make the comic version of this scene far superior (and epic): while Michonne looks at her sword she remembers some of the most important moments she lived with it, and then she says “I’m through with you”. The writers are totally making Michonne look like a secondary character this season by not giving her presence and cool details. Less Andrea-wannabe Sasha and more Carl, Glenn and Michonne. You cannot simply substitute lovely and epic Andrea, no matter what characters you put her storylines and features in. Although Carol saving the day in an Andrea-like fashion was pretty cool, back in Terminus.
The TV show got it correct… it should be hung with handle pointing to the right.
I don’t think they were making a conscious effort of the proper way to display a katana in either the show or comic. Michonne is only affectionately called “the Samurai” & wouldn’t care how it goes up, just that it does.
I beg to differ. I think the producers had in mind exactly why they put the sword up in the fashion that they did. I think they wanted to reflect that Michonne was in fact still at guard. Possibly the comic artist/writer had the opposite point of view seeing that they had her putting it up with handle to the left which shows she ad accepted the place more so and was not at guard?
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I think producers put more effort into these little things then is let on?
Gimple DOES love his symbolism & Easter eggs… but I feel he uses things that relate back to The Walking Dead itself & things that MOST fans can discover & identify with; I don’t think most people are gonna know the basics of displaying katanas & the history behind it. The position of the handle could be totally irrelevant–just a difference between drawing & film. Until I hear or read an interview from production stating otherwise, I am going to take this as a show of realism & not a nod to the way of the Samurai… realism being that Michonne is making an effort to retire the katana without any thought other than she wants to be done with it. That, my friend, is easier to believe.
No issues… differences of opinion are sure to occur a lot in the plot of WD and why it does the things it does.
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But I still myself see it easier to believe that her hanging the sword in same manners as one would in real life might have more to do with symbolism then not? Especially when I read up a little on Michone and find out she did do some fencing in the comics when she was younger and got the sword from her neighbor and not just a random pick-up. So thinking more then just a random meaningless ending to the blade would be more easier to believe?
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Also, if I read correctly the comic was meant to have her retire the sword? (I have not read everything on the comic so don’t know how far that actually went or not?) And thus she put her sword in a more accepting left directed hanging with the hilt? Which could point to her accepting Alexandria more and giving it up? But I am thinking in the TV show that they are going to have her more guarded and forced to pick her blade up and carry on with it? But we will just have to see how that works itself out on the show?
I don’t think Sasha having this one scene of Comic Michonne’s has taken away from Michonne’s development this season at all. If any TV characters are stepping on a comic character’s toes, I would say it’s TV Michonne and Daryl stepping on Comic Abraham’s toes. TV Michonne has gotten at least two of Abe’s lines this season, and Daryl shared the bonding moment with Rick during the encounter with the marauders last season. The differences I mentioned don’t bother me a bit, I just thought I’d point them out. On a side note, I LOVE the idea of Sasha taking comic Andrea’s place, and I’m guessing that is where they are going with it. Both Sasha and Comic Andrea lost siblings, were sharpshooters, and lost a lover. Also, Sasha is wearing Bob’s shirt/jacket much like Comic Andrea wore Dale’s hat.
I might not agree with all the remixes but I sure as shit understand most of them but Alexandria, in a whole, I am fucking loving!!
I don’t see Sasha as an Andrea wannabe. She lost a boyfriend and she’s a sniper, that’s about it with similarities. I don’t think her limited airtime takes anything away from Michonne, Glenn or Carl.
Michonne on the show and in the comics are very different. I don’t agree with all the changes, but I like what they’ve done with her in the last few episodes.
I registered to tell you guys how much I enjoy all the comparisons you do for each episode. I look forward to these every week. Thanks.
Sure woulda liked to have seen Glenn put up a drunk front!
I hope Glenn doesn’t take a backseat for long, love him in the comics and wanna see more of him in the show. I wonder if Carol is gonna get Lucile’d for taking so much of Glenn’s stuff? Or maybe Michonne? 😉
You know it had never occurred to me that one of the women might get “Lucill’d” (nice word, I’m using it) instead?
That would top out the shock value, that’s for sure! I probably wouldn’t make it into work that Monday morning.
Lucile’d?
Spencer is a creep in the comic and the show lol
So is anyone else convinced the wolves are the next threat
Totally, I think we’ll see them try to get in like in the comics, and when Sasha snipes them out like Andrea the horde comes a’knockin’ for the season fin.
Comparing the dinner party scene and Sasha’s vs Michonne’s outburst, I much prefer Sasha over Michonne losing it at the party, for the following reasons. Prior to this episode Michonne is the person advocating for a safe zone, a place they can call home and return to some of the stability and humanity which she better than anyone ought to know, is lost the longer one remains out among the walkers. In contrast prior to the group’s arrival to the Alexandria Safe Zone it is Sasha who is the most unstable member of the group, so it makes more sense that she should be the one at the party to lose it upon hearing what worries the Alexandrite’s. Sasha is worried about whether or not she has the strength to continue surviving in this world, meanwhile Mechonne is worried about whether or not her feelings about Alexandria are right or wrong. Is Alexandria truly a safe haven, or has she placed the group in peril by insisting they are ready for this?
Love these, I see the similarities while watching the show or a least most of them. Then this glorious page puts them together.
Yes Michonne’s commitment to making the Alexandria Safe Zone work in both the comic and the show are identical. I am not a reader of the comic, although I wish I’d heard about it before the television series. Nevertheless as far as I am concerned, the odds are not good the sword will stay up there long.
Is carl going to get his eye blown out soon? I feel like show Carl is super soft.. I’m ready for him to toughen up a bit.. this is about the time he started to toughen up in the comic. Also lets not forget what happens to Jesse and son in the comics.. Im excited to see how the last few episodes of the season play out!
Don’t forget we see Tobin in this episode lol