Walking Dead graphic novel fans - Would this be something a 14 year old nephew would enjoy?

[Iris]

My nephew is totally into the series and I'm thinking about getting him the first 3 parts of the comic in a last ditch attempt to restore is love of reading.

[Baitball Blogger]

1. You'll be his favorite aunt.

[Iris]

2. That's what I'm hoping!

Just want to make sure there's no reason that I'm missing for his parents to freak out. They aren't super-restrictive but they also don't really stay aware. He does watch with my brother so I don't they will be bothered by the books.

[Brigid]

14. Why not ask his parents if they have any concerns?

Outside your nephew's hearing, of course, so as not to spoil the surprise? Also, there is "World War Z" by Max Brooks. He takes an interesting approach to telling the story of a zombie apocalypse: he does it as an oral history, a la Studs Terkel. Your nephew might like that.

[Iris]

15. With them, it's complicated.

They are no exactly enlightened but are in no way restrictive about what the kids can have access to. I pretty much asked because no matter what I do with them, it could come back in a negative way but this at least gives me some confidence that I am not particularly out of line.

I think I'm probably being over-cautious. I had a multi-text message with my nephew and my brother about the last episode, which was the longest conversation I've had with either of them in a while!

[TuxedoKat]

3. That sounds like a great idea

there are Zombie novels too, if you think he would like to read more about Zombies. This book would be very readable for his age:

Zombie Fallout by Mark Tulo (I read it, it's good)
Sometimes We Ran by Stephen Drivick (haven't read this one yet)
Kill Them Dead 1 (Zombie series set in outer space, haven't read it, sounds good too)
The Living Dead 2 (zombie short stories, about half of them were good)

[Iris]

4. thanks so much!

I will definitely check those out.

What I thought was most interesting was his observation about one of the children being able to shoot people and not zombies.

Lots for him to contemplate there.

[TuxedoKat]

6. Yes

Not too long from now (probably already started) his generation will be analyzing The Walking Dead and the whole zombie genre, etc., and writing about it in literary journals, senior thesis, PhD's, etc. That is an interesting observation he made. I would encourage him to push it further. Contemplating questions like that will give him so much more enjoyment of the series. Maybe find him some short literary critiques of The Walking Dead? Especially in comparison to similar literary themes from other times. If he read one, that might really start him thinking. When I get a moment, I'll see if I can find some good ones for you.

Just had a thought, Herschel was a character that wanted to help the Walkers too. I don't know that he ever "killed" one himself. Might be interesting for him to think about the similarities between him and Lizzie.

[lunatica]

7. Didn't Herschel kill some walkers when they had to escape from the farm?

He had a shotgun.

[TuxedoKat]

9. Maybe

I don't remember. Initially though, he was rounding them up and feeding them.

[Iris]

10. I believe he probably did eventually.

He initially kept them in the barn because his wife (and maybe another child?) was a walker. I think she was in the barn as well. He was hoping a cure would be found.

I think in the end, he realized it was a lost cause.

[Iris]

11. If you can find the article, that would be great.

Or even a citation. I'm actually an academic librarian and zombies are a hot scholarly topic. There's also some literature on graphic novels and learning- most contain so much more than the initial story, obviously. I started the thread because I just wanted to get some feedback from others here since what I would do as a professional is a little different from what I'd do as an aunt (mostly b/c of family dynamics!)

The Lizzie-Herschel comparison would be a good topic for him to explore.

[Scruffy Rumbler]

5. A few years ago my niece was reading

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies... I loved it, but then I love Jane Austin and zombies!

Your nephew may enjoy it as he is probably getting to the point of reading Jane Austin in English Lit in High School.

[Iris]

12. Oh, yes! Perfect!

I forgot about that and I actually have a copy that I never read! I should try reading it again, but will DEFINITELY pass it along to him when he gets to that in h.s.!

[lunatica]

8. I always thought comic books and graphic novels were a great way to

get my son and nephew to read. But I also made them read a book for an hour every day after school. It's amazing how little time it took them to read faster and faster. I also made them tell me about the book so we could discuss the plots, characters and writing techniques.

Reading is basic. Without it you're forever handicapped.

[Iris]

13. I actually work in a university library.

We have a small graphic novel collection. There's a lot of layers there. I'm hopeful that this will keep in him engaged in reading indefinitely.

[NewJeffCT]

16. Sure, he probably would like them

I thought the graphic novels were even more intense than the show. And, in the GN, Dale was the likable wise old man, while Herschel was kind of annoying. They were reversed on the show.

[PeteSelman]

17. The graphic novels are a lot more......graphic than the show.

I mean full on rape, genital mutialation, torture, murder, suicide and depravity on a much grander scale than in the show.

Something you might want to consider as far as age appropriateness.

[Iris]

18. Thanks. That was a concern for me.

Not that it is really a concern on my part but just that at sone point his partners might freak out.

I've been star the tv show is tamer than the graphic novels. Maybe I'll read them myself first.

[Codeine]

19. Oh goodness yes.

I turned my fiancée into a comic book nerd overnight when I gifted her the first five trade paperbacks. They're gripping!