Author | Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga |
---|---|
Cover artist | Neil Lang |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Post-apocalyptic and horror |
Publisher | Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin's Press |
Publication date | October 11, 2011 |
Media type | Print (hardcover) |
Pages | 307 |
ISBN | 0-312-54773-0 |
Followed by | The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury (2012) |
The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor is a post-apocalyptic horror novel written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga and released October 11, 2011. The novel is a spin-off of The Walking Dead comic book series and explores the back-story of one of the series' most infamous characters, the Governor. Rise of the Governor is the first in a trilogy of novels. [1] The Walking Dead's fourth season utilizes plots from the novel, the Chalmers family in particular.
I always kind of looked at it like Rick and the Governor were two sides of the same coin. If Rick had gone down a certain path he could have ended up exactly like that guy. And so I had a story in mind of how he became that guy and what caused him to be that bad of a person.
—Robert Kirkman discussing the general inception of the plot of Rise of the Governor with comparisons to the graphic novels. [2]
The novel follows the story of Philip Blake, his daughter Penny, his older brother Brian, and his friends Bobby and Nick as they struggle to survive in a world ravaged by the zombie apocalypse.
The hungry group of survivors is hiding in a large house within the private neighborhood of Wiltshire Estates, planning to move on to Atlanta, where a "safe zone" is supposedly located. A walker comes out of its hiding place and infects Bobby with the undead plague, killing him. Distraught, the remaining four group members continue on.
Once in Atlanta, they find the city swarming with walkers. The group frantically flees from a large herd of undead until they hear a voice calling them to an apartment building. The voice belongs to April Chalmers, who lets them into the building that she and her father, Dave, and sister, Tara, have secured.
The elderly Dave expires and turns without having been bitten. After Philip "kills" Dave, tension grows between him and Tara. Philip sexually assaults April. The morning afterwards, April is nowhere to be found, and Tara forces the group, at gunpoint, to leave the building.
The Blakes and Nick find a villa atop a hill and decide to stay there indefinitely. Brian's suspicions of a group following them are not taken seriously until the very group violently forces them out of the house. A firefight ensues, and as Brian flees with Penny in his arms, she is shot and killed, thus turning into one of the undead. Philip captures two shooters from the firefight and slowly and cruelly tortures them. Nick and Brian discover the torture victims and are horrified at what Philip has done. Brian tries to defend his brother, and Nick reluctantly agrees with Brian. Philip refuses to kill the zombified Penny, and this causes some concern for Nick, because he believes Philip is keeping Penny's soul from moving on. However, with some convincing, Nick agrees to keep the undead Penny with the group, and they all venture onwards until they stumble across the town of Woodbury.
At Woodbury, there is not much order or unity among the citizens, but the tiny populace is led by a small group of ruthless National Guardsmen under the command of Major Gene Gavin. After chaining Penny in a nearby wooded area, the three men gain admission into the town. Philip manages to sneak Penny into his house during the night. Philip's mental instability becomes too much to bear for Nick and Brian one night, when they discover Philip attempting to murder a local girl in the woods. Nick kills Philip, and following this, Brian shoots Nick to death.
Mentally and emotionally exhausted, Brian leaves the bodies in the woods for the walkers, and contemplates what he will do now that he is alone.
After being herded into a "town meeting", Brian discovers that Major Gavin is attempting to make all its citizens "pull their own weight"; if anyone refuses or dissents, they will be shot. A man, Detroit, dismissing the decree as ludicrous, attempts to leave the town meeting and is immediately shot by Major Gavin. Brian feels himself undergoing a metamorphosis as he shoots Major Gavin. The Woodbury citizens begin to crowd around him and, when he is asked by Caesar Martinez for his name, Brian replies: "Philip Blake".
Examiner.com said:
An excellent companion to The Walking Dead comic books. The story is enriched by the novel format, and the characterization of the series' most hated villain is something no fan will want to miss. [3]
Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the post-apocalyptic comic book series The Walking Dead and the first nine seasons of the television series of the same name, in which he is portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, the character made his debut in The Walking Dead #1 in 2003. Rick is a small town sheriff's deputy and is married to Lori. They have a son, Carl and a daughter Judith. He awakens from a coma after a life-threatening gunshot wound to find the world overrun by reanimated humans dubbed "walkers".
The third season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 14, 2012, and concluded on March 31, 2013, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It was executive produced by Kirkman, Glen Mazzara, David Alpert, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Mazzara as showrunner for his second and final season. The third season was very well received by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won two, including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series, at the 39th Saturn Awards.
Daryl Dixon is a fictional character from AMC's horror drama series The Walking Dead. The character was created for the television series by writers Frank Darabont, Charles H. Eglee and Jack LoGiudice specifically for Norman Reedus, and does not have a counterpart in the comics on which the series is based. The character was introduced in the first season as a southerner, expert tracker, living in the shadow of his older brother, Merle. Despite his bad temper and volatility, he is tolerated by the core group of survivors due to his skills in hunting animals and fearless efficiency in killing walkers.
Andrea is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Laurie Holden in the American television series of the same name. The character was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, and debuted in The Walking Dead #2 in 2003. In both mediums, she and her sister Amy are among a group of survivors near Atlanta, Georgia.
The Governor is a fictional character and central antagonist from The Walking Dead comic book and television series. On television, he was portrayed by David Morrissey. Created by Robert Kirkman and artists Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn, the character made his comics debut in The Walking Dead #27 in April 2006 and his television debut in season 3. In both series, the Governor is the ruthless, charismatic leader of the town of Woodbury, Georgia, who comes into conflict with protagonist Rick Grimes and is responsible for the deaths of several primary characters. The Governor's origins are explored in the novel The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, written by Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga.
Glenn, later revealed as Glenn Rhee in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, in which he is known simply as Glenn. He was portrayed by Steven Yeun in the television series of the same name and voiced by Nick Herman in the video game of the same name.
Michonne, later revealed as Michonne Hawthorne, is a fictional character from The Walking Dead. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the television series of the same name, in which she is portrayed by Danai Gurira. Armed with a katana and harboring a mysterious past, Michonne is introduced clothed under a hood and pulling the shackles of two reanimated corpses for protection and camouflage. The two walkers are subsequently revealed to be her zombified boyfriend and his best friend. In both the comic and TV series, she has a prominent role in the conflict between the town of Woodbury led by The Governor, and the Prison group.
Tyreese, later revealed as Tyreese Williams in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Chad Coleman in the American television series of the same name. He is a prominent character in both mediums, acting as group leader Rick Grimes' right hand man in the comic book series, up until the end of "Made to Suffer".
The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury is a post-apocalyptic horror novel written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga and released October 16, 2012. The novel is a spin-off of Kirkman's series of graphic novels and explores the back-story of one of the series' most infamous characters, Lilly Caul. The Road to Woodbury is the second in a trilogy of novels, following The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor and preceding The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor.
Merle Dixon is a fictional character from the horror drama television series The Walking Dead, which airs on AMC in the United States. He was created by series developer Frank Darabont and was portrayed by Michael Rooker. The character was first introduced in the first season as a Southern redneck hunter who has a younger brother, Daryl. He is misogynistic and racist, which causes tensions between him and his group of survivors. Following an encounter with series protagonist Rick Grimes, Merle disappears and joins the community of Woodbury, Georgia, where he becomes the right-hand man of The Governor. He becomes caught in the conflict between the Governor and Rick, especially when nobody in Rick's group wants him in the group, except for Daryl.
Caesar Ramón Martínez is a recurring fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Jose Pablo Cantillo in the third and fourth seasons of the television show of the same name. Martínez is introduced in the 27th issue of the comic book series in April 2006 as the loyal second-in-command to The Governor. He is responsible for bringing Rick Grimes and two of his fellow survivors, Michonne and Glenn into Woodbury to be questioned and later tortured. In the television series, he is introduced in the third season's third episode to Andrea and Michonne as one of The Governor's soldiers.
"Made to Suffer" is the eighth episode and mid-season finale of the third season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. It was directed by Billy Gierhart and written by Robert Kirkman, and aired on AMC in the United States on December 2, 2012. In this episode, Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Oscar enter Woodbury in search of Glenn and Maggie. Meanwhile, a new group of survivors discover the prison.
The fourth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 13, 2013, and concluded on March 30, 2014, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It was executive produced by Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple assuming the role of showrunner after Glen Mazzara's departure from the series. The fourth season was well received by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series for the second consecutive year, at the 40th Saturn Awards.
Bob Stookey is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where he was portrayed by Lawrence Gilliard Jr. Created by Robert Kirkman and artists Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn, the character made his debut in The Walking Dead #29 in June 2006. Bob is a former combat medic who is considered the town drunk of Woodbury, Georgia. Although he is a minor character in the comics, Bob is notable for saving the life of The Governor, who was severely mutilated by Michonne. His origins are explored in the companion novel The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury, which was written by Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga.
"Live Bait" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 17, 2013. The episode was written by Nichole Beattie and directed by Michael Uppendahl.
The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor is a two-part post-apocalyptic horror novel written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. Part one was released on October 8, 2013 and part two was released March 4, 2014. The novel is a spin-off of Kirkman's series of graphic novels and explores the back-story of one of the series' most infamous characters, The Governor. The Fall of the Governor is the third and final book in a trilogy of novels, following The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor and The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury.
Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: Descent is a post-apocalyptic horror novel written by Jay Bonansinga and released October 14, 2014. The novel is a spin-off of The Walking Dead comic book series and continues to explore the story of one of the series' most infamous characters, Lilly Caul. Descent is the first book in a second four-part series of novels.
Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: Invasion is a post-apocalyptic horror novel written by Jay Bonansinga and released October 6, 2015. The novel is a spin-off of The Walking Dead comic book series and continues to explore the story the character Lilly Caul. Invasion is the second book in a second four-part series of novels.