Walking Dead (GN)

LIBRARY JOURNAL -- Negan is a big-time jerk. Hyperaggressive, he bullies and dominates the kids he is entrusted with as a coach. He's also cheating on his wife, who is dying of cancer. When she finally succumbs after her long battle, Negan is confronted with an unprecedented situation when she crawls off her death bed as a member of the living dead. In fact, a major zombie outbreak occurs simultaneously with her death, leaving him with no option but to fight his way out of the hospital against rampaging undead hordes. Negan discovers, however, that while the very self-centered and violent nature of his personality was problematic for navigating the rules of normal society, the very same qualities might just allow him to thrive amid the ruins of humanity's few living survivors. The creative team of Kirkman (Invincible), Charlie Adlard (Codeflesh), Cliff Rathburn (Super Dinosaur), and Dave Stewart (Hellboy) supply fans of the venerable horror series with character development for the repugnant leader who has run roughshod over Rick Grimes, Michonne, and the other survivors in both the comics and TV series. Verdict While it doesn't contain many of the main characters fans know and love, this stand-alone volume does offer the oddly compelling origin story of the most hated man of any zombie apocalypse.-Douglas Rednour, Georgia State Univ. Libs., Atlanta