Zombies truly hit the mainstream around the time The Walking Dead aired its third season. The show is an undeniable success, warranting spinoffs that will steer the franchise for years to come. The comics that inspired AMC's The Walking Dead are also legendary in circles familiar with Kirkman's riveting undead odyssey.

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The Walking Dead popularized the genre with sober personal drama, while the comics pushed limits with characters' untimely demises in an epic survival story that seemed to never end. Though they have the same name, both iterations of the Survivors' story distinguish themselves in several ways. Deviation goes hand-in-hand with experimentation and can lead to discovering meaningful moments lost in blind spots on the page; however, deviating aimlessly can deteriorate faith among readers and viewers.

10 IMPROVED: Shane Is Given A Compelling Expansion

comic and show adaptation of shane's death

The first major villain of the television series, Shane simply didn't stick around long enough in the source material to earn that title. The character's roots remain the same: he saved Lori and Carl at the beginning of the outbreak while Rick Grimes was recovering in the hospital. Becoming intimate with his (supposedly) late friend's wife, Shane grows increasingly mad with jealousy following Rick's return.

This culminates in an unhinged showdown between the two. However, the AMC adaptation filled gaps between the pages with inner strife and turmoil anchored by a brilliant performance from Jon Bernthal. Shane becomes a tragic father figure, friend, and lover who just isn't present in the comic.

9 MADE WORSE: Morgan Sticks Around

morgan jones comic and tv

In both versions of The Walking Dead, Morgan Jones and his son, Duane, are semi-friendly strangers who take Rick in following the latter's awakening from a coma. Several months later, Morgan loses Duane to a walker bite and encounters Rick again. From there, the comic and TV series diverge quite a bit.

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In the comics, Morgan joins Rick's group and manages to make it to Alexandria, but perishes in the aftermath of the Scavengers' attack. The television series has taken the character beyond these story beats, casting him as a type of pacifist-ninja that beats people and undead alike... with a literal big stick. It's a little silly, Morgan.

8 IMPROVED: The Dixon Brothers Are Wild Cards

zombies from twd and the dixon brothers

Creating new characters in an established property, much less a straight adaptation, is a catch-22. It can negatively impact fans' goodwill towards the writers, indicating a potential lack of respect. In contrast, a brand new character presents storytellers with a wealth of possibilities: their paths are not set in stone and can lead anywhere the narrative takes them. The addition of Daryl and Merle Dixon to the cast of TWD falls into the latter category, with both brothers given endearing arcs and skilled actors to foment a formidable legacy in the halls of the undead.

7 MADE WORSE: The CDC Is Comically Out Of Place

the walking dead group shot and cdc explosion

The Walking Dead has generally been well-regarded due to its reliance on accessible themes and grounded tone. For the final two episodes of the first season, however, the writers decided to eject these elements and evoke big-budget CGI. Already departing from the lore by diverting to the Center for Disease Control, the setting made The Walking Dead lose its identity in a cartoonish plot that assured the story's place in infamy. In case of an attack or emergency, the CDC is supposed to blow up in order to contain the deadly viruses within. But wouldn't the CDC be the most helpful in such a time?

6 IMPROVED: The Governor Is Thoughtfully Deconstructed

the governor from the comic and show

Readers are treated to an adaptation of the Governor courtesy of the show's third season. The results are mixed at first, with the character having not fully developed into the demented sociopath capable of gruesome torture and violence. The fourth season surprised viewers with a couple of episodes dedicated solely to Philip's Blake's activities post-Woodbury. Suffice to say, the writers clearly enjoyed their time in the man's head.

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Arguably some of the best episodes in The Walking Dead, the Governor is given plenty of time to gain sympathies or, at the very least, some semblance of understanding from the audience. Actor David Morrissey adds layers not present in the comic and the character is all the better for it.

5 MADE WORSE: Andrea Makes Silly Decisions

andrea and the governor from twd

Perhaps the biggest tragedy of the comic's transition to the screen, Andrea's portrayal is a source of frustration for adherents of the page. Strong, sturdy, and reliable, Andrea is one of the most important characters, forming a bedrock that other survivors are able to build on. She is capable and puts the group (along with the reader) at ease whenever she's on watch. Cut to Andrea's TV counterpart nearly killing Daryl with her itchy trigger finger, entangling with Shane and the Governor, and generally being a liability to both sides.

4 IMPROVED: The Hunters Bite Harder

Chris and gareth from twd

The Hunters are a generic group of villains who were seemingly designed that way on purpose. It's not necessary for readers to remember who they are as much as what they resort to. Given the scarcity of food in The Walking Dead, people like the Hunters cannibalize people who fall outside of their group. Lasting only five issues, their story implored Rick's group to reflect on who they were fast becoming.

The TV series retells the tale in a relatively similar amount of time, but manages to leave more of an impact regarding how far Rick and the others are falling. Granting Gareth (or Chris) a backstory and more significant motivations afforded the audience enough sympathy to still glimpse the tragedy in the character's state of being.

3 MADE WORSE: Tyreese Loses His Edge

tyreese from twd

Tyreese is an early player in the comics, stumbling upon Rick's group shortly after moving on from their initial encampment. He is accompanied by his teenage daughter, Julie, and her boyfriend, Chris; these two are replaced by Sasha, Tyreese's sister, in the TV series.

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The resulting change in Tyreese's character is stark, with the comic's story taking more than one dark turn and leading to the man falling further into cynicism and violence. These elements are teased in the show, but ultimately recede as Tyreese stumbles from one plot development to the next and finds some vague sense of peace before dying.

2 IMPROVED: Carol Is A Survivor

carol from twd

Carol is an unstable mess in the comics, surprising viewers who are only familiar with the wisened, tenacious hunter she's become in the show. The former sees her falling further into depressing insanity, despite her never losing Sophia like her TV counterpart. She tries to find contentment in the arms of Tyreese but decides to end her life by allowing a walker to bite her. By contrast, Carol in the AMC adaptation recovered from the death of her daughter to headline her own spinoff show alongside fellow fan-favorite Daryl Dixon. Carol proved a character riddled with depth that the television writers capitalized on.

1 MADE WORSE: Sophia's Fate Is Totally Preventable

sophia from twd

It may have been a positive development for her mother, but Sophia's television death simply did not have to happen. Sophia is fortunate enough to live through the entire comic's run. Comparatively, her television counterpart is one of the first major casualties in the series – dying midway through season 2.

Further, Sophia doesn't need to be left alone to find her way back to the group: walkers are persistent but by no means do they travel at lightspeed. Rick could calmly escort her back to the highway and still have a good distance between the shambling stragglers. Sophia's death is unnecessary and robs viewers of the enduring friendship that blossoms between her and Carl, the likes of which acts as an anchor to the innocence TWD's world has had beaten out of it.

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