9. The Wolves Vs. The Scavengers



In the comic books, The Scavengers were the first human threat that Rick's group encountered inside the Alexandria safe-zone. Showing up at their doorstep, the leader of the small group, Derek, barked to be let in while our heroes naturally refused. Ready to take Alexandria by force, Derek and The Scavengers take aim at Rick but are quickly thwarted as Andrea takes them all out from a nearby sniper tower. It's a cool moment, and it serves to show just how battle-hardened Rick and his group have become by this point.

While The Wolves in the show aren't a direct adaptation of the characters, they do adopt the same role as their comic book counterparts. However, while the TV show makes these villains a little more menacing (in this version they actually do breach the walls and manage to kill a few nameless Alexandrians), they're simply nowhere near as integral to the plot.

Because in the comics, it's the gun-fight with The Scavengers that draws the horde of zombies to Alexandria later on. This is different to the show where it's actually Rick's dumb plan that results in the walkers finding their way into the safe-zone, which only made the group look incapable of dealing with their new responsibilities as leaders of the town.

As a result, the original version feels like more of a natural progression from story to story, and while alive The Scavengers weren't really a threat, their death brought about more carnage and destruction than they could have ever imagined.

8. "We Are The Walking Dead!"



Okay, so this one is more down to personal preference than anything else, but implementation of the famous "We are the walking dead!" line from the comics in the TV show didn't come with quite the gravitas of the source material.

On screen, the line came during a particularly long stint in the wilderness as Rick's group pretty much hit rock bottom. After taking shelter in a barn overnight to escape a harsh storm, Rick tells a story of how his grandfather adapted to each and every day during World War 2 like he was already dead, just to make it through to the other end alive. After explaining the story, Rick finishes the monologue with the classic line. It's well done, yet instead of letting the grim tale resonate with audiences, Daryl quickly interjects with "We ain't them", undoing just about all the impact that the line might have had otherwise.

While it's more of a fan-service throwaway moment in the show, the comic book's version had a real meaning to it. Coming out of a fight with Tyrese (again after an extended stint of living out on the road), a battered and beaten Rick gives an impassioned monologue to the remainder of his group, finishing with the iconic line in the splash page above. While Rick's story in the TV show is well-written, it just doesn't match the impassioned intensity of the comic version.

7. Michonne's Rivalry With The Governor



The rivalry between Michonne and The Governor is one of the most radically altered comic book plots the TV show ever implemented. In the AMC series, Michonne takes a disliking to the series' villain almost immediately and without any real cause, deciding to ditch him and his Woodbury clan more on a gut-feeling than anything else.

However the character's motivations for hating The Governor are more than justified in the comic book. Here, a storyline saw Michonne tortured by the leader of Woodbury, sexually assaulted and held hostage for days in a secret room in the town. As a result, when Michonne finally breaks free and gets her own back later on down the line, it feels like pure, satisfying revenge as she mutilates and disfigures her former captor before leaving him for dead.

While the show still features the eventual confrontation - and the mid-season finale of season 3 where The Governor and Michonne finally reunite is surprisingly well-executed - it just didn't come with the same sense of anticipation. Although the two fight to the death in an intense scene that still leaves the leader of Woodbury disfigured, the set-piece lacks the narrative context and brutality that made the original so shocking. Whilst still suspenseful and exciting, it completely lacks the emotional core of its comic book counterpart.

(source whatculture)

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