Hands down one of the best comics currently in print, The Walking Dead would bring a tear to George A. Romero’s eye. The Walking Dead is not a zombie book. Sure, zombies may be present, but this title is more about those left living amongst the dead.

The series, which is currently on its 78th issue, has had readers flocking to their local comic shops once a month since the release of its first issue in 2003. Written by Robert Kirkman and beautifully illustrated in black and white by Charlie Adlard, the book follows a group of survivors in the zombie-infested wasteland that America has become.

The title may sound familiar to viewers of AMC shows such as Mad Men and Rubicon, which have been teasing the upcoming television series of the same name during its commercial breaks. Highly anticipated in the comic book community, the series premier is set to air on this coming Oct. 30.

Readers immediately discover that it is not the “dead who won’t die” that pose the biggest threat, but others among the living. The zombie apocalypse is no pleasant time, and how it has affected the remaining inhabitants of the undead world varies. While some rise to the occasion and do anything to keep their loved ones safe, others simply lose their shit or act in ways that can only be described as pure evil.

The Walking Dead follows officer Rick Grimes and group of survivors, his wife Lori and son Carl included, and their struggle to avoid being zombie food. Grimes, who was injured in a shootout in his small home town, Cynthiana, Ky., awakes from a coma in his hospital bed to find himself in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. After hearing that the government had advised citizens gather in major cities for protection, he decides to head to Atlanta to find his wife and son. It is here that he meets up with the group that becomes his companions for what is assumed to be the rest of his life.

Tagged as “a continuing story of survival horror,” the series lends itself to a format that allows Kirkman to fully flesh out his characters. After spending so much time with these people struggling for their lives, the reader could understandably be brought to tears when some of them join the ranks of the dead. Although Kirkman puts so much into his characters, he has no qualms about killing them off.

Kirkman fearlessly tackles controversial and shocking subjects such as rape, cannibalism and child molestation. Rather than use these elements for simple shock value, the unfortunate situations the characters find themselves in help to illustrate how far gone some of the other survivors have become in this environment.

Fans of the survival horror and zombie genres will find themselves at home with The Walking Dead, but really anyone in search of a great story with complex and convincing characters will enjoy the book. And for those interested in the television series, the first episode may or may not have been leaked on to the Internet, but you didn’t hear it here.