As with any graphic novel, it is not just the words that provide the meat for dissection, it is also the images. These images are found from cover to cover, so it is the cover that I will begin with. Volume 1, "Days Gone Bye" shows a framed family photo cracked, covered in blood, and littered with shell casings. The foreground is a group of zombies. The family is smiling and the father is wearing the uniform of a police officer. The coloring is monochromatic except for the blood spatters. It appears that the traditional idea of family has been smashed to pieces and left for dead.
The back cover focuses on a handgun paused before the threat of a group of walkers. What is the role of guns throughout the novel? They are used to kill people and walkers, so who are the real victims? Are the shooters the threat or the protectors? Since all walkers are dangerous and therefore bears no distinction from one another, how do humans remain identifiable? Do the guns and all of the killing destroy a person's humanity or defend it?
I believe this all funnels into the larger overarching idea behind the whole series. On the back cover there is a line that reveals we are not living until commerce, government, and frivolity has been eradicated. We are forced to become self sufficient. Clearly, guns play a huge role in maintaining self sufficiency in this new zombie infested world. What does this role mean for the future of the Walking Dead society? What does the text suggest about the future of our own society with relation to guns?
