I am not a comic book guy, but I do enjoy the Walking Dead story, so I read it.

I started late too and was reading it in Books and Volumes. I have never bought a single issue. I think Volumes are a good way to read them, though even in that larger format, sometimes it still feels like not a TON happens in every one. Obviously, the bigger story arcs has the ability to make them pretty action packed.

 

I started off with the compendiums but got tired of waiting for them so I'm now on volumes. I adore the graphic novels they really get to you with the characters.

 

I bought the first 3 Books and felt like everything was moving so quickly. This was when we were halfway through Season 3, and in 3 days I caught up with the story of The Governor. My first thought was, "Really? Damn. This is going faster than I thought". Quit my job after that and I didn't want to spend my savings on my own entertainment, so I didn't buy anything after a while.

Then I got the chance to buy single issues up to Issue #80, and I felt like it was moving rather slow. I finished up to #147 after that in issues too.

I don't really mind that it's moving slowly. I prefer it, actually. When I bought the single issues I had to read back from Issue #1 to remember some parts because I had forgotten majority of it. I've read Marvel issues before, but I don't like comparing it much. Feel like the genre and comic-type is different.

Edit: I mean that I downloaded #140-#147 oops. I'll buy them later on though, prefer to bulk-buy the comics.

 

I actually started the comics this fall online. So I had the benefit of all reading all 147 issues without interruption.

This current wait for new episodes of the show and new issues of the comics is quite grueling.

 

I'm currently trying to make this same decision. I've never really been a comic book person, but I've gotten hooked enough on TWD that I want to check them out. I'm thinking I'm going to end up going with the hardcover volumes. Each volume containing 12 issues (or two story arcs), including the cover art, and some bonus content. I don't want to go with single issues, just because of storage concerns. The hardcovers will fit neatly on my bookshelf, whereas the single issues wouldn't fit so nicely.

This poses another issue though. I'm not sure if I want to read ahead of the current point that the TV show is at. Despite the TV show differing from the comic at numerous points, there are still going to be some spoilers for the TV show contained in the comics. Given that I discovered the show first, I think I'd rather see all of the plot development in there. As I understand, at the current point in the show (season 6 episode 4 as I'm posting this), we're at roughly issue 81. So I'll either have to really pace myself with the comics, or give in and just read ahead. I'm guessing that the show won't be catching up to the comic series anytime real soon.