We have gotten through week one with flying colors on The Walking Dead Card Trader, and now that we have a pictures of what the marathons will be, I wanted to take some time and offer some thoughts on the different programs and their strength.

Chop Series

This is probably my favorite of the individual marathons, even though Im not a huge fan of the name. The actual design template is second to none, with the cleaver offering a dynamic theme to the set’s subjects. These types of inserts will make the game seem very different from sets in its entertainment predecessor, and I absolutely love it.

Vintage Series

I was a huge Vintage fan in SWCT, but it was because the universe had roots in a culture considered vintage by today’s standards. With the first movie hitting theaters 40 or so years ago, that is definitely within the correct timeframe. The Walking Dead premiered in 2010, which was so recent, the iPhone 4 was released during that time frame. Yes, a phone that can support the app was already in existence, which means Vintage does not apply. I get that brand continuity was at play, but I just dont think it fits.

Smitten Series

I absolutely love the design of this set, and the antique style locket that shows the two characters looks so much like this is a house the characters stumbled upon as they are trekking through the south. This could end up being TWDCT’s version of connections, and I fully support the way that this series is set up. The romantic element of the character development is a key part of the show’s narrative, and this set is a great representation.

Walker Series

Ah yes, the true stars of the show. This set looks like it is going to be bloody and gory, and that makes me very excited. Its clear that they are not going to shy away from the gruesome depictions of the Walkers’ state of decomposition, so that will play right into the series here. Im hoping we get some fun entries of characters who have found their way into the zombie hoard.

Locations Series

The different places where the show’s characters have interacted with are some very interesting subject matter. So interesting that I kind of feel like this is shortchanging their importance. In SWCT locations were used as weekly chase sets, and offered a lot of content specific to the place itself. Although its clear that this does not mean that isnt going to happen, its kind of the first sign that it might not. I would love to see a whole West Georgia Correctional set, and hopefully we still get it.

Topps Choice

With the distinctly designed approach that we see in all the above insert sets, Topps choice almost seems out of place. It is clean and modern instead of dirty and old fashioned. The design (which is taken slightly from the Huddle nicknames series) looks cool, but I would have much rather seen them go a different direction for an app that lives in such a decrepit universe. Sleek and modern arent what we have come to love about the Walking Dead.

Overall, I can tell this app is going to be awesome. There is a lot of fun ground to cover, and these marathons should have a lot of wiggle room to be intriguing to the users. If they go the directions everyone hopes they will, Walking Dead Card Trader will have no issue being a productive member of the digital world for Topps.