By: Robert Kirkman (writer), Charlie Adlard (art), Cliff Rathburn (gray tones), Rus Wooton (letters) & Sina Grace (editor)
The Story: Something really bad happened in the last issue. How will the key players react?
A few things (with SPOILERS): 1. Kinda moving on fast, huh? - I really thought there’d be more intra-group fallout from Glenn’s death. Maybe we’d get a little more: “You suck Rick! You’re not our leader anymore!” Or maybe the group would splinter? Instead it seems like there was a little bit of venting from Maggie, but even she pretty quickly moved back into looking to Rick at least for vengeance – if not leadership. The other characters who are staying with Rick seem 100% fine with following his leader. Heath kinda scampers after Rick like a little kid, peppering him with panicked questions; he’s not looking to find new leadership. Michonne flat out asks Rick, “What’s the plan?” as if she fully accepts that shit happens in this world and it isn’t Rick’s fault. Even Rick himself doesn’t seem too full of self-doubt. It sure seems like there should be more navel-gazing and second guessing of Rick, but it’s hard to call “foul” on this situation when I’ve never been in anything remotely like this before. Hopefully Rick knows what he is doing because it isn’t like the group has a great #2 option.
2. New source of “hope?” - I’ve said a bunch of times before that Maggie and Glenn represented hope for humanity. They were the 20-year old kids who fell in love and started a new life in this awful world. Through them, you could see the hope for the future. Well….that ain’t happening now. But, maybe Carl and Sophia will be the new source of hope? Even though this issue broke them apart by having Sophia staying in Hilltop, Kirkman makes it very clear that there is a future story between the two of them….and these two have been circling each other in a kiddie-romantic way since the beginning of the series. Let’s hope that they get a love story and not something like Carl becoming the next Negan who returns to sack Hilltop in 5 years.
3. Reveal on the last page…. - Never mind that Andrea was so excited to show Rick the prisoner that she doesn’t even know about Glenn yet…. What does this prisoner get them, really? I guess they can torture Negan’s location out of him, but does that lead to a story that anyone wants to see? I’m not sure our protagonists have the strength to attack a fortified group and I certainly don’t want to see anything silly like Michonne turning into Snake Eyes (remember, she was an attorney until a couple years ago). And, what is the future for the prisoner: “It would be inhumane to execute him, so let’s leave him locked in this closet until he escapes, kills some good guys and brings vital information back to Negan.” I can see the cliche stories on the horizon and it’s up to Kirkman to pick another path.
4. Great storytelling art. - Charlie Adlard is always so understated that it’s often hard to say more than “the art was great again“. That always seems like too faint praise, so I love it when there is something I can point out. The way he handled Glenn’s body was just great. I mean….the way it’s just kinda laying there – like a dead animal – really makes it hit home: Glenn isn’t “gone”, he’s laying right there with his head smashed. And, he really nails the double-page splash of the group, with Glenn’s body in that nasty parking lot and the sun coming up in the distance. My only quibble with Adlard was that I thought he made Sophia look a little older in this issue, but perhaps that is related to point #2….
Conclusion: Maybe the group didn’t have the crisis of leadership that I expected this issue, but I enjoyed reading every page as it unfolded. After 100+ issues, this series keeps my on my toes even when it isn’t being outstanding.
Grade: B
-Dean Stell
Filed under: Image Comics Tagged: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn, Dean Stell, Image, review, Robert Kirkman, Rus Wooton, Sina Grace, The Walking Dead, Zombies
