The Walking Dead #68 – Review

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Charlie Adlard (pencils & inks), Cliff Rathburn (gray tones), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: A mysterious new character, Aaron, makes our group a utopian offer.  But can he be trusted?

What’s Good: With this issue, Kirkman begins his next big arc and it looks to be a great one, if only because it uses the series’ age to its advantage.

This entire book hinges on the emotional wear and tear that the group has seen.  They’ve suffered so much death and horror that trusting an outsider, or believing in the possibility of something good, is almost impossible.  Aaron’s reception by the group serves as a chilling reminder of everything Rick and company have gone through.   That said, while their trust issues are merited, Kirkman also does a good job of making Aaron seem just nice enough to highlight how broken and dysfunctional our group has become; justified or not, they’ve become a paranoid and violent bunch.

Perhaps Kirkman’s greatest achievement however, is that in making a “trust issue themed” installment that draws upon the series’ lengthy run, he also fully involves the reader.  While five years of comics means that our characters have suffered a lot, it also means that we have read just as much.  With Kirkman’s distinctively merciless style, full of shocks, sudden deaths, and twisted developments, it’s perhaps even harder for us to trust Aaron than it is for the characters themselves.  Throughout the Walking Dead, we’ve constantly been hit with evil from around the corner, so really, it’s hard not to look at Aaron with a sense of dread, waiting for the shoe to drop as we wonder what awful surprise Kirkman has in store for us this time.  Our suspicion and paranoia, created by Kirkman over 67 issues, is the same anxiety that has come to paralyze Rick.

Finally, Charlie Adlard does a fantastic job this month with his illustrations of Aaron. Adlard manages to draw a “nice guy,” but there definitely is something quietly sinister about his appearance.  His facial expressions are dead on.

The Walking Dead #65 – Review

By Robert Kirkman (Writer), Charlie Adlard (Pencils & Inks), and Cliff Rathburn (Gray Tones)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: While zombie stuff is definitely welcome, a showdown between humans in The Walking Dead always manages to ratchet up the intensity another few notches. I’m assuming the latest standoff will be no different.

The Story: Rick isn’t going to just sit around a church waiting to be killed. No, he has a plan to take the fight to the hunters…

What’s Good: It’s pretty well-established that Rick is a badass, and The Walking Dead #65 is all about making sure that no one forgets that. Sounds like a good read, doesn’t it? Rest assured that it is.

What makes the latest issue of TWD. work so effectively is that Robert Kirkman pulls a bit of a switch on the reader. Going into reading the book, I was all ready for a firefight… or at least some sort of small battle. What I got instead was something that wound up being much more intense and a hell of a lot more satisfying than some skirmish between groups of survivors. The way the entire situation with the hunters plays out, from the dialogue to the action, feels perfectly tuned to deliver a whole lot of awesomeness per panel.

The smaller, more intimate moments play out almost as well as the main event. Dale’s return leads to suitably emotional, realistic dialogue and one of the newer cast members finally gets a chance to actually do something for once. In addition, it’s cool to see how the main group of survivors continue to gel as they all spend more time together.

What’s Not So Good: While the majority of The Walking Dead #65 looks as impressive as the series always does (Translation: emotion, gore, and scene detail looks great), a few panels seem to be inked way too heavily. The inks muddle the pencil detail and tend to take something away from the few scenes where it’s noticeable. I also have to mention that a couple panels look way too oversimplified. While it’s understandable, given the size of the panels where it’s problematic, it still leaves the book looking a bit rushed at times.

Conclusion: Art issues aside, Great dialogue and an intense standoff make The Walking Dead #65 one hell of a fun read. Be sure to pick it up.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Walking Dead #64 – Review

By Robert Kirkman (Writer), Charlie Adlard (Pencils & Inks), and Cliff Rathburn (Gray Tones)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: It’s very cool of Image to pair #1 issues with some of their bigger titles. This month, Walking Dead fans get a taste of the first issue of Viking. Two comics for $2.99?! That’s a good deal any way you look at it.  And how about Frank Darabont doing The Walking Dead TV series for AMC!?  Hell yeah!

The Story: Dale has a secret that he’s kept from the cannibalistic hunters. Meanwhile, everyone deals with the loss of Dale in their own way.

What’s Good & What’s Not So Good: The worst thing about The Walking Dead #64? That it seems to be over in an instant despite the fact that there’s quite a bit of dialogue to read. The best thing about The Walking Dead #64? That proves, once again, that Robert Kirkman’s series is one of the best things you can possibly pick up from the comic shop on a Wednesday.

Intense, intelligent, and full of rather powerful (slightly heavy-handed) dialogue, the latest issue of The Walking Dead really fires on all cylinders. I continue to be impressed by how Kirkman manages to juggle his large cast without ever skimping on the character moments and drama (Andrea’s scenes pack a punch) that make the series so damn compelling. And while I can’t go into story details, I’ve got to say that I love what Kirkman has set up by the end of the third chapter of “Fear the Hunters.” It’s a classic “last stand” type of scene and Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn do one hell of a job making it look as badass as the situation feels.

Speaking of Adlard and Rathburn, I have to mention how well they handle some of the more dialogue driven scenes. The range of emotion on display is downright impressive and it really adds a lot to Kirkman’s strong, realistic character moments. While a few panels seem a bit oversimplified, The Walking Dead #64 is, for the most part, a very nice looking book.

Conclusion: You’ll have to excuse me if this review is a bit short. I’ve been reviewing The Walking Dead for a long while and, quite frankly, I’m running out ways to praise the series. It rocks.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Walking Dead #63 – Review

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Charlie Adlard (pencils and inks), Cliff Rathburn (gray tones), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Our group goes looking for Dale before finally finding Father Gabriel’s church.  We also finally meet the much-hyped “Hunters.”

What’s Good: This arc looks to be a great one as for the second month in a row, we get an absolutely stellar issue. I really enjoyed the fleeting glimpse that Andrea got of the Hunter and the panicked paranoia it inspired.  While it’s not as unsettling as the midnight sighting last month, the Hunters are working really well as a horror device.  As the series has worn on, the actual zombies have become less frightening so it’s refreshing to have a new presence in the book that actually puts fear in me. With the Hunters, the horror has returned to the Walking Dead.

Speaking of which, Kirkman once again delivers another crushing, shocking ending. The man truly has no mercy for his characters. I highly advise a reader to NOT– by any means, look at the final page before reading the rest of the book.  You really don’t want to spoil the shock here, which is delivered with pitch-perfect, expert pacing.

The final scene also does well in distinguishing these hunters from the Governor’s forces. This is clearly a new kind of threat, simpler perhaps, but also more brutal.

The Hunter leader Chris is creepy as hell, but also fascinating. Considering the ending, I look forward to hearing their logic expanded upon. It’s a really promising start to a new host of enemies and a new aspect of survivor psychology.

One has only to look at this issue’s ending to see that Kirkman loves his shocks and thrills. For this reason, I loved that Gabriel’s story was actually fairly mundane and subtle; horrific yes, but because it wasn’t at all shocking or surprising shows just how much us readers have come to accept the desolate world Kirkman has crafted. Gabriel’s story is dark, but its poignancy comes from how depressing it is without being surprising, that something so horrible is now so run-of-the-mill.

Adlard delivers the art that Walking Dead readers have come to know and love. That said, I particularly enjoyed his drawing of Gabriel’s church, which evoked a “classic horror,” Night of the Living Dead feel.  The eery, night-time chapel almost felt like an homage that worked really well in black and white. I also loved the final two pages depicting the Hunter’s encampment; from the glowing firelight, to the shadowed faces, to the calmly insane features of their leader, Adlard succeeds in furthering the deeply unsettling nature of this new threat.

What’s Not So Good:  Nothing of note.  That said, readers should note that Carl is entirely absent, so don’t expect any more developments regarding his recent actions. This issue is more or less entirely centred on the hunt for Dale.

Conclusion: The Walking Dead #63 contains all things that a good horror comic should have. Pick it up! It’s good to see TWD returning to its visceral, generic roots.

Grade: A-

-Alex Evans

The Walking Dead #61 – Review

By Robert Kirkman (Writer), Charlie Adlard (Pencils & Inks), and Cliff Rathburn (Grey Tones)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: If I decided to judge The Walking Dead #61 just based on the cover alone, it would probably earn an “A” or “A+”. It features quite the striking image. Can the issue earn the “A” the cover deserves?

The Story: The group of survivors can’t believe their luck when they come across a van that runs and has a few mattresses in it. But joy turns to dismay when Andrea makes a very grim discovery that quickly changes the entire dynamic of the group. Add a mysterious priest into the equation and you have one issue of The Walking Dead that won’t soon be forgotten…

What’s Good: HOLY CRAP!! Seriously…While I won’t give anything away, I will say that the latest issue of The Walking Dead manages to disturb, shock, and intrigue just like some of its more previous issues have before. As for the visuals, Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn are at the top of their game for most of the book. They do a great job of capturing the drama, darkness, and tension that grips the cast. A few of the images are absolutely terrific-looking (though quite unsettling). As for Robert Kirkman, he delivers the chaos in a way that is both realistic and suitably emotional. In short, it’s an all around impressive outing for the entire creative team.

What’s Not So Good: A few panels look pretty weak, though the good to great definitely outweighs the bad. The very simple, rushed panels stick out like a sore thumb though, so they warrant a mention. As for the story it’s too early to tell if the shocks are there just for thrills or if they will truly lead the series in new and interesting directions. At least there’s no B.S. final page cliffhanger.

Conclusion: The Walking Dead #61 will probably stick with me for a long time. This is definitely something that should be read first on your list. Be sure to check it out!

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

The Walking Dead #60 – Review

By Robert Kirkman (Writer), Charlie Adlard (Pencils & Inks), and Cliff Rathburn (Gray Tones)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Sixty issues in and The Walking Dead is still going strong. I continue to be amazed at how well Robert Kirkman keeps adding twists, turns, and depth to a story that initially, seemed extremely familiar (simple, even). I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve next.

The Story: Rick, Carl, Abraham, and Morgan attempt to elude the massive zombie herd they came across last issue. Meanwhile, Dale begins truly thinking about settling down with Amanda and the kids at a farm that seems almost too perfect for words.

What’s Good: It’s been a while since the zombies truly felt like the massive threat they once where, so the obvious highlight of The Walking Dead #60 is the intensity that is generated by the herd. The less obvious highlights are the quiet moments that the creative team handles so well. The most notable of which is a scene in which Morgan makes a grim, graphic discovery that really hits hard thanks to the fantastic work by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn. Also worth a mention is how effortlessly Robert Kirkman reestablishes Dale, the kids, and Maggie in the issue. The character moments are quiet, but they will linger in your mind (especially the one with the kids).

What’s Not So Good: Kirkman always handles his characters with the utmost care. That’s why I find the way (new cast member) Dr. Eugene is used so annoying. He seems to speak simply as a plot device and nothing more. His words make an impact, but I feel that they would be more effective if we knew more about the character or his previous situation.

My other complaint has to do with the herd. While I really like the way the herd is used, both as a set piece and a plot device, I wish more time was spent with it. A minor complaint, yes, but still something that disappointed me about the issue. Some hardcore zombie stuff is always welcome and the herd offers lots of potential for it.

Conclusion: As usual, the creative team behind The Walking Dead delivers in nearly every way. Issue sixty is about as solid as they come and serves as a great example of why the series is such a success. Highly recommended.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny