The Walking Dead, issues 85-96, by Robert Kirkman
& Charlie Adlard.
Carl has lost an eye, but it appears that he will survive.
And with Kirkman writing, that was not the certainty it would be in other books. In these issues, he
continues to assert his authority, and “speaks truth to power” more than once.
Growing up in this post-apocalypse has perhaps prepared him for the new world
better than anyone else in the group. He had fewer "old habits" to overcome.
Our crew’s current situation in the development is a definite
upgrade over the prison and even over Woodbury. But as the time has gone by, the
likelihood of continually finding canned food becomes less likely. And the cans
that they do find are close to expiration. They need fresh food, land for
farming and the skills to do it effectively. And then a long-haired fella
nicknamed “Jesus” shows up and offers them just that. Of course, Rick is
distrustful; he is Rick, and that's his move. But over the course of these issues, he begins to
trust the man and his community.
The stars of these issues, from a place of characterization,
are Andrea and Rick -- they seem to be getting
closer in a romantic manner, but it is always hard to tell. They are the ones
that always seem to survive, and maybe that is the extent of their connection.
And in the last issue of this collection, we here the name of
the latest enemy for out crew to face. Negan and his group “The Saviours.” The
last six pages are an impassioned plea / speech from Rick about how this new
community, The Hilltop, could be their future. That with this group, they could
stop surviving and start living.
And as a veteran reader of the Walking Dead and of comics in
general, knowing that issue 100 is approaching, I know what this means. This
means that things are about to go awry, terribly awry.
This series appeared on a recent Buzzfeed list of “comics
that everyone should read.” And rightly so. It is consistently solid.
Note: the previous 12 issues were reviewed here.
Source: public library.
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