The Walking Dead #150 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 150, January 2016

There should be little doubt in any collector’s mind that Editor Sean Mackiewicz’s confident boast within this magazine’s “Letter Hacks” that “The Walking Dead is a pretty special comic” is not an arrogant-sounding falsehood. For not only has this post-apocalyptic title, “created in Backwoods, Kentucky”, clearly become a lucrative franchise spawning action figures, board games and at least one highly successful television serial. It has also been consistently recording some significantly impressive sales figures “for the past twelve years” as well.

However those 156,166 readers who bought this “celebration of the tremendously talented creators who’ve worked on this comic", especially those "fans who’ve been here since Day One”, must surely have been fairly disappointed with a Robert Kirkman plot that, besides a somewhat short-lived cowardly assault upon the title’s central protagonist, contains little else but dialogue, additional dialogue and finally a thirty-two panel sequence composed entirely of even more dialogue… Indeed Rick Grime’s ‘sermon’ apologising to the settlers of Alexandria that he has “allowed us to become weak”, and promise to “band [them] together so we can kill the Whisperers” takes up the entire final third of the (over-sized) thirty-page long periodical and seems a strange narrative with which to “shock, frighten and thrill” the book’s audience as the creative team presumably intended.

Admittedly Morton Rose’s diabolically treacherous attack upon the former police deputy from Cynthiana is tremendously well-penned by the Richmond-born writer, and genuinely proves pulse-pounding as Tammy’s husband momentarily appears to have the upper hand over the disabled community leader. Fortunately the ambushed colonist is able to fight back in a typically grisly manner for the storyline’s post-apocalyptic setting by literally tearing the would-be killer’s throat out with his bare teeth. But Rick’s subsequent, though perfectly understandable, collapse into unconsciousness also ends any semblance of excitement to be gleaned from so frustratingly word heavy a comic; “This needs to happen! They’ll come and take more of us if we don’t fight back! What about your wife?! My son?! I’m not going to let Rick risk their lives, too!”

Charlie Adlard’s co-responsibility for ensuring that this sixth and final part of “No Turning Back” manages to attain its necessary sheet-count would also appear to have taken its toll upon the quality of the British artist’s pencilling, and also guaranteed that his breakdowns include a handful of his ‘infamous’ oft-times underwhelming splash-pages. In fact, apart from the Kerrang! Award-winner’s frighteningly dynamic night-time fight scene, as well as a few entirely blacked-out panels, the vast majority of his drawings simply consist of character head-shots unconvincingly conversing with one another.

The regular cover art of "THE WALKING DEAD" No. 150 by Charlie Adlard & Dave Stewart

The Walking Dead #136 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 136, January 2015

There’s an awful lot of dialogue to read in Robert Kirkman’s narrative for Issue One Hundred and Thirty Six of “The Walking Dead”. A disappointingly dire situation which is due entirely to the title’s creator cramming the comic full of scenes where the post-apocalyptic survivors simply talk to one another as they go about either their mundane daily business, consider stretching out a hand to a person in need, or hatch nefarious plots to commit vengeful murder.

Admittedly a couple of these conversations, such as Gregory suggesting that killing Maggie Green would be the easiest solution to Morton Rose’s problems, as well as the pair of Whisperers quietly awaiting their leader whilst watching the colony, are developmental and laced with nervy tension as to a potentially bloody violent future. But in the main the “Image Comics” partner’s painstakingly slow plot progression doubtless made this twenty-two page periodical a decidedly demanding experience for its 66,097 readers.

Indeed even when Carl Grimes is released from his arguably unjust imprisonment midway through the magazine, and then subsequently menaced by one of his assailant’s parents, little of any consequence actually takes place apart from the father mentally determining that the settlement’s former overseer of operations is “right” and that both the Hilltop’s current 'boss' and “the boy” have to die before things only get worse. Disappointingly there is no actual physical confrontation between the pair, and instead Rick’s son tediously spends the rest of the storyline sat outside the settlement's cells talking to a tearful Lydia, before sentimentally handing her his father’s police Stetson to use as a comforter…

Somewhat fortuitously however such a lack-lustre script does not appear to have been too detrimental to Charlie Adlard’s breakdowns for this book. In fact the Englishman seems to have taken the opportunity to truly demonstrate just how impressively he can draw emotion upon his figure’s faces. Whether it be the dumbfounded horror of the Rose family staring aghast at Gregory when he first suggests murdering Sophie’s mother, or the genuine fear and anguish seen within the streaming eyes of the community’s incarcerated Whisperer later in the book, the Shrewsbury-born penciller’s attention to his characters’ facial expressions genuinely paints a thousand words which Kirkman’s dialogue never touches upon.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #135 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 135, December 2014

Despite this twenty-two page periodical’s most action-packed moment consisting of an enraged Morton Rose angrily grabbing hold of Carl Grimes and forcefully putting him against a wall, Issue One Hundred and Thirty Five of “The Walking Dead” doubtless still thoroughly entertained its 67,361 strong audience on account of Robert Kirkman’s gripping plot progression and the tensely hostile atmosphere permeating Hilltop’s infirmary. In fact so powerfully pervading is the sense of danger surrounding Rick’s son, on account of him previously battering two of the colony’s boys, that many of this comic book’s buyers must have consistently been wondering, as their eyes flicked from one heated exchange to another, just how Maggie Greene was somehow managing to keep the disfigured adolescent from being beaten to death by some of her settlement’s less savoury occupants.

Rather impressively however, the Richmond-born writer soon adds a strong sense of injustice to the proceedings by having Sophia’s protector somewhat unfairly placed inside one of the dependency’s cells by the very mother of the girl he fought to save; “You’re really going to lock me up for saving Sophia?” This sense of outrage is then intensified by the “girlfriend-turned-wife of Glenn” coldly turning upon the imprisoned youth and lecturing him about not killing people despite the fact he “saved Sophia…”

Equally as enthralling, though somewhat less emotionally-charged, is the title creator’s interrogation of the sixteen year-old Whisperer, Lydia, by Paul Monroe. Doe-eyed and innocent-looking, the young girl’s philosophy that humans should safeguard the zombies because “they protect us” when her people travel with them is as simple-sounding as its logic is chillingly child-like, and certainly provides ample explanation as to why the undead suddenly seem to be talking and fighting with melee weapons. 

This particular edition’s strongest asset though has to be Charlie Adlard’s incredibly expressive pencilling coupled with Cliff Rathburn’s correspondingly atmospheric gray tones. Such a dialogue-heavy narrative as “Face To Face” could easily have become a very tedious experience for the eyes. Yet the Kerang! Award-winner’s beautifully animated facial features genuinely imbues every character with a convincingly unique personality, and makes Carl’s unapologetic defiance towards the extremely dislikeable Rose family all the more emotionally-charged.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #134 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 134, November 2014

There can be little doubt that Robert Kirkman’s character of Paul Monroe is undoubtedly both “a very good hand to hand combatant” and “capable of extreme feats of human ability.” How else could the Alexandria recruiter simultaneously manage to overcome the large “attacking swarm of talking [armed] dead” he confronts at the beginning of this comic, rescue a “severely injured” Darius and take the last surviving Whisperer prisoner singlehandedly? It’s certainly arguable as to whether many of this book’s 68,093 readers felt that the title’s lead character Rick Grimes would have managed to overcome such insurmountable odds, even if the former Kentucky Police officer had been in his prime…

Fortunately such a willing suspension of disbelief is easily achieved on account of “The Walking Dead” creator’s excellent penmanship. Clearly outnumbered, and somewhat shaken by the realisation that his supposedly undead foes can not only talk but even “have names”, Jesus’ grim determination not to go “down without taking most of you with me” and excellent use of his surroundings, such as sending a horse stampeding through a cluster of hungry roamers, increasingly makes the prospect of the long-haired herder ‘coming out on top’ all the more likely. Indeed by the time Paul has dispatched those zombies attempting to devour a still-struggling Darius, and become surrounded by the last of the disguised survivors, his enemy’s observation that the man must be “getting tired” and “can’t fight forever” actually sounds more like an optimistic hope than a confident statement.

Incredibly such utterly engrossing action and adventure doesn’t end however with Monroe, bloodied sword in hand, triumphantly standing tall over the pleading remains of his final opponent. For although events back at the Hilltop Colony at first seem infinitely more sedentary and dialogue-driven, the American author suddenly turns the seemingly idyllic prospects of Carl Grimes' world upside down by having the disfigured son of Rick savagely bashed over the head with a brick by two local bullies. This cowardly attack upon a defenceless adolescent who has already overcome so much post-apocalyptic strife is genuinely shocking. But is then unbelievably surpassed by the boy seemingly bludgeoning his arrogant attackers to death with a shovel; “No! Don’t! I’m sorry! No! No! No! No!”

Presumably inspired by such a scintillatingly tense and terrifically-charged script, Charlie Adlard’s pencilling for “From Whispers To Screams” is breathtakingly good. The Whisperers, ‘Leatherfaced’ and almost nonchalantly holding kitchen knives in their rotting hands, look absolutely terrifying as they stalk towards a solitary Monroe. Whilst Paul’s subsequent battle and then later Carl’s almost ‘homicidal slaying’ of his assailants proves a mouth-watering masterclass by the Englishman in how to imbue illustrations with a genuine sense of power and ferocious movement.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #133 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 133, October 2014

Apparently placed “in rotation a lot quicker” by “Image Comics” on account of its preceding edition being “so crazy”, Issue One Hundred and Thirty Three of “The Walking Dead” doubtless proved something of busy read to its 69,561 strong audience in October 2014. For whilst the majority of its narrative rather appreciatively focus’s upon a group of survivors who wear “walker flesh to move undetected through herds”, the twenty-two page periodical also provides parcels of plot development for Carl, Andrea, Magna, Eugene and Rosita. Indeed Robert Kirkman even manages to somehow provide Rick Grimes with a genuinely sentimental last loving look at his fast-growing son, before leaving him at the Hilltop Colony and heading off alone back to Alexandria.

Such characterful, even emotional scenes are not however what makes “Impending Doom” such a thrilling experience. It’s those featuring the murderous “disguised zombies”, and the title’s creator does a good job of entwining their fleeting appearances amongst some of the storyline's more mundane moments, such as Earl helping one of his apprentice’s make their “very first spear”, in order to maintain a genuinely palpable sense of apprehension in the book’s reader.

In fact Paul Monroe’s search for the absent guard Nathaniel, something which this comic’s cover illustration of the Undead stalking the horse riders suggests is probably ill-fated from the start, quickly becomes an engrossing exploration of the Northern Border for the missing “patrolman out in the wind”, and it quite quickly becomes hard not to race through those parts of this publication which don’t develop this particularly unsettling sequence; especially when it becomes clear that “Jesus” is being followed by another herd of the whispering cadavers and his party are about to be swarmed by “living” roamers…

Considering the sheer amount of exposition, dialogue and action contained within Kirkman’s incredibly busy script, and as a result the sheer number of individual panels Charlie Adlard needed to draw, this magazine’s artwork is decidedly polished looking. It’s rare for the Shrewsbury-born penciller not to include at least a single splash page within an issue. But for once the British illustrator swaps ‘arguable padding’ for seemingly endless flurries of tightly focussed panes packed full of wonderfully-telling facial expressions and frenzied stabbings.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #132 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 132, October 2014

Initially it is easy to believe that the vast majority of this comic’s 326,334 readers entirely agreed with young Carl when Rick’s son declares, within the first dozen or so panels of “Happiness”, that “this is boring.” For not only does the cover to Issue One Hundred and Thirty Two of “The Walking Dead” consist of a rather uninspiring, lack-lustre portrait of Maggie Greene holding her child Hershel. But Robert Kirkman’s mind-numbing narrative simply spends the opening quarter of the book concentrating upon Grimes and the leader of the Hilltop Colony admiringly just “watching the sunset”…

However for those comic collectors who stuck with the Kentucky-born writer’s storyline, and incidentally helped make this edition by far the best-selling title of October 2014, the twenty-two page periodical’s script suddenly becomes a whole lot more exciting as Dante and the small search party out looking for an abandoned Ken, decide to fight their way out of a barn surrounded by shockingly judicious zombies. Such an explosive pulse-pounding change in pace, as unexpected as it is grisly, genuinely grabs the attention and those 250,000 subscribers to “the online pop culture sales club Loot Crate” who received a copy of this magazine as part of their subscription must certainly have given a sigh of relief that their monthly delivery contained at least one entertaining item...

Indeed the lengthy all-action fight sequence, as the three guards “get in formation”, “stop complaining and start hacking” at their shuffling opposition, becomes increasingly tense as the roamers’ intelligence disconcertingly increases as their numbers dwindle and the putrefying ghouls suddenly start talking to one another. This terrifyingly disturbing plot twist is then made all the more enthralling by Kirkman additionally bestowing upon the walkers the ability to attack Dante’s group with knives and hack them to death; “We can kill.”

After the disappointment of his front page illustration, and frankly an early double splash pointlessly portraying Rick and Maggie looking out across the sedentary settlement they fought to keep alive, penciller Charlie Adlard really brings his best game to the rest of this publication. In fact the British artist’s dynamically-charged drawings of Greene’s ‘right-hand man’ sword-fighting with a fully lucid and reasoning living corpse makes for incredible viewing, and really conveys the sense of adrenalin-lead fright the ‘human’ combatant must have had during his unnerving ordeal.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #131 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 131, September 2014

Comprising of a narrative as uninspiring in its sedentary content as its cover illustration of Carl becoming a blacksmith is rather awkward-looking, it is genuinely hard to imagine many of this comic’s 69,810 buyers actually managing to acquire much in the way of excitement from Issue One Hundred and Thirty One of “The Walking Dead”. In fact it’s difficult to believe that many readers endured this twenty-two page passionless periodical in one sitting, as Robert Kirkman’s storyline aimlessly wanders from two adolescent bullies being beaten up by Sophia to a completely pointless “communal dinner at Alexandria”.

Only Dante’s countryside mission to find Ken provides any lasting suspense until this magazine’s cliff-hanger, and even that ends up rather distastefully dwelling upon the Hilltop colonist’s desire “of going to bed with the woman who bosses all of us around” as its “damn near the only thing keeping my blood pumping…” Admittedly the scene depicting the small party’s discovery of their injured objective’s clothes lying discarded in the barn where Marco left him passes pleasurably enough. But its abrupt conclusion, as the men “are ambushed by a group of roamers”, is disappointingly followed by another dialogue-heavy sequence where Rick Grimes and Maggie simply talk and talk; a painful series of panels whose monotonous dialogue recollecting just “how things were” swiftly destroys any lasting momentum the fleetingly brief appearance of some zombies had just created.

Fortuitously the American author’s storyline does finally produce a moment of tension when, on the very last page, Andrea returns home after speaking to Eugene about how much Rosita loves him and is “ambushed by Magna”. The Richmond survivor’s dramatic appearance provides this instalment with some much needed menace as she grimly informs Grimes’ partner that “she’ll be the one answering” the Virginian’s questions…

Just as off-putting as Kirkman’s ineffectual plot however is artist Charlie Adlard's attempt to correct his collaborator’s pacing issues by populating each sheet with plenty of small-sized pictures. Ordinarily the Shrewsbury-born illustrator would provide plenty of double splashes for so slow a script. Yet on this occasion conversational exchanges, such as Maggie ordering Dante to find Ken after he’s been already been hooch-tasting, are handled via a quick succession of short snappy panels within which his drawings’ consistency is disconcertingly questionable.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #130 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 130, August 2014

Featuring a wonderfully tense and nerve-wracking beginning, as an imprisoned Negan unsuccessfully attempts to convince Magna and her group that he is being tortured by Rick, and then a fantastically chilling scene depicting Marco and Ken hiding from a horde of zombies in a somewhat waterlogged ditch, “There Were Whispers And I Was Afraid” bears all the hallmarks of a genuine return to form for writer Robert Kirkman. Certainly the majority of this comic’s 71,885 readers in August 2014 must have momentarily stopped breathing when it fleetingly looked as if the former leader of the Saviours was about to be released upon the unsuspecting inhabitants of Alexandria. Whilst a similar number must also have been temporarily numbed by the suggestion that the Undead could actually communicate with one another; “Where they go?” “Don’t Know. Keep Moving.” “Okay.”

Frustratingly however, no sooner have the roamers passed their prey by and the ‘talking dead’ shambled out of earshot, than this title (once again) disappointingly focuses all of its attention upon the day-to-day mundane struggles of life in a post-apocalyptic world. A move on behalf of the series’ creator which undoubtedly prevents any excitement to be had from the book’s remaining two-thirds.

Admittedly the American author’s cliff-hanger ending, which involves a semi-conscious Marco ranting about hiding inside “a barn on a hill” surrounded by “so many” zombies who “were speaking” is particularly well-written. But in order to reach this potentially cataclysmic conclusion any perusing bibliophile must first wade through a tediously tiresome account of Carl and his father making their way to the Hilltop colony by cart, and then an even more wearisome five-page sequence simply showing Maggie and Grimes walking up to Miss Greene’s house in order for Rick to see Glenn’s child Hershel Junior.

Luckily artist Charlie Adlard is able to imbue Issue One Hundred and Thirty of “The Walking Dead” with some additional moments of interest, courtesy of some ‘stand-out’ panels. The British penciller’s drawings of a long-haired, grizzled Negan, wide-eyed and supposedly terrified “even [at] the sound of his name…” genuinely shows just how good the Shrewsbury-born illustrator can be when sketching facial expressions, and this skill fortunately holds him in good stead throughout Kirkman’s lack-lustre and dialogue-heavy script.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #129 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 129, July 2014

Doubtless for many of this title’s fans the character of former police deputy Rick Grimes and “The Walking Dead” comic book itself are synonymous with one another. The narrative to this particular twenty-two page periodical must therefore have delighted the vast majority of its 72,908 readers in July 2014 as it is in many ways dedicated to the thoughts and actions of the series’ main protagonist. In fact, with the exception of a few pages at the very end of the magazine focusing upon Ken and Marco, and then equally as briefly Magna and her people, this book concentrates exclusively upon the leader of the Alexandria Safe-Zone and his interactions with Negan, Carl and the horseback rider Benjamin.

Robert Kirkman’s storyline also appears to return back to its roots by containing a healthy dose of zombies which, up until the publication’s wonderfully climatic cliff-hanger ending at least, genuinely appear to be the main menace of the story. Certainly the Richmond-born writer has the brain-eating cadavers not only posing a very real danger to the lives of some of this edition’s supporting cast, but depicts a small party of 'roamers' seriously threatening “one of the last remaining Atlanta survivors” and his boy.

It seems to have been quite some considerable time since the American author placed Carl's father in such genuine ‘infectious’ danger, and as a result the crippled man’s undisciplined defence of himself, coupled with the concerned cries of his adolescent son, actually makes Grimes’ hand-to-hand combat a rather surprisingly suspenseful sequence. This potential edginess to events is especially noticeable when the bearded axe-fighter realises he’s bitten off more than he can chew by tackling the group of walkers single-handedly; “Sorry to scare you like that. I thought I could handle them… It’s been a while… for me. That was close.”

Penciller Charlie Adlard really seems to do his best work when depicting this post-apocalyptic world’s carnivorous ever-shambling Undead, and it shows in both the quality line art and pulse-pounding pacing of Rick’s skirmish. The British artist also manages to convey the aging hero’s stiffness whilst getting down from his cart in order to kill the encroaching zombies, and relative inelegance as essentially a one-armed combatant.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #128 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 128, June 2014

Up until its depiction of Ken and Marco encountering several zombies “somewhere in the woods outside the Hilltop Colony” mid-way through its narrative, this second instalment of the story-arc “A New Beginning” appears to struggle to portray anything even remotely interesting to anyone but the most die-hard of “The Walking Dead” fans, with its unglamorous emphasis upon Eugene Porter’s failing relationship with Rosita, Carl’s ever-improving wood-whittling skills and Olivia’s “amazing” ability to bake loaves of bread. In fact it is genuinely hard to imagine a more mundane series of scenes with which to greet this “horror” comic book’s 74,326 readers, especially as Robert Kirkman’s tale then ‘trumps’ them all by dedicating five whole panels of the book to the ‘Head of the Ammo Crew’ simply walking into his empty home; “You here?”

Fortunately, as aforementioned, the sheer tedium of so stultifying a script is eventually broken by the sudden (and most welcome) appearance of a horde of carnivorous cadavers and the prospect of one of them devouring a somewhat reckless horse wrangler and his ride. Packed full of suspense despite being a somewhat brief encounter, this five-page return to the sort of action which has made the Richmond-born writer’s title enjoy such international success, genuinely brings home just how dangerous a place this post-apocalypse world is. For one moment the duo are driving their steeds onwards in the hope of heading off some wild horses “before they break away”, and then with just the turn of a page, the humans are knee-deep in the living dead with Ken pinned beneath his mare looking straight into the ghoulish eyes of a zombie as it struggles to crawl towards him moaning “Grarr!”

Disappointingly however, such a well-scribed piece of drama is dishearteningly short-lived and all too-soon the “Image Comics” partner has once again slowed the pace of his story-telling down to a snail’s crawl with the wearisome worries of a full-bearded Rick Grimes and the adolescent angst of the former police deputy’s frustrated son.

Such a sluggish chain of events is arguably made even more dissatisfying an experience by Charlie Adlard’s seemingly desperate determination to ‘pad out’ his page-count for this book. Admittedly the British artist’s full-on splash of Ken inadvertently riding his horse into the ground as it careers into a forest full of zombies proves to be the highlight of this magazine, and certainly does an incredible job of capturing one’s attention. But that doesn’t excuse the penciller utilizing a similar-sized single-panel to depict Alexandria’s windmill, nor the double-spread of a despairing Negan hammering the wall of his cell…

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #127 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 127, June 2014

Considering that this edition of Robert Kirkman’s “black-and-white” comic book was a double-sized publication and ranked as the eighth best-selling title of May 2014 by “Diamond Comic Distributors”, it arguably would not be unreasonable to assume that its lengthy narrative contained twice the action found within the series’ previous “All Out War” story-arc… And indeed for the first few pages of this hefty periodical the Kentucky-born editor would appear to be scripting just that, as “a group of survivors led by Magna” are savagely set upon by “a gigantic herd of over a thousand roamers.” Overwhelming numbers of zombies, a desperate defiant last-ditch stand and poor Bernie being literally eaten alive by the cannibalistic cadavers, all form part of a dramatically gripping sequence which surely must have gotten this magazine’s 71,352 readers as excited about this “New Beginning” as the always-hungry undead apparently were having inadvertently been herded towards their next potential meal by Paul Monroe.

Disappointingly however, once the initial terror and confusion of the attack is over, and the Washington-bound party are safely evacuated on horseback by Heath and Eugene Porter, the “Image Comics” partner’s storyline quickly reverts back to the stale, dialogue-heavy tedium of earlier issues. In fact little genuinely appears to have changed within the hamlet of Alexandria, despite the apparent passage of time since the community’s battle with Negan, and as a result its inhabitants seemingly have little to do but wish one another a good morning and squabble about how long it’s going to take Siddiq to have the settlement ready for “the Fair.” Hardly the most enthralling of subjects for a plot set within the hellish confines of a post zombie apocalypse world.

Equally as apathetic as the lack-lustre, drearily dull writing of Kirkman, is Charlie Adlard’s competent but ‘run of the mill’ illustrations. The British penciller’s artwork depicting Magna and her group quickly realising they are about to be ‘drowned’ in a tidal wave of the living dead is scintillatingly suspenseful, and the characters’ alarm and terror is plain to see in both their wide shocked eyes and tensely drawn faces.

The former “Judge Dredd” artist also somehow manages to convey a real sense of strength and power to the zombie horde as they mindlessly overturn a large metal container through sheer weight of numbers and then start feasting upon the horses who were drawing it along. Sadly though, once events reallocate to the somewhat idyllic safe-zone, and all attention turns to a fully-bearded, noticeably older Rick Grimes, complete with medieval-looking prosthetic hand, then the dynamic energy of Adlard’s drawing style swiftly diminishes and is replaced by an endless series of lifeless panels showing the former sheriff either standing and talking, walking and talking, and, by the end of a long day, sitting and talking…

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #126 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 126, April 2014

Having ‘sucker-knifed’ the psychopathic tyrant Negan at the conclusion of the previous edition, many of the 67,853 buyers who purchased Issue One Hundred and Twenty Six of “The Walking Dead” in April 2014 may well have figured that the one-time Police Deputy’s ‘six-month’ long battle with the murderous Saviours was already over. Indeed creator Robert Kirkman appears to initially reinforce such a sentiment within the opening few panels of this comic by depicting Sanctuary’s astonished despot submissively sinking to his knees before a victorious Rick Grimes; "It's done! The war is over! Surrender and allow us to take him, and we will not attack." 

Fortunately however, any reader thinking that this would mean an easy ride for the Hilltop settlement’s survivors and little more than a dialogue-heavy character-driven final instalment to “All Out War”, were in for a pleasant surprise at just the turn of a page. For having dropped his wicked-looking baseball bat Lucille, the former cars salesman turned “maniac” somehow manages to dig deep and promptly starts giving the one-handed “de facto” encampment leader a considerable beating.

Such a one-on-one, man-to-man confrontation between the title’s two main adversaries has been something fans of this series have been spoiling for since the two characters first met… And the subsequent brutal fist-fight, which results with at least one broken limb, does not disappoint. Especially as the Kentucky-born writer intersperses its blow by blow account with the chaotic close combat of Michonne and Paul “Jesus” Monroe battling Negan’s remaining men.

Sadly such a cataclysmic finale is over all-too soon, leaving two thirds of the book to once again be populated with little more than Grimes delivering another of his sanctimoniously nauseating sermons on how “we can remake the world we remember… and we can make it better.” Admittedly there is a slightly unsettling scene towards the mega-event’s very end, as Carl, believing his father to be wrong in sparing his hated foe’s life, decides to shoot the helpless bedridden butcher. But even this proves an anti-climax as Rick ‘instantly’ talks his young son down from committing such a cold-blooded murder, and thus ‘smacks’ of simply being yet another of Kirkman’s ‘fillers’ for so horribly overextended a narrative.

Arguably penciller Charlie Adlard also demonstrates he was as equally tired of this storyline by this stage as some of the mega-event's followers were, by producing some quite inconsistent artwork for large parts of the magazine. The Shrewsbury-born illustrator’s depiction of Negan and Grimes pounding away at one another amidst the carnage of a pitched battle is wonderfully drawn and readily captures the frenzied nature of the vicious hand-to-hand fighting. But as soon as the action stops and thus all attention is then turned to the bedroom of a recuperating Rick, the Englishman starts ‘padding out’ his panels with little more than the same reoccurring and regurgitated poses.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #125 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 125, April 2014

There’s an incredible amount of ‘talk’ going on within the pages of this penultimate chapter to “All Out War”. In fact little of anything else actually takes place, with perhaps the notable exception of Paul “Jesus” Monroe and Michonne under-estimating the numbers of undead “in and around the Hilltop”… And even this ‘brush’ with the comic’s ever-present roaming threat is a dishearteningly brief fleeting one. Instead creator Robert Kirkman decides to subject the reader to a tediously tiresome series of scenes where those infected by Negan’s poisonous blades slowly succumb to their fatal injuries and Rick Grimes once again demonstrates why he’s the leader of the survivors by giving his devoted followers yet another morale-boosting speech.

Admittedly some of this dialogue is very well written, especially Nicholas’ dying words to his wife and Carl’s impassioned advice to the dead man’s young son, Mikey. But any reader who thought that the former police deputy’s “I’m not sick… it just hurts” sermon would spell the end of this issue’s sluggishly-paced character-driven plot, was clearly in for a bitter disappointment. For not even the sudden arrival of the Saviour’s profanity-fuelled leader at the settlement’s front gates manages to motivate the “Image Comics” partner into infusing his narrative with any actual pulse-pounding action.

Rather the word count demoralizingly actually increases as a result of Negan’s confrontation with Grimes and unbelievably even reaches the point where the two foes do absolutely nothing but converse with one another for almost half the length of the book. Such a monotonous technique may prove an acceptable methodology within the medium of a ‘collected works’, compendium or graphic novel. It is not however an eminently sensible practice to use for a twenty-two page periodical. Regardless as to whether the title is published every two weeks or not.

Long-time artist Charlie Adlard must have found his pencilling skills as stretched as the patience of this comic’s 66,741 followers. For at times the English illustrator appears so completely at a loss as to how to populate the blank sheet before him that he just draws a single splash-panel depicting the psychopathic tyrant swearing. Indeed towards the end of this book the Shrewsbury-born sketcher appears so dispirited with the endless discourse that he starts to either simply replicate precisely the same image of Rick over and over again, or depict exactly the same scene, such as Negan holding has hand over his mouth, just from different angles. Such artistic ‘padding out’ only adds to the sheer dreariness and tedium of the entire edition.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #124 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 124, March 2014

Creator Robert Kirkman arguably increased the anticipation for this tenth instalment of “The Walking Dead” mega-event  “All Out War”, when he announced shortly before its publication that fans would “learn [Rick Grimes’] final fate” inside the issue. But any bibliophiles expecting to see “Image Comics” main protagonist meet his ultimate end within this book’s twenty-two pages were doubtless bitterly disappointed, as the wounded ex-lawman’s destiny is left decidedly open to interpretation by the time Hilltop’s Doctor Carson declares that 'anyone who was injured by one of the Saviours' weapons… "will die.”

However that isn’t to say that this magazine doesn’t fully live up to the American writer’s promise that “there are going to be a good number of deaths." Because there most certainly are and many of them come as a result of Negan’s men using the pitch black night to get in ‘close and dirty’ with their infected blades. Fortunately such an undignified end to the titular character is narrowly averted by the one-time Kentucky police deputy’s forethought and cunning. For no sooner are the surviving settlers about to be overrun by their murderous counterparts than the colonists' spring their well-timed trap and from their central residence's windows gun down as many of the psychopathic leader’s followers as their dwindling bullets will allow.

Having provided such a pulse-poundingly good first half, it is somewhat disappointing, though entirely understandable, that the comic publishers' executive producer slows things down quite significantly for the rest of the read. Indeed, such a change in pace is probably crucial in order for readers to ponder the dire drawn-out fate of those unlucky enough to have been cut by Negan’s ‘biologically poisoned melee weapons’.

Interestingly such a ‘pause in proceedings’ also provides Kirkman with the opportunity to introduce some ‘zombie action’ into the narrative, something which has arguably been badly underused throughout this multi-issue story-arc. Indeed, what with the undead’s prominent presence at the start of the issue, when an edgy Carson panics at their close proximity to the van he’s driving, and then the roamers later penetrating the Hilltop’s shattered defences, more attention is given to the flesh-eating walking cadavers in this periodical than has been experienced in a good while.

Adding just as much to this edition’s success as its writing, is Charlie Adlard’s workmanlike pencils. Much of this comic’s well-defined pacing is down to the British artist’s multi-panelled pages and large double-splash illustrations. Which despite predominantly depicting events occurring in near total darkness, and being published in the grey tones of Cliff Rathburn, still provide more than enough detail for the reader to readily follow what is taking place within them.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

 

The Walking Dead #123 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 123, March 2014

Despite arguably being the instalment where creator Robert Kirkman finally starts to make good on his promise that “there are going to be a lot of deaths” during the multi-issue event “All Out War”, this particular edition of “The Walking Dead” still seems to take quite a while to warm-up. Such an impression appears to be predominantly due to the American author seemingly being far more interested in scripting short one or two-page character-driven dialogue-heavy scenes than actually progressing the inevitable final confrontation between Rick Grimes’ survivors and the brutal gun-toting Saviors.

As a result for the opening third of this comic book it isn’t actually all that clear as to whether Negan’s climatic assault upon the Hilltop colony is going to occur within its pages or not. For rather than start with the foul-mouthed psychopath bringing down the Virginia fort’s corrugated iron gates with a rampaging truck, the reader has instead to wait and wade through a series of depressingly dreary soul-searching scenes involving Carson, Eugene, Carl, Sophia, Maggie and Andrea first.

Fortunately when the action does arrive it is fast and furious, containing bullets and screeching motor vehicles enough to rival a “Mad Max” motion picture. Indeed the sheer amount of flying hot lead whizzing from panel to panel during this firefight is rather spectacular, especially when it turns one of the Savior’s truck cabs into so much Swiss cheese.

Sound effects also dominate during this issue, as the periodical’s pages are covered with “Brakka! Brakka! Brakka!”, “Pkow!”, “Vroom!!”, “Blam!” and “Skkrrgh!” Not to mention the occasional sickly “Slissh!” as Michonne’s sword slices through a bad guy or “Shukk!” as Dwight’s crossbow sends a zombie-contaminated bolt into one of Grimes’ unfortunate people.

The Sanctuary’s despot, unaware of the mini-revolt taking place back at his home base, is clearly in his element during all this chaos, swearing and cursing as he leads his men forward intent on ‘mowing his opposition all down’. Once again though the Kentucky-born writer is quick to highlight that his homicidal creation isn’t just a one-dimensional murdering maniac, and bestows Negan with some genuinely ‘human’ moments as the tyrant repeatedly tries to convince the former Police deputy to surrender. The dictator's pained facial expressions and profanities when despite all his efforts Rick refuses to ‘hang his bare backside over the side of the Hilltop’s wall and let Negan climb up and slap it red” shows genuine emotion and makes it clear that he’d rather not assault the settlement.

Charlie Adlard’s pencilling is equally as dynamic, once the battle begins. His page composition, using a series of small square panels to illustrate quick-paced action, and then larger, almost splash-pages for the bigger events, such as Rick Grimes leading his ‘army’ out against the Saviors guns blazing, really imbues the struggle with fraught energy and a sense of urgency bordering upon panic. Things move very quickly during the conflict and at no point does the British artist let it slow down.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #122 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 122, February 2014

Whilst Issue Two Hundred and Twenty Two of “The Walking Dead” more than lives up to franchise creator Robert Kirkman’s advance warning  that ‘at times the plot would slow down’ during the marathon multi-issue event “All Out War”, the sense of anticipation throughout this storyline’s eighth instalment is actually pleasingly palpable in places. And whilst little, if any action, actually takes place within its twenty-two pages, the periodical’s plot development does promise plenty of profanity-laden violence in the near future.

To begin with the “Image Comics” partner shows just how much the ever-loathsome Negan’s once unquestioning rule over The Sanctuary has quietly eroded behind the foul-mouthed tyrant’s back, as his lieutenants Dwight and Carson agree to ‘fight’ for “a chance to be [their] own man again.” The Saviour’s sadistic leader also features in a disturbingly grotesque scene where he demonstrates to his men that they will wield “space-aged zombie bacteria weapons” when they next confront Rick Grimes’ forces, by rubbing his barb-wired baseball bat Lucille up against the slavering face of a walking cadaver.

But most of the tense atmosphere, and thus enjoyment from this magazine, is actually generated by the constant vigil of the guards sat atop the barricade protecting the Hilltop colony. For with every turn of the page it seems likely that the reflective peace of the survivors is going to be suddenly shattered by either an attack of the Undead or Negan. 

Unfortunately whilst such narrative growth is both essential and engaging, there are still far too many quiet moments of dialogue-heavy contemplation within this comic book to make it an especially worthwhile read. Particularly as Kirkman seems perfectly content to ‘fill up’ the vast majority of the magazine with a seemingly endless parade of page-long snapshots within which ‘couples’ simply talk to one another. Indeed it could be argued that the 64,810 readers of this particular issue could quite easily have given it a miss, and be no worse the wiser.

Charlie Adlard’s artwork is also a somewhat inconsistent ride, especially at the start when his opening illustration of a strutting Negan appears disproportionately tall and thin. Indeed the British artist would appear at his most effective when the panels focus in upon his character’s faces. The hatred and venom glowering off from a captive Eugene’s aspect being an especially impressive example of such strong pencilling. Disappointingly though Adlard’s single and double-splashes are dishearteningly lack-lustre with the exception of a two-pager depicting Negan lining up a troupe of manacled zombies.

The gray tone work of Cliff Rathburn is also worthy of a mention, especially as the colorist seemingly creates some nice three-dimensional effects by fading some of the panels’ background artwork.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #121 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 121, February 2014

When franchise creator Robert Kirkman discussed the “All Out War” multi-issue story-arc with the comic book press just before the ‘major event’ first went to print, he stated that not only would there be “quite a bit going on” but that the tenth anniversary celebratory adventure was “going to be very fast paced.” Unfortunately, after a somewhat promising beginning, there is little of that action-orientated story-telling on display within the twenty-two pages of Issue One Hundred and Twenty One of “The Walking Dead”. What the disappointing comic does contain however are a sequence of dialogue-driven scenes, interspersed by single and double-splash pages, which are both instantly forgettable and presumably employed (once again) to simply make up the book’s quite considerable page-count.

Even the magazine’s start, which at least contains an element of horror and suspense as a lazy ammunitions worker foolishly allows a gang of flesh-eating zombies into Eugene’s work area, proves a rather confusing read at first as there isn’t anything within the text to indicate who these characters actually are or where the action is taking place. It isn't until after the roamers have overrun the building and Charlie Adlard provides an impressive double-page illustration of Negan and his men preparing to gun the undead down that all becomes a bit clearer just as to who these people are.

Doubtless aficionados of the title would have immediately recognised Rick Grimes’ whiskered, pony-tailed arms manufacturer. But for those less familiar with the supporting cast, a simple text balloon would have avoided any disorientation. Especially when the Saviours were last seen high-tailing it away from Alexandria. Thus making it all too easy to wrongly assume that the events depicted were actually taking place back at The Sanctuary, and the homicidal leader had returned to his base just ‘in the nick of time.’

However at least this scene, packed full of panic and terror was entertaining, because what follows, although living up to Kirkman’s determination for the series to tell “a bit of story”, provides very little excitement. Instead it is apparent that the handful of grenades thrown into the community during Negan’s attack caused infinitely more damage than first thought, with “about half” of the settlement’s houses being lost or burnt down... In addition Heath has lost a leg, Ezekiel has lost his nerve and Denise Cloyd has died. Yet Carl, despite having had a grenade explode directly behind him, causing the youth to be knocked momentarily unconscious, is unrealistically fine and feels able to call his concussed father a “wimp.” 

What is impressive, especially considering the sedentary nature of so many of the scenes, is the quality of Adlard’s artwork. Possibly by this seventh instalment of “All Out War”, the illustrator had acclimatized to the accelerated publication schedule and developed a rhythm with Stefano Gaudiano; who had purposely been hired as inker in order to keep the British penciller on schedule. Whatever the reason, the Shrewsbury-born drawer really manages to capture a lot of hurt, pain and pathos in the looks and faces of the characters. And whilst his full-page offerings are competent enough, Adlard’s attention to detail with quivering lips, watery eyes and the haunted features of Rick Grimes and others is stunning.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

The Walking Dead #120 - Image Comics

THE WALKING DEAD No. 120, January 2014

Whilst far from the “five-minute read” earlier chapters in this twelve-issue story-arc have been criticised for being, this sixth instalment of “All Out War” still arguably just provides the illusion of an exciting action-packed comic book. For although the storyline concentrates exclusively upon Negan and his men surrounding and subsequently attacking the Alexandria Safe-Zone, not a great deal of death and destruction actually takes place… and with the exception of an extremely short-lived biter rampage by a zombified Holly, there isn’t much attention paid to the living dead either.

Indeed as sieges go, the entire operation appears to be a half-hearted seemingly lack-lustre effort by the Saviours’ leader, as he orders his subordinates to just stand outside the settlement’s perimeter and throw grenades over the enclosure’s fence. Admittedly such a tactic catches Rick Grimes’ people momentarily off-guard, costing former supply-runner Heath a limb and knocking Carl senseless. But other than that, casualties are actually few and far between until the beleaguered community starts fighting back, greatly assisted by both the betrayal of Dwight and the arrival of Maggie Greene and some heavily armed survivors from the Hilltop Colony.

Even then, so swift is Negan’s ‘retreat’ back towards The Sanctuary that there is little opportunity for much more to happen before the book’s conclusion; and a real head-scratcher of a cliff-hanger Robert Kirkman has penned as well. For despite having suffered some presumably significant losses as a result of Maggie’s involvement towards the tail end of the ‘battle’, and his seemingly ineffective attempt to ‘blow’ Rick Grimes’ community to pieces, the psychopathic tyrant still seems utterly convinced that the settlement is finished and his adversary defeated. Clearly the neighbourhood has been damaged by the explosions, and is aflame as a result. But it is hardly the definitive end Negan claims it to be. 

The American writer’s removal of Carl to the infirmary is equally as illogical, bearing in mind it is currently being managed by an infected Denise Cloyd. Initially providing the dazed child with a bed there may well seem like a reasonable course of action but the former police officer knows his son’s carer could be about to turn into a zombie. So why when the youngster is hurt and vulnerable would you leave him groggy and defenceless with such a person… unless you were clumsily trying to cause the reader to be concerned that the general practitioner might try and bite Grimes’ boy in a future plot twist?

Visually Charlie Adred provides some solid competent pencilling to all these happenings, with inker Stefano Gaudiano and Cliff Rathburn on gray tones really adding some extra depth and life to the drawings. The British comic book artist genuinely excels at depicting action, and as a result his illustrations of Dwight mercilessly gunning down his fellow Saviours and the Hilltop colonists’ arrival ‘guns a blazing’ are both vivid and energetic, even if somewhat gory.

Writer: Robert Kirkman, Penciller: Charlie Adlard, and Inker: Stefano Gaudiano