By: Robert Kirkman (writer), Charlie Adlard (art), Cliff Rathburn (gray tones) & Russ Wooton (letters)
The Story: An issue for cleaning up emotional baggage combined with a reminder that the zombie wasteland is still a pretty scary place.
What’s Good: [Spoiler warning] If you follow the teasers released by Image, you know that TWD is headed for some big stuff around issue #80. So, this issue felt like Kirkman doing a little bit of house cleaning before we get to anything big. Most of this house cleaning is emotional and as we visit the characters in a series of short scenes at the beginning of the issue, we are reminded of what badly damaged people our survivors are. In a way, this psychological damage is not exactly news, but it hits home more for me now that they are in the artificially safe walled-off suburb than when they were living in a prison or an old RV with zombies thumping on the walls. The psychological damage is shown from so many angles that there is going to be something for everyone to identify with.
Of course, it wouldn’t be TWD without some violence or the threat thereof. And, in this issue we get both. In typical TWD fashion, the violence serves to show just how fragile life is. TWD doesn’t play out like a video game where you get injured and have to rest to regain strength……these folks just die. Healthy one second and then…..bang…..they’re gone.
As for the “threat” of violence, that is coming along on a couple of fronts that I don’t want to spoil any more, but makes me very eager to keep reading the title in the months ahead.
It sounds like a broken record, but AGAIN the art is just stellar. Kirkman has said he will keep doing this book forever, but I think it’ll end when Charlie Adlard quits because I can’t see someone else doing these characters as well. And I’m only partially kidding when I say that.
What’s Not So Good: Nothing too serious in the way of complaints. I do perhaps find it logically odd that this enclave found our survivors via active scouting while our survivors were on the outskirts of DC yet they are unaware of a nearby band of ruffians who are clearly about to cause trouble. And, has neither Rick nor Abraham (nor Michonne) not seriously enacted an emergency fire drill for the possibility that barbarians appear at the gate?
Conclusion: Another great issue. Amazing how fresh this series feels after 77 issues. Also amazing that we haven’t had any serious zombie action in ~20 issues (although I think the clock is ticking on that front).
Grade: B+
– Dean Stell
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