By: Robert Kirkman (writer), Charlie Adlard (art), Cliff Rathburn (gray tones), Rus Wooton (letters) and Sina Grace (editor)
The Story: Rick and gang finally see the community called Hilltop.
A Few Things: [as always….with SPOILERS]
Glad to finally see this place. – Well, it’s taken us a long time to reach this Hilltop joint. At least 2-3 issues, right? For me, one of the fun things is just seeing how different groups have fortified themselves against the zombie menace (and the stray bandits). So, it’s kinda cool to hear that their walls were built out of metal scavenged off of barns whereas Arlington is walled off with those noise barriers from the sides of highways. Lots of good tips in here for doomsday preppers! It was also neat to see a community that isn’t built entirely upon scavenging cans of pinto beans from deserted houses. The initial walk-through reminded me of visiting a Renaissance Fair with all the chickens, cows, etc. For some reason, Hilltop also gave me a very strong “plantation” vibe…. It seems like there may be a strong division between classes of people. It may not be that way, but that’s the vibe I got.
Something is clearly going on. – Well, those guys on the wall sure were jumpy, huh? And then that “scouting party” came back and that didn’t go well at all. It seems like Hilltop is having a little trouble with the neighbors. I’d tend to think that Hilltop are the “good guys” since only bad guys turn messengers into assassins, but… One fascinating thing about TWD is that it doesn’t have to just be about zombies. This comic could go on for years after the zombies have rotted away. Let’s see the survivors sink deeper into barbarism and begin to forget the knowledge that mankind has accumulated over the millennia. If it goes long enough, I’d love to see TWD explore a new Dark Ages.
Can Michonne get some dialog? – Am I the only one bothered by this? Can we let Michonne do something other than mutely hack up zombies? Remember a year or so ago, when there was a whole story-line about how Michonne was having difficulty adapting to the relative safety of Arlington? Remember how upset she was when Morgan died? Remember when it seemed (for a second) like there might be a romantic notion between her and Rick? That was interesting. I just don’t understand why she can’t be the subject of a background storyline. I mean….it isn’t as if these issues have been jammed full of cool events since we just spent several issues trekking to Hilltop. It’s puzzling, especially with the boost the character will get from the TV show and her origin being explained in an upcoming issue of Playboy.
Art is mostly good, but… – Once again, Adlard is (mostly) in fine form. The guy just has this stuff down to a science. What I love is how contained his art is: he’s just telling the story and not worrying about showing off. It’s nice to see an artist who is confident and secure. Now, that being said, thought the art kinda fell apart during Rick’s struggle with that “scout” dude. And, that was kinda an important scene. Adlard has done a wonderful job recently with sequential action scenes, so it was weird to get a fight where I couldn’t tell what was going on from panel to panel. Honestly, I was confused as to where Rick was during that tussle.
Move faster. – Let’s step on the gas here, huh? I’m not one that thinks every issue needs to be slam-bang full of action, but usually Kirkman at least lets us know what danger is lurking. Even if the characters didn’t know what about the danger, he usually let us see it for a panel or two. But now suddenly, I feel like I’m groping in the dark for the danger. Is it the Hilltop community? Is it one of the other enclaves? Will it be zombies? Will something terrible happen in Arlington while Rick & Gang are gone (Gosh…imagine if they went back and the place was TRASHED)? I know that TWD is a “slow burn”, but that technique works better when we can see the lit fuse throwing off sparks and snaking its way towards the bomb.
Conclusion: I guess this was okay. I mean, I’m not in any danger of dropping TWD, but this issue (and other recent issues) are going to be really disappointing for us folks telling fans of the TV show, “You have to read the comics. The comics are so much better.”
Grade: C+
– Dean Stell
Follow Dean on Twitter.
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