By Simon Dixon
All-out war is over and it’s “A new beginning” for The Walking Dead! After the events of the storyline Negan was captured by Rick and the start of a brand new era of expansion and civilization was set into motion. I have personally seen some people become uninterested with the previous storyline and this progression could be the perfect thing to get people excited for the comic again.
In the issue Kirkman makes the bold move to advance the story 2 years into the future. Understandably some people will be annoyed with the sudden jump in the story; leaving a rather large gap in the life of some of their favourite characters. However, this isn’t just a gimmick or a tool used to bring aboard new readers. It’s directly linked to the previous story arc and is beneficial to both new and old readers. It seems clear that the 2 years that were skipped over where a time of a rebuilding of civilization. Which, while being interesting for some could get boring very fast for others.
Some of the noticeable changes are the look of the main cast; Rick is particularly unrecognisable. However, it is not hard to determine who is who. Carl has obviously grown up a lot and is a teenager at this point. Rick & Andrea’s relationship has advanced in the issue and they are more like a married couple. The main change is the huge expansion of the overall community both in size and quality of life. This includes all of the camps (Alexandria, The Hilltop, etc.) in the area. Everyone seems to have systems for trading, farming, manufacturing, schooling and careers. As well as ways in which they lead Walkers away from the camps. They also seem to run a “Fair” of some sorts. But, we don’t know what that consists of yet.
It seems clear that the type of story The Walking Dead is changes within this issue. We’ve gone from a comic about survival at all costs to a comic about the rebuilding of civilization and the problems that come with it. The whole change breathes new life into the story and adds some hope & safety for the future, something we’ve not truly experienced before in this universe. The characters in the book have also evolved with this change. Everyone seems to have their certain role in the community and have developed personally through those roles. Rick is the leader, Andrea is his second-in-command and leader in her own right, Jesus is in charge of the defence of the community and Eugene is in charge of manufacturing and science. We’ve also seen a development of Carl getting into the mentality of a normal teenager; he’s become someone who wants to do his own thing which might lead him away from Rick. Carl has also connected with someone who probably isn’t good for him. We also see the introduction of new characters into the book. “Magna” will likely become a big character in the story to come.
Robert Kirkman promised big things this year in The Walking Dead and if this issue is anything to go by he is delivering. He’s giving the series a new lease of life. The progression in the story has allowed for new characters, the development of fan favourites as well as the civilization around them. Seeing how their plans and what they have done as well as how this budding new community has affected them is very intriguing and I can’t wait to find out more.
Story/Writing – 5/5
Art – 4.5/5
Overall – 4.5/5
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Posted on May 15th, 2014
Category: REVIEWS, WRITER'S BLOCK
Tags: Comic Reviews, comics, Image Comics, Rick Grimes, Robert Kirkman, Simon Dixon, Walking Dead, Walking Dead #127 Review