With Rick, Glenn and Michonne trapped in Woodbury at the end of the fifth volume of the Walking Dead trade paperback series, volume six, “This Sorrowful Life,†focuses mainly on them and their escape, ironically back to the prison where their family and friends are.
Rick and Glenn have been iconic characters throughout the series, but Michonne, a relative newbie at this point, not only single-handedly provides some of the best moments of the book, she also quickly becomes a character every reader can love. Brash, yet sexy and tough, Michonne is almost too perfect a fit for the Walking Dead Universe.
With Rick and Glenn relatively out of commission for a big part of the book, someone has to be the brute force and savage that can provide the realism the series is known for and Michonne does not disappoint. As a matter of fact, there are about a dozen pages in this trade that are easily some of the goriest of the series thus far.
Think the wild drawings of Tyreese fighting his way out of a zombie-infested room a few trades ago was gritty?
Think again.
Continuing their top flight work, the art duo of Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn pencil and provide gray tones in a way that surpasses anything done in color. Telling a story all by themselves through their art, the words aren’t needed, but sure does help. Otherwise, this might just be a book remembered for best portraying the most proficient ways to destroy a human being piece by piece.
Make no mistake though; the action here is far from gratuitous violence. Considering how ruthless the Governor of Woodbury has been to the crew since his first appearance, Rick and the gang are fighting for their very survival.
That’s not to say this volume is void of any heart-warming moments either. A testament to Robert Kirkman’s abilities as a writer, the morsels of normality still resonate throughout the book. People still depend on each other for all their basic needs, but with a zombie apocalypse and all to deal with, things get messy, jumbled and lost. Regardless, as much as everyone in Rick’s camp has changed and adapted, they still haven’t lost their humanity.
However, it’s hard to escape the misery that hangs on to the three main characters of this tale. Like a remora clinging to a great white shark, the small amounts of happiness Rick, Michonne and Glenn experience here pales in comparison to the unbridled sadness that occurs.
That doesn’t stop from doing whatever it takes to survive however.
That, above all else, might be the most important thing to take from this book.
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