The thought crosses your mind once or twice.
That finally, after so many issues, that The Walking Dead has finally jumped the shark, but then in just a few pages, everything gets turned upside down and a fantastic comic book series proves once again, it’s got some gas left in its tank.
“We Find Ourselves†is more than a solid entry in the well-traveled franchise. It’s the point where the drama truly begins to take shape. Sure there are zombies to be killed, but more than any other volume in the collection, the human element takes the drivers seat. The end result is essentially zombies meets the venerable NBC soap opera “Days of our Lives.”
It works beautifully.
But for most of the book, nothing changes. The group needs more supplies, everyone is miserable and horny- you know, the typical problems in a Kirkman zombie-infested world. On top of that, they’re safe. They have worries, but far fewer than usual. If not for Carl’s condition, Rick could be in his best place emotionally in easily three dozen issues. So for a nice chunk of this volume, it feels like the same old song.
Until a kiss changes everything.
Leave it to Andrea and Rick to completely change the series. Can the two characters who continue to survive in spite of consistently being put in the face of danger, love another? But how will this affect the series? Rick is basically a black widow- Lori wasn’t the only woman to get devoured by walkers when in his protection. Is it in Andrea’s best interest to hook up with Mr. Grimes? At the same time, Abraham and Michonne have their own emotional problems to deal with, again reinforcing the fact that this issue is more psychological then anything else.
Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn’s art continues to make it harder to turn pages after reading. Gritty, dystopian and clever, they, as usual, work wonderfully with the writing, even if Robert Kirkman’s style isn’t as sharp as before. But regardless of all the misgivings, from the predictable dialogue and slow-moving plot, Kirkman still gets it done.
The Mariano Rivera of Survival Horror comics, Kirkman throws us a changeup here instead of a cutter, but the end result is the same.
The Walking Dead can still knock its readers out.
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