The next great journey begins.
More than ever in recent months, The Walking Dead has become a showcase for what's possible when a series is able to build on years' worth of stories and continuity. Would issue #167's death have had the same impact if readers hadn't spent the past 13 years growing attached to that character? The series is showing a newfound respect for its own history these days, and that's helping to generate an even stronger emotional pull as Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard forge ahead into the latest phase of their seemingly never-ending saga.
This issue is a very quiet, dialogue-driven affair, with nary a zombie or militant killer in sight. Issues like this don't always play to Kirkman and Adlard's storytelling strengths. The former sometimes has a habit of overwriting his dialogue, while the latter can sometimes struggle to maintain enough variety in his facial expressions. But luckily, the focus in this issue changes often enough to keep the story humming along and prevent the creators from dwelling on any one area for too long.
Kirkman is able to set a number of wheels in motion here, as various survivors go their separate ways after the fallout of the Whisperer War (including Negan) and Rick finally confronts Eugene about his clandestine radio conversations. It's far too early to tell where the series is headed for its next big conflict, but it is nice to see the scope of the series opening up and the potential forming for entirely new communities of survivors to enter the picture.
For the most part, though, this issue shines brightest when Kirkman and lard focus on a handful of key dramatic moments between characters. The issue opens especially strong, as Carl recounts to Lydia the story of the time he killed Ben. More than just a simple flashback to an earlier time in the series' history, that scene winds up adding significant new depth to the relationship between Carl and the late Andrea, another example of the series using distant continuity to further the present-day narrative. Another standout sequence involves the heated showdown between Rick and Dwight, as Kirkman makes it clear that one of Rick's closest allies may be rapidly evolving into an enemy.
That scene is easily the visual highlight of this issue, with Adlard and Cliff Rathburn using heavy shadows and stark framing to maximize the dramatic intensity of Rick and Dwight's showdown. The art also shines during a brief sequence involving Dwight and Negan, the latter of whom has rarely looked more lonely or pathetic during his long tenure in the book. Not for the first time, it's hard not to marvel at how drastically Negan's role in this book has shifted in recent years.
The Verdict
There's been plenty of death and carnage in The Walking Dead lately, and it looks as though Robert Kirkman and Charlie Allard will be taking some time to regroup and focus on character relationships over plot. That's perfectly fine, especially with issue like this that manage to create new character drama and build on past storyline in clever and unexpected ways.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire