The Walking Dead #165 Review

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So much for peace and prosperity.

By Jesse Schedeen

For all the hype behind "The Whisperer War," it turns out that the follow-up story is really where the action is. The Walking Dead #165 continues to ramp up the carnage as Alexandria mounts its desperate defense against thousands of undead invaders. This issue is a dramatic, suspenseful read, and one that serves as a necessary reminder that the book can still thrive even when Negan isn't constantly in the spotlight.

Not that there isn't some memorable Negan/Rick material to be found in this chapter, but writer Robert Kirkman shifts the focus to some of the other big players. The sheer, unending relentlessness of the zombie threat is made all the more apparent as wave after wave of undead walkers fall and are replaced by more. The conflict is further complicated by the emergence of the Saviors. Rather than being the critical last-minute helping hand, these characters seek only to manipulate the battle to their advantage. And amid all this chaos, Kirkman even finds time to touch on the linger subplot involving Eugene's secret radio.

Kirkman's dense, violent narrative is a lot to cram into one issue, and so we see artist Charlie Adlard returning to the intricate, 16-panel grid layouts he relied on throughout "The Whisperer War." Frankly, the approach works better here, where Adlard is able to break up those dense pages with large splash images. The variety really helps the overall flow of the books, and Adlard delivers some very hard-hitting imagery in this issue.

It's the constant, never-ending suspense that truly makes The Walking Dead #165 memorable. The series feels on the verge of a major status quo shift on a level not seen since the finale of "All Out War." Whatever happens over these next few months, Rick and his allies aren't emerging from this battle unscathed. And this issue also makes it abundantly clear that no character is truly safe, a fact that's always good to reinforce every so often.

The Walking Dead #165

When Alexandria is at its weakest... they strike.

The Verdict

Sometimes, more really is better. The Walking Dead has certainly benefited from the fallout of "The Whisperer War," as our heroes continue to fight a losing battle against thousands of zombies and now find themselves dealing with more unwanted complications. This issue is very suspenseful and reminds readers that no character is truly safe from the undead.

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