Last issue, ‘The Walking Dead’ jumped forward two years, following the events of ‘All Out War’ and we found the community of Alexandria experiencing a period of growth and prosperity the likes of which have never been seen in this series ever!
Once we were brought up to speed on the idyllic state of affairs, the biggest development was the introduction of a new set of survivors, led by a woman named Magna. The group was getting by fairly well on its own, hiding out on top of a tall trailer connected to horses, but a herd of walkers destroys that set up and the group has no choice but to accompany the “main” cast back to Alexandria.
The majority of this issue maintains that same peaceful, bountiful feel for the majority of the scenes in Alexandria as Rick and Eugene tour a few facilities, which are of course doing dandy. Things aren’t going as well for Negan, but it’s unclear if that’s because he’s actually remorseful or if he’s working an angle that isn’t quite working out for him. There’s an interlude involving a couple of Maggie’s men, but it holds no meaning as of yet. Eugene and Rosita wound up as a couple, but… did anyone think that was going to pan out?
The most interesting element is the new arrivals. Andrea interviews them to see if their stories match up. There’s a certain sinister air to them, especially in contrast to the cheery new Alexandria and the cheery new Rick and the cheery new Andrea and so forth. The only one who isn’t cheery is Carl and that’s mainly just because he’s being a teenager, thus annoying.
Not to give anything away, but the last scene with these new characters throw an interesting twist into the story in that, essentially we discover these guys aren’t so much evil, they’re just where Rick and the others were a few years ago. They may wind up causing major damage, but it’s not out of malice. It’s not really clear where everything is headed, but at the very least, Magna and company add a much needed dash of spice to this story and their position in the story is pretty clever. (Finally!)
The new characters need a LOT of additional development. Magna is the only one whose name I can remember. But their storyline hints at some much needed action and drama. ‘All Out War’ didn’t deliver what I wanted it to, so here’s hoping this fresh start returns this book to being one of the certified “must read” books every month.
THE WALKING DEAD #128
Written by Robert Kirkman
Pencils and Cover by Charlie Adlard
