Carl is spreading his wings and leaving Alexandria and he’s becoming a man, developing a new love interest.  We get further mention of just how prolific life is now for the survivors, so you know that’s not going to last.  Plus, we’re getting hints that this well-oiled machine may not be as well-oiled as hinted at.  Negan, despite being locked up, grows increasingly menacing.  As does Rick actually.  Rick’s never been the most stable and we get a glimpse at unstable Rick again.  And as I predicted, that Magna chick and her gang are going to cause problems.  Potentially HUGE ones.

Just like with several of the past few issues, this one seems to move at a snail’s pace, but slowly things are starting to percolate.  This is going somewhere.  I was dissatisfied by ‘All Out War’ but it looks like Kirkman is just slowly stringing us along for (hopefully) a big payoff down the line.  This ideal existence is NOT going to last.  We already know this.  Could Rick and whoever walks away from this wind up in their worse state ever?  Hate to say it, but I kind of hope so.  This shiny happy ‘Walking Dead’ is not what we read this for, right?  Civilization?  Crops and animals?  No.

In general, the book has been dragging a bit, but with this issue in particular, we’re finally starting to see things building toward something dramatic.  The menace of Negan should have been eliminated at the end of ‘All Out War’ but (gullible, gullible) Rick tried to take the high road.  Yeah, that’s biting him in the ass.

Honestly, I’m just happy to see this book going somewhere and building to something exciting.

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THE WALKING DEAD #129
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art and Cover by Charlie Adlard