Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
The Walking Dead #144
Image Comics
Kirkman, Adlard, Gaudiano & Rathburn
"The Walking Dead" provides the shocking issue that has been building for some time now. The spoiler-free portion of the review is that Rick has a confrontation with Alpha that results in his and his son's release. The book has some tension and a bizarre exchange between Alpha and Rick but the comic ends with the surprise ending that this comic has been lacking for a year or more. The artwork helps the drama along and excels in the panels at the end of the book. This is one of those game-changing issues that you shouldn't miss regardless of the missteps.
Rick and Alpha size each other up for the first portion of the book. Kirkman's dialogue ranges from normal to disjointed. Alpha freely admits she wants nothing from Rick. Rick offers that he drag his son away and that will be that. However, when Rick learns of Alpha's daughter's mistreatment they have an argument. As this confrontation progresses, Alpha then turns her daughter over to Rick to give her the life that she can't give her. None of this makes much sense. Beyond that, the flow in the conversation to get to this point doesn't exist. It leaps from an argument to tears. If the point here is that Alpha is nuts then it all fits. However, the way she verbally was flexing for Rick for six pages is completely undone with this scene. The book then shifts in a massive way.
The staple of this comic book is human on human death. This is used to shock the reader and it almost always delivers. This book is no different. Not only the discovery of the deaths and the cause of death but the presentation. The double-page spread of the dead characters is unique and fantastic and makes the comic book extremely memorable. At first it appears that this isn't anything of significance, but that quickly changes. This scene raises questions about Alpha sending her daughter to live with Rick and it also calls into question Alpha's endgame. Perhaps she is crazy. That would answer a lot of questions.
The artwork completely delivers with the opening of the comic book with the zombie super-herd. However, the back of the book is so stunning and so detailed that it smothers the memory of the gorgeous layout of the zombie herd. The page design of the reveal of the deaths is also something that is both memorable and effective. The artwork is on another level in this comic book.
"The Walking Dead" works because the comic book builds over time to shocking issues like this one. This book is a read that builds up the tension within this issue to get to the huge reveal at the comic’s end. The artwork excels at providing the visual shock for the end, but also provides a fantastic spread of the zombie super-herd in the beginning. This is a fun read. It's a game-changer and I highly recommend picking it up.
5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
