The Walking Dead #83

Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

I think I've finally read an issue of The Walking Dead that I don't like.  It's not a problem with execution - the tension and pace of this issue are perfect, as the town where Rick and everyone have been living for a while becomes completely overrun by walkers.  Kirkman jumps from one group of characters to another very quickly, without much explanation, helping to underscore the protracted amount of time in which all of this stuff is happening.  Adlard handles the whole issue beautifully, as the panels become more and more crowded with walkers.

The reason why I don't think I like this issue is because Kirkman does something horrible to one of the characters that I love, and does it in such a way that, while reading the comic, I actually had to stop for a little while to let it sink in.  I always figured that there were two characters in this comic that were relatively safe (I'm not going to name them, but it's obvious).  I used to expect that there was a larger group of characters that were likely to stick around for a long time, but Kirkman killed off most of them in the prison around about issue 48.  After that though, I think I grew complacent in expecting that these two people were going to be okay.  This issue has caused me to revise that expectation, in one of the most brutal ways possible.

Of course, I can't really be mad at that - the level of predictability is what has drawn me to this comic from the first time that I read it (issue 7).  This issue is such a turning point - Rick screws up badly, with massive consequences - that I'm sure I'll look back at it as a favourite.  And really, when's the last time a comic really shocked you?  I can truly say that I never saw this one coming.