The tenth Volume of The Walking Dead marks a sudden change in pacing. Now that the story is more of a quest and therefore has actual direction, there is a sense of urgency that I really like. The concept of Herds, introduced in the previous tpb, is developed further and it's just as cool as it is chilling. There is little in the way of story, except for a potentially very disturbing scene involving attempted rape, but What We Become develops further not only Rick and Abraham, but also little Carl, who is slowly turning into a more serious, more one-track and colder version of his dad, which I find rather awesome.
7.5/10
Fear The Hunters is an aberration in the usual pacing, as it is a complete six-issue story-arc. And a very cool one at that. While the survivors are making their way towards D.C., somebody is following their movements. Shadows in the trees and noises in the night keep them on edge, while the arrival of a suspiciously clean-looking priest who claims to live in a nearby church does nothing to relieve the tension.
Volume 11 is a dark and gruesome piece that reminded me of a single-issue Spawn story I once read. Just like in What We Become and many of the latest volumes, it focuses on the true monsters of this new postapocalyptic world - the humans, unshackled from the norms of society. Ultimately, it is nothing amazingly original, but I'd still put it among the best volumes in the series.
8.5/10
Looking at the title, and not knowing what it's about, one would get exactly the opposite idea to what this volume actually introduces. Things turn rather abstract for Rick, Abraham and the rest of the survivors, when a young man appears out of nowhere and offers them life in a peaceful community that only asks of its members to pull their own weight. Too good to be true? A year among the zombies has taught Rick to think of nothing else. And yet, it all seems genuine. Rick becomes Alexandria's constable, but secretly he works on securing the town. Could it be that this time he will be the one, trying to take something good from others?
The new development is interesting and promising. Sadly, this is the last volume so far, and I am not into single issues, so I'll have to wait for Volume 13 to see how the story progresses. I only hope Kirkman doesn't loose the speed generated in these three tpbs, because they are way above everything else in the series so far. The Walking Deadb finally started to show its true potential, and I'd hate for it to go back to directionless soap opera. So here's hoping...
8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment