Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Walking Dead #135Walking Dead #135
Image Comics
Kirkman, Adlard, Gaudiano & Rathburn

The latest issue of The Walking Dead is a pulse-pounding issue. No, the comic doesn't contain any zombies, battles or fist fights, but it contains a couple of solid confrontations. The presentation of the tension makes the book a sound read. I like where this is headed. I recommend checking this out.

The comic hits the ground running as Carl tries to get some help for Sophia, who was beaten up pretty bad in the previous issue. While this happens, Jesus shows up with his wounded friend and his prisoner. The book then launches into confrontation on a number of fronts.

The interrogation that Jesus performs on his prisoner is interesting. There isn't defiance on the part of the prisoner. It's almost as if the prisoner is part of a cult that has bought into their views a little too deeply. What's interesting is that Jesus didn't realize the person was wearing a mask until the opening pages of this book. I'm not sure what he was looking at the entire horse ride home, but it appears he believed he was carrying a talking zombie.

Carl is forced into a confrontation with the crazy eyed parents of the boys he took a shovel to their heads for beating on Sophia. The argument is a sound one. It comes across as realistic and the escalation seems natural. You have to wonder just how Maggie has handled these types of fights in the past and how much buy-in she really has from her community. This was a highlight of the book and definitely sets up a lot of plot threads down the line.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsThe book definitely brings a lot to the table. First of all, Carl isn't really a resident of this community, so why not expel him? But, he is the son of the man that saved them all. Does he get celebrity treatment? The counter is that the boys have one side of the story and Carl and Sophia have another side. How can one side be any more "right" than the other in the eyes of those judging them? Clearly, both sides took things further than protecting themselves.

The artwork is very solid. The comic has a lot of close-up shots as the tension mounts. However, there are several shots where the view pans back and the details are preserved, which is a good thing. The art definitely helps to keep the drama at a high level in this issue.

Walking Dead can be very hit or miss. This is an issue that has a lot of things bubbling over that weren't necessarily built up that way in the issues leading up. In short, I didn't see this coming and that is what makes this series a great one. I recommend checking this out.

4 out of 5 Geek Goggles