by SilverPhoenix » Fri May 06, 2011 12:53 pm
The Walking Dead #83
For as much as I regret to say it, I have not been a good boy when it comes to “The Walking Dead.” Sure, I know the premise of the book, and I’ve read the first collection of the title, but beyond that I have yet to catch up on the work, so there’s no fair way for me to do a detailed analysis of this title. With that being said, as a non-established reader, I found that there was plenty to commend with this book on a surface level
Writing wise, the plot itself (which I got a little bit more perspective of from reading the last issue) was really good, as it was quite easy to understand the danger and struggle the protagonists had to go through to beat the zombie hoard. Another thing that I liked is that it seems like this story is constantly shifting gears, thereby keeping readers on its toes. Of course, you don’t want to overkill the readers with “guess the swerve”, but “The Walking Dead” seems very good at keeping the suspense up from month to month, which is what more comics need. Overall, I have to commend Robert Kirkman for his versatility, as this book is most definitely a different animal from Invincible, and yet is still written with the same (if not greater) quality than his Superhero Opus.
For an Industry that has long advanced to color, amazing Black and White art is always a treat, and “The Walking Dead” is no exception. The art team obviously carries the load here, as the fight scene is main event of the book, and it’s due to strong depictions of what’s going on in this battle that delivers the bang that the issue needs to stand out. Another thing that I liked about the Black and White art is that it seems to represent how 2 dimensional the world has become in the wake of the Zombie Apocalypse, which adds just another layer to the proceedings. Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn definitely deserves the props they’ve gotten for their work thus far.
When you get right down to it, “The Walking Dead” #84 is a solidly written and drawn effort that honors the pedigree the series obviously has. While the new reader will not be able to appreciate everything that goes on here, they’ll still get a solidly written book that will be one of the better ones they read during the week. Not a bad deal for everyone involved.
Final Judgment: 8.25