The survivors can't just sit around and get comfortable. There's a bigger world to check out. The question is, will it offer rewards or more misery? Tiny spoilers below.
The Good
Every time I read an issue of THE WALKING DEAD I continue to be amazed at how much I can enjoy a long-lasting title about zombies and survival. I know I've said this before but it amazes me that we've had nearly 100 issues and the story hasn't gotten stale.
The current arc deals with a mysterious man named Jesus venturing to Rick's current sanctuary. He's offerring them the chance to work with his much larger settlement. Right away red flags and sirens will go off. Rick doesn't trust anyone and with good reason. It's the same with us expecting a bright and cheerful story from Robert Kirkman. This series has been about one bad thing after the next. It's amazing that some of the characters have managed to survive this long. Because we always expect the unexpected from Kirkman, we can't help but be as suspicious as Rick. But is it possible that the unexpected this time will actually be a happy ending? Doubtful.
A lot of this issue deals with the journey to the settlement. We do get to see some zombie fighting including the always great to see, Michonne chopping zombie heads off. The survivors do reach the settlement and then...you'll have to read it for yourself.
As great as Kirkman is on this title, you have to hand it to Charlie Adlard as well. Month after month he brings us the visual half of this on-going story and his use of shadows and details is always great to see. You have to wonder how many separate zombies he's drawn so far.
The Bad
One of the problems in reviewing a comic in the middle of the arc is you don't have the complete story. As this stands, we're just getting a taste of what's to come. There's at least two ways this could go. Obviously the outcome will have a huge effect on the enjoyment of the entire arc. This issue continues to set up the eventual arrival at the new dwelling. Because of that, we don't get as much action and excitement as we normally get (but don't worry, there still is enough inside). We can't have pure action all the time and maybe I'm just being impatient and eager for something to explode in this arc.
The Verdict
We're getting closer to discovering some of the answers in the "Larger World." The idea of other survivors besides Rick's group could mean more allies or more conflicts. After all the disasters they've suffered through, there's no surprise that they would be extremely cautious. It's hard to say where this story will got as Kirkman always manages to pull the rug out from beneath our feet. The action does slow down a little here but you get a strong sense that something big is about to happen (again).