Horror, brutality and hope. Rick and the group broke into the prison that was full of zombies. Luckily for them, most of their friends and family were still alive and together managed to take the prison back and got rid of all the zombies. But with Martinez disappearance, Rick fears the worst.
Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
Being a huge fan of the show, I wanted to see how the original writing started and how the show writers followed and deviated from the comics. My dislikes were that the comics are much more crude, crass, and unnecessarily violent. I did like the change in relationships and how people worked together differently, and the comics have a different creepiness feel than you get watching it on TV. Overall, I prefer the show, and probably will not finish out the comic book series.
After that jaw-dropping cliffhanger from the previous issue, I couldn't wait to dive into this one. The suspense of seeing the prison completely overrun with zombies was nerve-wracking. The thought of what might have happened to the people left behind while Rick's group was away had my mind racing with dread and curiosity.
As Rick, Glenn, Michonne, Alice, and Martínez arrive at the prison, the once-safe haven is now a death trap, overrun with zombies. Glenn immediately panics, desperate to save Maggie. His fear causes him to act rashly, and he drives the car into a wall. This moment hits hard. Glenn's usual composure is shattered by the fear of losing Maggie, showing how deeply his feelings for her have grown in this post-apocalyptic world. The situation turns dire when Rick, Alice, and the others scramble to save him. Alice proves her worth, shooting zombies and pulling Glenn to safety, while Rick narrowly avoids being bitten. Amidst the chaos, Rick notices a horrifying sight—a reanimated Otis lying half-eaten on the ground. The loss of Otis, though not unexpected, reinforces the relentless brutality of this world. No one is ever truly safe.
The narrative cuts to Dale and Andrea, who are hiding in the RV. For a moment, the action slows down, allowing us to feel their isolation and helplessness. But this is short-lived, as Dale eventually gathers the courage to help the others. The sense of camaraderie shines through as they try to fight their way back to safety. It’s here that Martínez has his moment, saving Andrea from certain death and introducing himself as a potential ally. But as the issue unfolds, I can’t shake the feeling that Martínez is more dangerous than he seems.
After a tense standoff with the undead, Rick bangs on the door of the C-block, where Hershel, Maggie, and the others are hiding. Hershel, battered but alive, opens the door, and Rick immediately checks if he’s been bitten. Hershel's calm admission that he wasn’t bitten but was instead caught in crossfire adds a layer of tension—an accidental death can be just as deadly as a zombie bite. The reunion with Lori and Carl should be heartwarming, but it's undercut by Carl’s reaction to Rick’s missing hand. Seeing Rick’s vulnerability as a father is heartbreaking, especially when his son pulls away in fear. It’s a reminder of how much Carl has seen and endured, and how far Rick has gone to protect him, at the cost of his own body.
Rick tries to regain control of the situation by ordering everyone to prepare for a counterattack on the zombies. But Tyreese, in an unexpected move, tells Rick to sit this one out due to his missing hand. The tension between Tyreese and Rick is subtle but palpable. This shift in dynamics adds an interesting layer to the group’s leadership, especially as Rick is now physically compromised. It’s hard to see Rick, a natural leader, sidelined in his moment of triumph.
Time jumps forward, and we see Glenn and Maggie enjoying some peace. But just when things seem calm, Glenn smells smoke. This leads to a gruesome discovery—Axel and Tyreese are burning the bodies of the fallen. Glenn, in a tender but odd moment, asks them not to burn the female corpses, clearly a reflection of his attachment to Maggie and his own way of dealing with the trauma around him. It’s a small, almost intimate moment, but it underscores how every survivor processes grief and loss differently in this grim reality.
Meanwhile, Alice checks on Lori's baby, confirming everything is fine, though she admits she can't predict when the birth will happen. This moment feels like a calm before the storm—a glimpse of life continuing amidst all the death. But it's also a reminder of the fragility of new life in this world. Lori’s pregnancy continues to be a source of concern for both the characters and the readers, as it represents hope, but also vulnerability.
Outside, Andrea observes Michonne talking to herself again. Michonne’s self-talk has become a recurring concern, and it's hard not to feel the same worry that Andrea does. Michonne is a fierce warrior, but her mental state continues to raise alarms. In a world where losing your mind can be just as deadly as losing your life, Michonne's internal struggles are something that the group can’t afford to ignore much longer.
The final emotional punch of the issue comes when Glenn finds what he’s been looking for amidst the bodies—a wedding ring. It’s a touching moment, giving us a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak situation. Glenn’s relationship with Maggie is one of the few constants in this world, and his quiet determination to propose is a testament to the strength of their bond.
Rick and Carl take a walk around the prison, and Rick reflects on the bodies they’ve burned. Carl is afraid, still unsure if the dead are truly gone. Rick reassures him, though the safety they feel is fleeting. Suddenly, Rick has a realization—Martínez is missing. He immediately suspects the worst: that Martínez was never truly an ally, but rather a spy sent by the Governor to locate the prison. This revelation changes everything. The idea that Martínez was sent to infiltrate them and report back to the Governor is chilling. The Governor's ruthless tactics know no bounds, and Rick’s instincts were right all along. As the issue ends, the true danger facing the prison is no longer the zombies—it’s the looming threat of human betrayal.
This issue is a rollercoaster of emotions and tension, from Glenn’s desperate rush to save Maggie to the shocking realization about Martínez’s true intentions. The pacing was relentless, leaving little room for comfort as the group fought to survive yet another disaster. But what stood out most for me was the subtle character development sprinkled throughout the chaos.
Glenn’s actions, driven by love and fear, felt raw and real. Rick’s vulnerability as a father, unable to connect with Carl after his injury, hit hard. And Michonne’s mental health remains a troubling question mark, a ticking time bomb in the group.
Martínez's betrayal, while hinted at in previous issues, still managed to shock me. I had a gut feeling that he wasn’t trustworthy, but to see it confirmed left me with a sense of dread for what’s to come. The Governor is still a looming threat, and with Martínez's knowledge of the prison, their safe haven may no longer be safe.
This issue masterfully blends action, suspense, and quiet moments of emotional depth. It left me on edge, eagerly anticipating what’s next in this harrowing survival tale.
Rick Grimes is a strong-willed deputy who missed the end of the world because he was in a coma for a month after getting shot in the line of duty. Shaken, starving and confused, Rick escapes the horror of the abandoned hospital only to be met with something far more terrible. Not only has the world ended, but the dead have learned to walk and to kill without mercy. After learning that his wife and son have fled to Atlanta from a single survivor and his son, Rick goes on a journey to reunite with his family and search for more survivors.
Rick quickly has to come to terms with the fact that the world has ended and only a select few survived. The dead have risen from their graves and they prey on the living. In a world where every minute feels like hours, where there's no such thing as law and order, where finding a small meal is a tremendous task, the walking dead are quite possibly the least threatening thing for the survivors to have on their breaking minds. Humanity is pushed to the brink of destruction, forcing them to embrace their cruel and primal nature in order to survive. Sometimes you have to be more concerned about who you let into your community so they don't kill you in your sleep and steal everything you once cared about. Rick has no choice but to abandon the ways of law and order that he's upheld as an officer for so long in order to protect the few loved ones he has left. He has to become a monster to protect his crew or risk being devoured by those who became more monstrous than him and even the walking dead.
Despite zombies running the world and having the series named after them, what really sets this series apart from the average zombie apocalypse tale is the focus on realism and the daily struggles, flaws and depth of the characters. There's plenty of badass zombie killing action, but the action often takes a back seat to give the characters plenty of times to share their extremely tragic yet endearing stories, grow through mutual suffering and learn to adapt to a world that has left them to die. Even after the world has ended, many people still can't see eye to eye. They turn on each other and kill each other when they should come together. Others form alliances in spite of their differences and try to rebuild over the corpse of everything that was lost. The daily human drama and conflict is more intense than any monster apocalypse could hope to be.
We watch Rick struggle to balance his old moral code with the many necessary evils he has to commit in order to survive and make the world a better place for the ones he holds close. We watch people like Glen, Dale and Maggie attempt to find love in spite of having every reason to be filled with fear, hate and self-loathing. Characters like Michonne have to learn how to forgive themselves and convince themselves they deserve to be loved despite all the blood on their hands. We watch the weak like Carl and Andrea become strong and sometimes the strong become evil like The Governor. Even monsters like the wicked yet oddly lovable Negan are given the chance to find new ways of redeeming themselves by struggling alongside the other survivors that have all been changed by the horrors of the fallen world.
The pacing is extremely slow and I can understand why that may be a turnoff for a lot of people, but I eventually learned to enjoy watching the characters grow, overcome their trauma, find meaning in life and learn to love again. The characters are forced to do many terrible things to survive and it haunts them every waking moment. The ways they overcome these regrets is very realistic, human and hopeful. The slow pacing really gives the feeling that we're living beside these people. The way every tiny detail of their lives and who they are is explored makes them feel very real and believable.
When I first started reading the series, I wasn't expecting it to have such an uplifting ending. It seemed so bleak and nihilistic for a long time and things would go horribly wrong even when they seemed to be going so well, but the finale channels all the pain, suffering and betrayal of the previous volumes and tops it off with a very touching and inspiring finish. This was never a story about hopelessness. It's about learning to appreciate the little things, learning to forgive yourself and learning to move on even when it's hard. When everything seems lost there's always more to be found, even when we believe otherwise because we convince ourselves that we don't deserve to be happy ever again. Instead of dwelling on what was lost, strive to try and make things better than they were before.
I've never been a huge fan of zombie apocalypse stories, but The Walking Dead had enough heart and strong social commentary to make me stick by the characters until the end and I enjoyed every moment of their long trial.
Rick & co. go into the swarmed prison & bumped into Dale & Andrea in the RV, Glenn panics & drives the car straight into a wall (smart move), they then start clearing out the prison, Rick makes it inside where the rest of the folks are, Hershel was caught in some friendly fire but he's fine & Otis is now a zombie, good (racist bastard). Everything is hunky-dory until Rick notices that Martinez is nowhere to be seen then realises he's probably gone back to Woodbury to tell the others where the prison is ... CAAAAAALLLLLLLLED IT! I really wanted to like Martinez because he seemed like a nice fella but I did feel he was doing this purely to find the prison I mean maybe Rick could be wrong & Martinez is just snoozing in a cell because he was tired fighting all them zombies ... no? Oh & Glenn finds a female zombie so he can snag a wedding ring for Mags. Assuming that all women have the same sized finger & he just so happens to find the perfect fitted one. Like anyone gets that lucky. x
Easily summed up with reunions and fighting. No character back stories. While I know this is why some people love The Walking Dead, but for me I love the characters. Not a fun issue for me.
Oh Glenn, I just KNEW you were going to go and do something stupid. Taking the car and going crashing through the gates will only draw more attention to yourself and the others, with the zombies.
I am not surprised that Glenn was in an accident with the way he was driving all crazy, in his haste to find and get to Maggie. He should have been A LOT more careful, so he could get to Maggie sooner.
Well, now we know what happened to Otis. It is sad, but it was only a matter of time until he turned. Whoo! Glad to know that Dale and Andrea are still alive. Hopefully they can help Rick and the others start to clear out the zombies.
Seriously?! Instead of standing there chatting, move your asses and start taking out the damn zombies that are around you! Talk later, and take care of the danger around you now!
Not too big a loss with Hershel getting bitten. He did not seem like such a nice guy, especially with the way he kept treating his son, (Billy, I think?). I did not like how Hershel acted with him.
For a group of people who are surrounded by zombies, you guys sure talk a lot. Like I said just now, stop your damn talking and get started killing those damn zombies!
Glad that Rick and some of the others got to get inside of the prison. Now they need to work on taking out as many zombies as possible, without attracting a lot of attention to them.
I am also glad that Rick found Lori and Carl and that now, Glenn is going to find Maggie, and let her know that he is back and safe. Now, work on getting rid of the zombies.
I agree with Tyreese. Rick needs to stay inside and let the others take care of the zombies. At least for now. Rick needs to get used to functioning without that hand.
Rick needs to get over himself. Now is not the time for his ego to be causing issues. The group already has more than enough going on and they do not need Rick losing it on top of everything else.
I love Glenn and Maggie more and more all the time. The way Glenn looks at Maggie and the way he treats her so well, you can tell that he loves her so much.
Their obsession with sex continues. It makes me laugh more and more every time they mention sex, and every time they hook up. I will say one thing, the Governor was right about there being a limited amount of things to do, so instead of reading, Glenn and Maggie have LOTS of sex.
Axel's remark when Glenn asked him and Tyreese not to burn the women bodies, was hilarious. I bet Axel thought that Glenn was a secret necrophiliac or something.
I like the scene between Alice, Rick and Lori, when Alice was checking on the baby. I am glad that she told them the truth, that there is a lot she can not check for.
Why does Michonne talk to herself so much? And, why is Andrea the one who keeps catching her talking to herself? I wonder if Andrea is going to tell Rick about this, so he can lock Michonne up until they decide if she is crazy or not.
I do not like that Glenn took a wedding ring off one of the women's bodies, so that he can give it to Maggie. Yes, I know that he does not have any money, not that there would be any rings in any stores if there are any stores nearby, but still.
It is kind of gross that Glenn took a wedding ring off a dead body, so that he could propose to Maggie, so that they can get married. Hope he does not tell her where he got the ring.
I do not blame Carl for questioning everything his father is telling him about the zombies being dead. If I were him, I would ask him to prove it, by poking one of the zombies with a stick to see if they react.
Rick should NOT be promising Carl that things are going to go back to normal, when they are not going to. He is giving Carl false hope and that is a terrible thing to do.
I am glad that Tyreese and Rick are starting to get along again. They need to be able to trust each other, have each other's back. I want them to get their friendship back.
Oh shit! I KNEW that Martinez was a lying, spying asshole! I hope that Rick and the group find and kill Martinez before he gets back to the Governor and can run his mouth about where the prison is.
Volume: The Walking Dead Title: This Sorrowful Life, Pt. 5 Creator/Writer: Robert Kirkman Artist: Charlie Adlard Colorist: Cliff Rathburn Cover: Charlie Adlard; Cliff Rathburn Letterer: Rus Wooton Publisher/Date: Image/ 2/1/2007 Length/Format: 36/ Digital Comics Issue#: 35
Horror, brutality and hope. Rick and the group broke into the prison that was full of zombies. Luckily for them, most of their friends and family were still alive and together managed to take the prison back and got rid of all the zombies. But with Martinez disappearance, Rick fears the worst.
The Best. Everyone in the prison is okay. Separated and a little injured, but otherwise fine. Rick starts giving out directions and Tyreese outs him in his place. Alice checks Lori to make sure she is doing okay with the baby. Glenn freaks out and goes outside to stop them from throwing female bodies into the fire because he needs to find a ring. Tyreese wants to call it quits with the whole arguing between him and Rick.
The Worst. Michonne is talking to herself again. Rick realizes that Martinez is a spy since Tyreese hasn't seem him in a few hours and is possibly going to lead the people from Woodbury straight to the prison. Them cliffhangers again.... Will Rick find Martinez in time to stop him from returning to Woodbury? Will he have enough strength to stop him if he catches up to him?
The Differences. Martinez never makes it inside the prison, nor does he end up helping them there. In the TV series, Martinez is a very loyal guard to the Governor and never questions the Governor about anything he decides to do until much later.
Those Remembered. Just them walkers again.
Recommend. To any fans of The Walking Dead Universe, zombies, horror dramas and apocalypse style stories.
This will not do. They've manages to clear out the prison yard again ... but it seems Martinez has vanished. All of a sudden Rick says he's been suspicious all along. *sigh* I want to call bullshit here. I didn't get any sense that Martinez was working under the Governor's orders. I hope he's just napping somewhere, or off in the can, maybe taking a shower? I dunno. Boo. Ssss. Bollocks.
Mer, only one more issue left in this volume. Let's see where the cards fall before I gripe myself to death.
Burning a massive pile of walkers outside the prison is the equivalent of sending up a flare to let Woodbury know exactly where to go to. If they didn't know before they certainly could find their way there now.
This issue was pretty good. One of the storylines was told "en media res," which was a nice way to change the flow a bit, and break up some of the monotony. But, one character has a moment "off the pages." I wondered if the author was bored with the character, didn't know what to do with the character, or decided to use the character just to shake things up a bit. I wonder if this will ever be revisited.
Great! If you are enjoying these particular comics with the governor, I recommend reading, "The Walking Dead, The Governor Series". That series gives you much more background and depth into the governor and what goes on in Woodbury. Really enjoy seeing the differences between the show and the comics.
Horror, la brutalidad y la esperanza. Rick y el grupo se rompió en la prisión que estaba llena de zombies. Por suerte para ellos, la mayor parte de sus amigos y familiares estaban todavía vivos y juntos lograron tomar la prisión de nuevo y se deshizo de todos los zombies. Pero con la desaparición Martínez, Rick teme lo peor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Fantastic. Very few comic series approach the overall quality of The Walking Dead and rereading it full color has been tremendous fun. If you liked The Walking Dead, then you should definitely check the out the color version, it's awesome.