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Overwhelmed! Rick and crew reunite with a very old friend. But how long can their small group stay out of danger?

28 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

8 people are currently reading
159 people want to read

About the author

Robert Kirkman

2,778 books6,966 followers
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.

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile.
2,454 reviews935 followers
July 8, 2020
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.
Profile Image for Michael Sorbello.
Author 1 book317 followers
November 19, 2020
This is a review of the entire series.

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.

***

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October 28, 2024
The reunion with Morgan in the previous issue left a haunting impact, especially with his tragic bond to his undead son, Duane. The stakes in Issue #59 feel more ominous, as Rick, Carl, and Abraham navigate the aftermath. I’m curious to see how Morgan will cope with his grief and what impact his presence will have on the group’s fragile dynamic. There’s an intensity brewing as they move toward the police station, and a tense atmosphere hangs over the group like a storm cloud.

The issue begins with Morgan emerging from his house, visibly shaken but resolute. Rick acknowledges Morgan’s painful act of mercy in putting his son, Duane, to rest. Morgan seems dazed, barely holding on, and when he sees Carl, there’s an unsettling moment where he hugs him a bit too tightly, driven by a mix of grief and longing. Carl is startled, looking to Rick for reassurance, who calmly tells Carl it’s all right. There’s something profoundly sad about Morgan’s embrace, a fatherly gesture laced with sorrow. Morgan thanks Rick for everything, and Rick, with a quiet understanding, tells him there’s no need. The lingering shot of Duane’s chained body outside as they leave is like a painful reminder of how much Morgan has lost.

The group heads to Rick’s old workplace—the police station—where Rick and Abraham open the gate to park inside for safety. Rick’s nostalgia surfaces when he mentions he always kept the station’s keys in his pocket, feeling "naked without them." But the familiar setting brings only pain for Morgan, who begins banging his head against the wall, lost in an internal turmoil that feels almost feral. The impact of losing Duane has left him teetering on the edge, and Rick and Abraham struggle to calm him down.

After gathering weapons and supplies, they set out once more, but not before Rick sternly reminds Carl to be kind to Morgan, calling him "Mr. Jones." There’s an awkwardness to this request, as Morgan can’t help but stare at Carl, a painful reminder of Duane’s absence. Carl is visibly uncomfortable but tries to stay civil. Morgan’s apology feels raw; he’s clearly tormented, grappling with his memories of Duane while trying to accept Carl’s presence. Rick’s simple, “It’s okay,” speaks volumes; he seems to understand the weight of Morgan’s grief and tries to shield him from Carl’s understandable unease.

As night falls, the group finds a place to rest. Sleep, however, evades them—Rick, Carl, and Abraham all lie awake, haunted by the day’s events. Abraham tries to sleep but can’t, and there’s a silent camaraderie in their shared insomnia. Morgan, however, is the most unnerving; he pretends to sleep, but his blank stare at the ceiling suggests he’s a man entirely unmoored from reality. His quiet grief feels like a ticking time bomb, a vulnerability that could easily break in the dangerous world they inhabit.

The next day, they continue their journey until they encounter a herd of zombies, an enormous wave of undead blocking their path. Abraham, the first to spot it, shouts for Rick to drive as fast as he can, attempting to bulldoze through. The urgency and sheer desperation in their voices pull you right to the edge of your seat. But just as the adrenaline is peaking, they slam into another car. The impact throws Abraham out of the back, leaving them vulnerable and surrounded.

Rick springs into action, waking Carl and instructing him to stay close. Morgan, overwhelmed, panics and tries to flee, his survival instinct kicking in amid a flurry of fear. Rick, trying to corral everyone to safety, orders Morgan to stay calm and keep close to the group. There’s a sense of organized chaos as Abraham covers them, firing at the zombies. Rick hoists Carl onto Abraham’s shoulders, realizing they need to make a swift exit if they’re going to survive.

This issue is heavy with tension and emotional strain. Morgan’s presence adds an unpredictable element; he’s in a fragile, almost fractured state that’s as unsettling as it is heartbreaking. His reaction to Carl—hugging him tightly and staring at him—signals a longing for the son he lost, making his grief feel almost contagious. It’s painful to witness but reminds us how every character carries their own scars.

The encounter with the zombie herd left me on edge. The stakes feel higher, and the situation more precarious, with Morgan’s instability now a potential liability for the group. The moments of panic and chaos in the car crash perfectly captured the urgency and fear of being surrounded by zombies, and it’s clear that even in the direst moments, Rick’s instincts kick in to protect Carl and keep the group moving.

While it’s disappointing that the weapons and supplies from the police station were lost in the frenzy, survival always trumps resources in this world, and this issue underscores that hard truth.
Profile Image for Kelsie.
296 reviews24 followers
October 27, 2019
This was a slower paced issue, well the start of it was. Morgan is clearly not in a good place right now, he seems a little too obsessed with Carl. Like I'm siding with Carl on this one, I too would snap at someone if they stared at me constantly. They drive to the police station and get more weapon supplies and head off back to the camp.
That's when they encounter the Herd. I think this is the first time we encounter a herd in the comics so it was pretty awesome to see, the graphics actually make you feel overwhelmed. They are completely trapped in their truck so they make a run for it, let's hope they don't run towards their camp, be kinda silly bringing THAT back with you.
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Profile Image for Melanie.
2,736 reviews14 followers
June 7, 2019
This one starts out slow but ends with a lot of action. I was told a scene in Season 5 was played out in tribute to the herd scene. I believe this is the fist we encounter the term herd.
Profile Image for Laina.
237 reviews2 followers
May 13, 2016
I'm glad that Morgan's going with them, and that Morgan and Carl finally got to meet. Holy crap, man. Morgan's losing his damn mind. I hope that Rick can calm him down, or Abraham's gonna want to shoot him.

It's a good thing that Rick remembered that they police station still had weapons and supplies. Hopefully it'll be a lot and will be useful to Rick and the group for a long time.

Well, I'm glad that Abraham, Rick and Carl were able to keep a lookout and that nothing happened. I'd be sitting inside the car, not outside, keeping a lookout at night.

Holy fucking cow! Look at all of those damn zombies! I hope Rick and the rest can get away from those zombies as fast as possible, before someone gets bit and/or killed.

Oh crap! Did they wreck into something? I hope they didn't, or if they did, that at least the vehicles still work. If the vehicles don't work, then they're so screwed.

Holy shit, they're in deep crap. I hope they can somehow get away from all those zombies. I'm glad that Abraham picked Carl up, so they didn't have to slow down anymore.
55 reviews
September 15, 2014
This issue was mostly character driven, though, there seemed to be fewer actual words. It was still effective. This issue brings up a slight different zombie phenomenon, which we've heard about before, but not actually seen to this extent. It brings us to an exciting, climactic ending.
Profile Image for John.
450 reviews7 followers
December 18, 2015
Great! I am really enjoying TWD comics. All the comics in this series are really good but I think they have gotten so much better since issue 50. I also love seeing the differences between the comic and the TV show.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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