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On the road.

32 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2008

8 people are currently reading
172 people want to read

About the author

Robert Kirkman

2,777 books6,963 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 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 28, 2024
After the tense, action-driven revelations of the previous issues, this chapter brings a much-needed (though no less intense) shift, focusing deeply on Rick’s psychological state and the scars left by past trauma. This issue, with its chilling ending, doesn't just serve as filler between major events but rather pulls us into the minds of these characters, who are increasingly unraveling under the weight of loss, guilt, and hopelessness.

The issue opens in an unexpected place: a flashback of sorts, where we see Rick and Lori with their son, Carl, at their family home back in Cynthiana. In this dream sequence, Rick panics as Carl runs too fast, narrowly avoiding getting hit by a car. Lori, ever the calming influence, assures Rick that everything is fine and that Carl is safe. But suddenly, her comforting image shatters, transforming into a haunting, undead version of herself that accuses Rick of letting her die. She proceeds to bite him in the neck as he succumbs to her attack, guilt-laden and regretful, even in his dream. This nightmarish start reflects the relentless toll that guilt and loss have taken on Rick, showing that even in sleep, he can’t escape his failures.

Rick wakes up in panic, only to find himself jolted into reality, where he’s briefly startled by Abraham holding a gun on him. Abraham, while aiming to lighten the mood, points out the irony that he nearly shot Rick due to a similar restlessness. This uneasy camaraderie between Rick and Abraham underscores the unspoken tension between the two men; they’re both haunted by their own pasts and driven by conflicting motivations.

Unable to sleep, Rick takes Abraham’s shift, and here we witness one of the most vulnerable and disturbing aspects of Rick’s character: his ongoing “conversations” with Lori through the phone. He pours out his guilt and confesses his turmoil to the ghostly voice on the other end, admitting that he feels ready to let her go but doesn’t know how. This self-therapy session is cut short by Glenn’s unexpected presence, almost catching Rick in his vulnerable state. Glenn’s sleep-deprived remark that he “thought he saw Rick talking on the phone” is dismissed, but it’s clear the entire group is carrying the weight of their losses, whether they admit it or not. Rick’s cover-up is shaky at best, and Glenn’s innocent question reminds us of how fragile Rick’s mental state really is.

In a quiet, somber scene, Glenn returns to his tent to find Maggie awake and grieving. She admits that since the loss of her father and brother, sleep eludes her. Glenn, always gentle and supportive, offers to comfort her. Their relationship becomes a kind of unspoken promise to one another to keep moving forward, even though Maggie’s grief is far from resolved.

The following day, Abraham offers Rick a practical option to lighten the load by letting him store his tent in Abraham’s truck. But Rick’s response to Abraham’s offer is met with skepticism. His refusal to separate from his belongings, however minor it seems, indicates a deeper mistrust of Abraham and the group’s new additions, Eugene and Rosita. As Carl observes Abraham’s brusque manner, he bluntly tells Rick that he doesn’t like him, echoing his father’s hidden reservations.

The group soon arrives in a small town to gather supplies, and it’s here that they encounter one of the most intriguing scenes in the issue. While Rick and Michonne secure supplies, Eugene makes an unusual observation about a weakened zombie, theorizing it could be malnourished. This concept—that zombies might weaken over time—could offer a glimmer of hope or change the way they understand these undead threats. But Abraham cuts Eugene off before he can finish his theory, herding everyone back to the vehicles and reminding them to keep moving. Eugene’s desire to investigate the zombie’s condition reflects his scientific curiosity, hinting that he might know more about this phenomenon than he’s letting on.

When night falls, the group settles into their campsite, and in a rare quiet moment, they reflect on what to call the undead they encounter. “Zombies,” “roamers,” “lurkers”—each name carries different meanings, representing the varied ways these survivors have learned to identify and cope with the horror around them. While it seems trivial, these names reveal a glimpse of each person’s psyche, showing that naming their fears gives them some semblance of control.

It’s during these quiet moments that the haunting, shocking final scene unfolds. Glenn, concerned for Maggie’s well-being, heads off to check on her. As he calls out her name, we are confronted with a haunting image: Maggie, lifeless, has hung herself from a tree. The pain and exhaustion of losing her family finally overwhelmed her, pushing her past her breaking point.

I’m still processing that ending. Maggie’s suicide attempt feels like a sucker punch, a grim reminder of the unbearable weight these characters carry. Up until now, Maggie’s resilience was a source of strength for Glenn, but this issue shows how deceptive appearances can be—she was drowning in her grief all along, even if she tried to keep it hidden. This cliffhanger serves as a brutal wake-up call, reminding us that trauma doesn’t disappear and the cracks are beginning to show in each character.

Rick’s phone conversations with Lori are heartbreakingly raw, and I can’t help but feel for him, despite his crumbling mental state. These hallucinations and his guilt are eating him alive, and with every issue, he seems closer to breaking completely. And then there’s Abraham, whose practical, hardened exterior hides a different kind of pain. He’s someone I’d want on my side in this world, but his trustworthiness is still up for debate.

This issue is a somber exploration of how grief, guilt, and despair gnaw away at the soul. It’s not the zombie attacks or the physical threats that make this story terrifying; it’s the emotional toll, the fraying edges of sanity, and the quiet moments when characters are left alone with their fears. Issue #55 paints a painfully realistic portrait of what it’s like to be haunted not by monsters but by one’s own memories.
Profile Image for Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile.
2,454 reviews934 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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Profile Image for Kelsie.
296 reviews24 followers
October 26, 2019
It starts off with Rick having a bad dream, Carl almost getting hit by a car then Lori turning up then turning into a zombie just to munch on him whilst he lets it happen as he believes he deserves it, basically survivors guilt.
Back in non-dream land Rick takes Abraham's night shift which he only does to talk to Lori on the phone which he almost gets caught by Glenn. Have fun trying to explain that one to your friend, Rick.
During the day the group go looking for food/supplies in a town to which nearly Mute Rosita almost gets her leg bitten into by a very odd zombie. Eugene takes an interest, this zombie has zero energy to take bite, something the group hasn't seen before, actually interested to see where that one goes.
The issue ends with a cliff hanger of Glenn searching for Maggie and seeing a silhouette of someone hanging ... the next issue has Maggie on the front cover so there's that cliff hanger over and done with.
x
Profile Image for Melanie.
2,736 reviews14 followers
June 7, 2019
This was not one of my favorite issues. Rick and Maggie are both suffering from survivors guilt.
Profile Image for Artrix.
121 reviews15 followers
April 4, 2024
El final te deja el culo roto
Profile Image for Laina.
237 reviews2 followers
May 12, 2016
hat's one hell of a dream that Rick had. Starting with Carl almost getting hit by a car, and then Lori showing up as her regular self and then her zombie self and eating Rick. Gross.

Rick and his hallucinations are creeping me out. When the hell does he snap out of this crap? Lori is dead, let the bitch stay dead and rest in peace. Rick should know there's nothing he could've done to keep her and Judith alive, and there's nothing he can do now, so his guilt is useless.

It's about fucking time you realized Rick, that you should stop talking to your dead wife as if she's still alive. It would be different if you were visiting her grave and telling her about you and Carl's life, but that's not what you're doing.

I liked the Glenn and Maggie scene. Of course, for the most part, I always like their scenes. It's good to know that not everything will always be all sunshine and roses with them. Now they're acting like a real couple.

Carl's much too nice. When he called Abraham weird it, had me laughing. I feel like Carl used the word weird as a euphemism for saying that Abraham's an asshole.

Really? They just stood there and talked about the single zombie that couldn't kill them? Don't they know that if there's one zombie, there's usually several more close behind it?

I'm glad they saw all the other zombies before it was too late, and were able to get away safely. Though I'm not sure it's a good idea for them to be out in the open in front of a campfire at night.

Uh oh, something's wrong with Maggie. Now I'm starting to get worried. I hope she doesn't go and do something crazy like kill herself like Carol and that other person did.
Profile Image for Eslam Daoud.
48 reviews52 followers
August 9, 2016
حقا لا أصدق ما أراه بعينى من وصول الرسوم الكاريكاترية إلى هذا المستوى
كم هى رائعة بما تحتوى من تفاصيل مذهلة تشعرك وكأنك داخل المشهد
بالإضافة أنه يروق لى أسلوب الحوار بين الأشخاص بشدة

قصة ذلك العمل تدور حول انتشار أحد الأوبئة التى جعلت البشر أشبه بالزومبى من آكلى لحوم البشر ويستعرض محاولات بعض الناجين البقاء على ظهر الأرض فى ظل عدم وجود أدنى أمل فى استمرار الحياة بقيادة الشرطى ريك

بالاستمرار فى القراءة أشعر بروعة متابعة الأحداث ، فالقصة مشوقة حقا
لا عجب حين تكون الصورة الأصل مبهرة هكذا ، فتكون النسخة -العمل التليفزيونى- أكثر من رائع
Profile Image for Omar Abdelaziz.
41 reviews21 followers
June 15, 2016
Sure, let's leave our safe home and leave with total strangers whom we just met 12 hours ago and believe everything they said to go out on an adventure to save the world instead of just laying low, being more careful, finding gun silencers, beefing up our defenses against walkers and avoid going out while we can. It's not like making contact with strangers literally killed most of us the last time we did it or anything. This should be fun. I mean, adventures never killed anyone, right? Right? RIGHT?
55 reviews
August 8, 2014
So, we have someone thinking more long term, rather than being in survival and crisis mode. In a sense, Eugene acts as a reader's avatar, since he brings up points and questions that readers have had. Understanding and documenting the actions and behaviors "walkers" could improve survival. We shall see....
Profile Image for John.
450 reviews7 followers
December 12, 2015
Great! I'm really enjoying these comics. It's cool to see the differences between the TV series and the comic.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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