The previous issue of this series garnered a fair amount of negative reaction, as many readers didn't care for an extended and gruesome torture scene. Personally, I thought it was a natural extension of the plotlines we've seen so far and the overall theme of personal survival versus the maintenance of social order and ethics, a theme that's been integral to this series overall. With this issue, Kirkman wisely brings the story down to a more grounded and personal level, giving the readers a break from the nastiness of the previous episode. Still, he doesn't ignore what happened either; Michonne's story arc within the larger group now shifts from a mysterious tone to a grave, suspicious one. There's also plenty of zombie-killing action in this issue, which also serves as a catharsis and welcome change of pace after all of the human-on-human violence that came in the last story arc. Adlard's art is strong and a little detailed in tone than we've seen before, and he handles the action in Read Full Review

After plunging us into the most utter depths of darkness in the last issue, this most recent Walking Dead installment brings a little much needed light into the mix. Seeing Morgan again was a nice surprise, and there was something very touching about his interaction with his son Duane. In a world where all the civilized trappings of society have been callously ripped away, there is a certain charm in one man still making an attempt to pay homage to Christmas. Some traditions do not die so easily even in the zombie apocalypse, nor should they. It’s these tiny, quiet moments such as the one where Duane loses himself in the simple joy of playing his new Gameboy that are like precious shards of gold that occasionally rise out of the dreary muck of a fallen world. These moments are simple but powerful, and it is in these moments of grace that we see the possibility of hope emerge for a better future.

Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Alice, and Martinez’s trek back to the prison is not quite as cheery, but it is still rather illuminating. Michonne simply refuses to slow down, eschewing sleep and rushing headlong into any zombie (or biter or roamer or whatever you want to call them) engagement. It’s almost as if Michonne thinks that she can silence her own inner demons with each zombie slain. She’s running and fighting and being the post-apocalyptic badass shogun we all love, but there is an undeniable darkness flavoring her competency. She is running from much, and no amount of walking dead slain will give her respite.

Taking the time to more fully flesh out Martinez and his backstory was a smart investment by Kirkman as well. One of the biggest liabilities than can unhinge a person in the zombie apocalypse is the ever-present threat of losing somebody he or she loves. Certainly, there is a temptation to think like Martinez did in the early days of the outbreak. Resist forming close attachments to any other human, and theoretically one can protect oneself from the psychological torment that can result when those attachments are inevitably ripped away. But the thing about human beings is that they are continually drawn to one another. Bonds are often forged despite one’s best attempts to elude them. Martinez had no close family members, and yet the bonds he formed with his gym students delivered a sucker punch to his psyche as he endured them being torn to shreds in front of him. People will always seek out other people, especially when times are toughest. It’s human nature to seek affirmation in the eyes of another. It seems we are not designed to live our lives in isolation no matter how committed we may be to do so. Investing our time and emotions in another person will undoubtedly make us vulnerable. But it is this vulnerability that adds color to an otherwise dead world. It is what separate the walking living from the walking dead. more