The Walking Dead #81

Writer: Robert Kirkman Artist: Charlie Adlard Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: February 9, 2011 Cover Price: $2.99 Critic Reviews: 6 User Reviews: 8
8.5Critic Rating
9.0User Rating

'NO WAY OUT'
'NO WAY OUT' continues! Desperate times call for desperate measures. RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES PLUS: Throughout 2011, THE WALKING DEAD will be reprinted in single issue form and shipping weekly! It's the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the series that inspired the hit AMC television series!

  • 9.5
    A Comic Book Blog - Geoff Arbuckle Feb 11, 2011

    In a single issue, Robert Kirkman goes from Rick and Jessie making love, to Morgan and Michonne dealing with their points of view on life and death, to roamers now pouring into Alexandria, but along the way, we realize what's at stake and find new characters to suddenly care about. While Tobin was never a major character by any stretch of the imagination, we were sorry to see him die. Obviously, we knew people would die, or get turned, but it still affects us. Kirkman's ability to make the readers invest in the characters is superb. We're only two parts in and we're already seeing people we like die. I have a feeling it's just an appetizer to a greater body count that may only leave us with a very small group of people with Rick as we move forward. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comic Book Resources - Ryan K. Lindsay Feb 11, 2011

    It's appreciated that this far into a series you can still believe absolutely anything can happen " and it usually does. Kirkman makes this arc feel like a real horror movie, and yet, like the best, he keeps the characters in the bright center and focus of every scene. This arc feels like the most definitive zombie tale Kirkman has told yet in this zombie comic and he's doing it damn well. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    IGN - Feb 9, 2011

    One of the few problems with the series of late is that the sudden influx of cast members has made it difficult to keep track of all the characters and distinguish them visually. Charlie Adlard runs into a few snags this month where the reader is forced to squint for a moment and deduce which character they're looking at. Kirkman's script even makes light of the fact that the newer characters all seem to blend together at times. This is one of the few cases where I found myself wishing the book had color to make use of in differentiating the characters. Aside form that, Adlard captures all the terror and other emotions of the script, and he ably dives right back into the gory zombie carnage that has been ignored for so long. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Weekly Comic Book Review - Dean Stell Feb 9, 2011

    Great tension and the beginnings of a pay off of something that Kirkman has been building for a LONG time. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    ComicList - Brandon Borzelli Feb 11, 2011

    "No Way Out" is shaping up to be a status quo changing storyline and it is not too late to get in on the arc as this is only part two of the storyline. I felt this issue brought a great mix of action and character development as well as a terrific visual story. You just can't go wrong with this book. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Eye On Comics - Don MacPherson Feb 15, 2011

    Adlard makes such incredible use of shadow, always maintaining an air of tension throughout the book. Even during tender moments between characters, there's a darkness that's ever-present, a constant reminder of the horror that awaits them only a few steps away. This is a pretty action-oriented issue, but it goes beyond the usual zombie-killing conflicts that are par for the course in this series. More complex sequences - such as a risky trip between buildings and an effort to reinforce a wall - are clearly and capably presented despite some of the unusual angles or other challenges. Furthermore, given how the cast of characters expanded significant recently, I'm impressed with the diversity of designs. At no point did I confuse one character for another, and Adlard doesn't have the benefit of colorful costumes or capes to differentiate among them. Read Full Review

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