“No Way Out”, in my opinion, is a major factor of The Walking Dead’s success for 2011. Kirkman finally had his characters in a nice, safe, and promising environment. The tone for the preceding books established a feeling of community in us as we see the characters reveling at the sight of simple luxuries like get-togethers, showers, children’s playtime, and jobs. They didn’t need to sleep lightly or tote their sidearm wherever they went. Of course, in true TWD fashion, the shit hits the fan and its result will have implications that will test the fortitude of the characters and most especially Rick. This particular arc had several moments of rising action and revealing dialogues/monologues. Kirkman’s writing really has the ability to break down human emotion like a scientist mapping out the human genome. If you foretold Rick cutting off Jessie’s hand to save his son’s life, or Michonne’s vulnerability at the dying Morgan’s bedside, or six survivors mowing down hundreds of zombies and realizing how weak a threat the zombies really are, then you sir, are lying… or you’re a descendant of Buddha. Finally, no single page this whole year invoked so much emotions in me as much as the page where we see Carl, a portion of his head shot off, staring straight at you just calling for his father in bare confusion and horror.
During the 2nd half of the year, fans were disappointed at the drastic decrease in action in “We Find Ourselves”. The previous arc necessitated an arc that focuses on the rebuilding of the walled community. This makes sense on two levels. The first is the obvious reason, better security. The second is simply metaphorical (Abraham Maslow anyone?). Rick has already made the realization that many of us have had in our heads, the real threat to their survivals are other people. The threat of the undead will always be present but it’s manageable even at its worst. Relationships have strengthened, the community is becoming more secure and systematic in their operations, and we’re finally getting back to that optimistic vision we had in late 2010 when the survivors acclimated to Alexandria. Rick finally has a clear vision for the near future and we actually see glimpses of something we haven’t been treated to for quite some time now… the promise of hope. And no line this whole year has summed up that recurring theme (although out of context) as much as the quotation at the beginning of this review.
With a top-rated drama series pulling in 6 million viewers and renewed for a 3rd season after just 2 episodes into its 2nd season, a smorgasbord of new merchandise in the market, and a consistently engaging comic book series, The Walking Dead is clearly a top entertainment choice for die-hard geeks, fans of the show, and casual readers. Robert Kirkman, series creator and COO of Image, doesn’t seem like he’s letting go of this title anytime soon so if you haven’t been reading this title, I suggest you jump on it now. With so many plans and accolades, you really should be curious as to what they’re doing right.
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Mark Navarro is a former video game writer, a proud CBG member, and an avid sports enthusiast. You can find him in Neverland with the other Lost Boys or amusing himself on Twitter @chilimark