(Image Comics, 2014)

Review by Galen Garner

Written by Robert Kirkman
Artwork by Charlie Adlard
Inks by Stefano Gaudiano & Cliff Rathburn
Lettering by Rus Wooton

I still like The Walking Dead. Take it that my love for this comic over the past 120 issues has weakened tremendously, but there is still this bitter sweetness to the relationship I have with this comic. I am also pretty certain that Robert Kirkman has lost a little bit of love for his fame-making comic. The Walking Dead has clearly been on the steady decline since the introduction of Negan and his Saviors.

The Walking Dead 120 is one of those midway through a story arc issues that starts off with some captivating points, but leaves you with nothing but a steaming pot of blackness at the end. For those unaware, Rick Grimes and Company recently attacked the Saviors with an all out blitz from the communities of Alexandria, The Hilltop, and The Kingdom. In response, Negan’s counter attack was to release a zombiefied Holly on the Alexandrian safe-zone and this is where 120 starts.

Negan is an awful character and I absolutely detest everything about him. He was probably that creepy auto mechanic that you see walking around Wal-Mart at 11 PM trying to pick up women at the $5 DVD bin. I hate opening up The Walking Dead to see that the issue is still at six of twelve in the series because I am so ready for this guy to die. I was halfway hoping that Ezekiel’s tiger, Shiva was going to be responsible for ripping him to pieces. However Kirkman eventually decides to dispose of this guy I really hope that it is in some torturous situation that involves thousands of zombies chewing on his bullet-filled body.

Sorry if I get a little graphic when I write about The Walking Dead. Issue 120 is nothing more than the response of this post-apocalyptic terrorist on good people that are trying to salvage whatever is left of the world that previously existed. There is only one zombie that is seen in this entire issue, but I wonder if that one zombie (cough…Holly) is the pivotal factor that swings this Hell on Earth mess between these communities back in favor of those that follow Rick.

In this issue, we learn that Rick has allies. People are tired of the fighting and support Rick’s cause to stabilize some form of a functioning life for those left in the world. This issue also has the return of Maggie and the people from the Hilltop. They play a very important part in this issue and I imagine they will be around for the remainder of these community scrimmages that take place over the remainder of the story arc.

All Out War is good, but it’s not great. There are definitely some interesting twists that take place, but my hope is that the end of this masquerade will leave Rick and Carl having to fend for their lives out in the wilderness again. My favorite part of The Walking Dead is the art of survival and Kirkman has always brilliantly excelled in writing survival stories. I say bring back zombies into the fold and get rid of this middle school girl bickering business between Rick and Negan. The true greatness behind this series really is those disease infested lifeless corpses and it would be terrifying to see the story shift back to them being that major factor. Who knows? I don’t even think that Kirkman does, but inevitably we will see. Check this one out if you have 2.99 that you are willing to toss at “the man” or just read about it on a Wiki page.

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Galen is a Graphic Designer in Wake Forest, NC. He is the husband of a wonderful Oklahoma girl and dad of a future Marvel Comics fan. He enjoys comic-related anything, the Boston Red Sox and sharpening his axe for the zombie apocalypse.