THE WALKING DEAD #38 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard & Cliff Rathburn.
© Image
Mania Grade: B
Issue: 38
Authors: Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
Publisher: Image
Price: $2.99
Issue: 38
Authors: Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
Publisher: Image
Price: $2.99
THE WALKING DEAD #38
By: Kurt AmackerReview Date: Thursday, July 05, 2007
This 38th issue of The Walking Dead finally resolves the paternity issue facing the group’s leader, Rick, and his wife, Lori. At the start of the series, Lori slept with Rick’s friend, Shane, under the mistaken impression that her husband had died. She became pregnant and later allowed Rick to believe himself the father. I won’t explain their conversation, as anyone reading the series has waited for this moment since the beginning. Regardless of its parentage, the baby will arrive soon. But, with only Alice, the group’s de-facto doctor, on hand, worries arise over the health and safety of both Lori and the infant. At the same time, Tyreese leads a group from the prison to raid a nearby National Guard base for any remaining weapons. The survivors anticipate a future attack from Woodbury – the outpost led by the sadistic Governor that raped Michonne and severed Rick’s hand. After looting the base and blowing it up, the group drives their RV and a newly acquired truck to a Wal-Mart for additional supplies. Unfortunately, someone else had a similar idea.
Four years into The Walking Dead, the series has hit its stride. It delivers long stretches of soap opera drama before exploding with brutal violence. Some readers dislike the story’s often incremental pace. This particular issue indulges in character moments and dialogue over action. Anyone looking for zombie action should look elsewhere. However, I really enjoy the measured, detailed interactions between the characters. But, I also feel like Kirkman decompresses the story a bit too much. This series could move faster with more economical storytelling. And, the unwieldy cast of characters had made many of them almost indistinguishable. After reading the series for a few years now, I remember enough about each to keep up with the story. But, the series’s slow pace makes it easy to forget names and faces. It hardly sullies the experience, but everyone would appreciate The Walking Dead even more if they could remember the characters’ names.
Longtime fans of The Walking Dead will continue to enjoy the series with this issue, particularly in anticipation of a showdown between the prison and Woodbury – one that might force the survivors back on the road. New readers will feel utterly lost at this point and the conversation with Rick and Lori won’t resonate with them. Still, I’m hooked.
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It's a good story, but it shuffles along at a zombie's pace.