The Walking Dead #126 Review

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The Walking Dead #126 Review
By Andy Frisk
May 5, 2014 - 18:48

Image Comics
Writer(s): Robert Kirkman
Penciller(s): Charlie Adlard
Inker(s): Stephano Gaudiano
Colourist(s): Cliff Rathburn
Letterer(s): Rus Wooton

The "All Out War" has ended and Rick has once again managed to thwart the machinations of a deranged bad guy. The long coming victory has not been achieved without some major losses along the way though. It appears that Rick has finally united the many different settlements in the Alexandria area. One has to wonder once again though if Rick is making a fatal mistake by trying to enforce pre-zombie apocalypse world justice...

So, is the light of hope finally visible at the end of the long dark tunnel of terror, torture, and termination that is The Walking Dead? Probably not, but one can hope so, eh? It's probably absolutely foolish to think so though. At this point one has to wonder what one reads The Walking Dead for anymore. It can't be for a semblance of closure. That is not possible with the way that writer Robert Kirkman has set up the narrative. It surely can't be for new character development. Most of the new characters introduced have been pretty one dimensional (i.e. delusional). Many probably keep reading The Walking Dead because of the sheer gore, violence, and torture displayed monthly within its pages. Either way, it will still be interesting (since we will most likely never be told what started the plague anyway), to see just what other kinds of graphic and masochistic torture-porn Kirkman has yet locked inside his mind.

Judging from above, it might seem like The Walking Dead is a work that well needs a bullet to its own long rotting cranium, and it is...but only now. Early on The Walking Dead was a violent, gory, masochistic work, that worked. The story of the small town sheriff and his son was compelling for its realism and stark frankness. Violence, gore, and shock can only be showcased within the same artistic work a certain amount of times before it looses its its poignancy though. The Walking Dead lost its poignancy quite a while ago.

Readers, like myself, will probably stick around (at least intermittently) to see if there ever will be a peaceful resolution to Rick and company's story. There probably won't be, but like Rick the majority of us just can't let go of the dream of human decency, even in a highly indecent work of art.

Rating: 6.5/10