Review

"You saw something to love Something to ridicule. Something to fear" - Rick Grimes

After something of an epiphany Rick is realising the future is about community, and building something for the future. He sets out to tighten the defences and prepare for either human or zombie incursions. This doesn't work with all member of the community, some aren't so happy with the interlopers who seem to have brought violence and death with them. A confrontation between the conservative elements within the existing community and Rick's tribe of survivors is inevitable. Underlining the issues Rick is facing is Carl, who is still bed ridden and in a coma after being shot in the head during the zombie onslaught a story or so arc ago.

Ensuring we are aware of other communities existing beyond the gated environs of Rick's new home a combat trained ambassador arrives to offer membership of a loosely defined trading network. Rick is deeply suspicious, and is either on the money or looking a gift horse in the mouth. Eventually, after the Stranger's story checks out and no gangs of marauders are showing up, Rick agrees to meet with the leadership of the "Hilltop", a large community who are well fortified on a hill but who have had to revert to Iron Age weapons due to a lack of ammunition. Rick soon learns the Hilltop is being preyed upon by a group called the Saviors lead by a nasty piece of work called Negan. Half the produce and supplies Hilltop raises has to be given to the Saviors as protection. Rick others help in ridding Hilltop of Negan's group in exchange for supplies. He will now have to sell the idea to his own people, but sees Hilltop as the future he has been hoping for.

Guess the question as to whether or not The Walking Dead is sustainable has been answered with one of our reviewers already running screaming into the night rather than face reviewing yet another book in the long running series. I'm okay to take up the reigns for the next few instalments, but am wondering if they could perhaps get away from treading over the same ground in slightly different fashion as some of the story arcs seem to be on repeat cycle. Got to say I'm over introverted Rick Grimes, Christ the guy has more chick moments than five Twilight movies strung together. Yes I'm aware he's slowly coming out of his funk but enough is enough, get on with the situation rather than wallowing in every facet of it.

Book Eight contains two story arcs of entirely differing outlooks. Chapter Fifteen, We Find Ourselves, sees the survivors of the zombie herd cleaning up the settlement and Rick planning for better defences, both against the animated dead and human enemies. Robert Kirkman is taking time out of the action to allow his major characters some introspection. Unfortunately this doesn't make for the most gripping reading as quiet frankly this part of the series isn't Kirkman's strongest aspect. Things come off as melodramatic and Days of Our Lives rather than really giving us much of anything like fleshing out the characters. By the end of the chapter I was really labouring to get through it, there are a few story lines that are going nowhere, and some of the characters need to take a few pointers from Michonne, who remains stoic and strong. She's rapidly become my favourite character, although I'm also digging Daryl from the television series.

There's a bit of action interspersed through the first story arc, a revolt in the ranks as some of the old guard dispute the growing power of Rick's clique, but pretty much we are left with a whole bunch of domestic squabbles. Perhaps the only interest was the situation of Carl and just what mental condition he might be in when he regains consciousness after taking a shot to the head. Sorry I pretty much get zombie outings at their best are about how survivors cope with the new world order, but quite honestly these folk haven't progressed beyond the dramas of suburbia. Kirkman completely lacks someone like Romero's ability to make social commentary and present the horror as subversive.

Things do heat up in the second story arc, chapter sixteen A Larger World, as Rick and company discover that there are other settlements hanging on in the apocalyptic wasteland. Naturally Rick has to have yet another epiphany, hasn't he had enough of those already, but on the bright side of the sword at least Kirkman doesn't drag it out for page after page. A Larger World setups the next book in style, there's going to be more action than we have come to expect, though Rick suddenly goes from not trusting anyone to being overly trusting. Considering the Hilltop Mob have basically lied about their situation till it's graphically demonstrated to the visitors, this is pretty piss poor writing on the part of Kirkman. Sorry to shock some readers, no I don't automatically jump up and down in glee just because it's a zombie outing, but Character consistency is a requirement of solid writing. Besides being overtly melodramatic the book as a whole shows a hell of a lot of uneven moments.

Guess I'm meant to talk about the art work, though to be honest it was pretty average in parts. There are some great panels that will have you rocking on, particularly enjoyed the insertion from time to time of double page panels to nail key concepts, but equally there is the odd panel that seems to have been rushed to no doubt get the next comic out to a publishing schedule. The art work is good enough to get the story across for a modern audience who have lost most of the ability to interpret via reading.

Guess what our previous Reviewer has missed mentioning is each Book is pretty much a solid package, and is almost an anti-zombie weapon unto itself. We're talking a big book here with a hell of a lot of pages, sorry didn't take note of the page count due to having to return the review copy to the ScaryM's library of fear. Book Eight was picked up via Auckland's Real Groovy for under $40 NZD, which is pretty good value for money. I've seen the book retail for almost a ton in Australia, which is a complete rip off folks, considering you can pick it up for around $20 from Amazon. Your choice on how to source the material, but tell retailers that are pumping up the price that this is the reason you buy online!

To sum up, because I've suddenly run out of space, I enjoyed Book Eight but it really is dragging its arse plot wise with a few too many interludes for characters to get emo on us. Unfortunately Kirkman isn't a strong enough Writer to adequately nail that aspect, so it's a trial to get beyond Rick doing his impersonation of a moody teenager from time to time. I'll stick with it for another Book, but got to say the series is starting to get a bit thread bare to be honest, I'm kind of getting sick of "what comes next", it's pretty much a prolonged version of what most zombie outings throw onto the table. Hate to say it but the television series is better, is Kirkman overrated perhaps?