Geekman's World

Ramifications. This is the word of this week’s issue. After a few skirmishes and a major battle, Rick and his army faced off head to head with Negan’s in what initially appeared to be an impressive first victory only to be confronted in an assault that all but dwarfs the Governor’s infamous tank invasion of the prison. What this issue holds are the ramifications of a war that not many in this world expected to be so violent despite the bleak backdrop in which it is presented.

Sure, there’s not much action to be had this issue. For better or worse, not having action take the forefront of the All Out War arc is something that many wouldn’t have expected. I think this arc is all the better for it. Still, there seems to be a lot of meandering going on between the battle issues of this story. This issue is a prime example. While there are a few moments in this read that may or may not make a huge difference in the larger scheme of things, coming out, you just feel like you read something that may ultimately be inconsequential. We had one major character fall into the hands of Negan, but for some reason I just don’t feel like it means all that much.

Again, the art here is as good as it has been with the Adlard/Gaudiano duo in action. These two make a wonderful team that continues to deliver the norm of what you are used to in a Walking Dead book. No complaints here. Their wonderful splash pages have been a regular as of late; and while not unwelcome when it comes to the art, you can’t help but feel that the more frequent use of splash pages in this arc are here only to accommodate the length of All Out War.

If you are reading this, you probably are already in the thralls of this war. And while this issue may prove to be a minor cog in a massive machine, it is still a necessary read and totally worth your time.

Score: 7.8