The Walking Dead #130

By Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Stefano Guadiano

There is a precedent that has been set by The Walking Dead where every issue is pretty entertaining. There may not be crazy amounts of action or long time characters getting killed off every month, but the book is usually always good. Chalk it all up to Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard for keeping things interesting after 130 issues.

There were quite a few things that could be big game changers this issue. Kirkman has done a nice job of allowing Carl to grow up in this series, and this issue he continues that growth. We get to see Carl be jealous of another character, but he handles it pretty well for someone who has been through the ringer. The relationship between Maggie and Rick is always nice to see. They’ve come a long way and both have a lot of respect for one another, and it’s very apparent in this issue. Kirkman is also slowly giving some personality to the new recruits this issue as they are face to face with Negan. While we don’t know much about them, Robert certainly makes them seem cool in their limited panel time. Kirkman could have changed the zombie game at the end of this issue, buut we’ll all have to wait until next month to find out.

The art work by Charlie Adlard is always great, and he is helped immensely by the inks of Stefano Guadiano and the gray tones of Cliff Rathburn. From the first few pages we see a sweet shot of the candle light casting a shadow on a weary Negan who is acting terrified. This is a par for the course panel for Adlard, but he doesn’t phone things in. His attention to detail as Rick and Carl enter the hill community is depicted wonderfully in a two page splash. Adlard is almost at the point where it’s hard to see him on anything else because his style and work is so identifiable on this title.

While The Walking Dead #130 didn’t have a ton of action, a lot happened. Kirkman is still keeping things fresh and compelling, while Charlie Adlard turns in another very good art performance. This series is still a force to be reckoned with.