The IFLC Review: The Walking Dead #100 *MAJOR SPOILERS*

First... a personal note.

I'm delighted to return to I FUCKING LOVE COMICS, this time as a regular contributor. The owner of this here fine blog, Andrew, has been instrumental in rekindling a love of comics I never knew I had over the last few years, and I'm here to do the boy proud.

It's fitting that my first post as a regular contributor is a review of The Walking Dead #100, as it's this book which, three or so years ago, sent me on a journey which currently involves an insatiable hunger for not only new books but an overwhelming desire to explore the biggest and best from the last 70 years. In the time since I picked up that first hardcover, The Walking Dead has grown from a word-of-mouth hit among zombie fans to one of the best known properties in the entertainment industry. It's the 'The Wire' of comics - a small readership in the early noughties loyally tuning in to each new episode, growing into a larger fanbase who buy and share boxsets - you get the gist. TWD has grown exponentially in the last two years, too, with its TV adaptation one of the highest rated shows in cable history (despite its erratic dips in quality, the last half of season 2 was solid - and season 3 is looking great).

And so, this brings us to a landmark 100th issue of the monthly comic. The advertising has gone into overdrive in the last few months, ramping up production on the comic to every three weeks in order to get #100 out in SDCC week. Advertising such as this cryptic and ominous teaser:

Who is Lucille? One idea a friend had was that it would be the wife of none other than TV show fan favourite Daryl Dixon, who Robert Kirkman has dropped hints may be joining the comic continuity imminently...

...if only.

Expectations for this issue have been high. Personally, and perhaps many of you will share this, I was dreading this issue being an 'event massacre' along the lines of the 'No One Is Safe' (#44-48) and 'No Way Out' (#80-84) arcs, in which our survivors might face an insurmountable threat of invaders, whether human or inhuman. The current arc, 'Something to Fear', has built up this expectation in a similar manner to earlier 'threat' stories, with the looming presence of the mysterious Negan hanging over the group. And the setup on the final page of #99 indicated we might be seeing something similar in #100.

Not so. Issue 100 is a wonderfully crafted, horrifically sadistic pleasure, full of self-reference. Negan does appear, as do his followers, to put Rick and the other survivors in their place. A few pages of delicate character moments in, followed by an eerie calm as Rick, Glenn, Maggie, Sophia, Heath, Carl and Michonne stop their vehicle in the dead of night. The panels unfold with palpable tension as Rick drifts off on his watch. The final two panels are beautiful in their subtle ominosity.

...and everything that follows is brutal and gripping. Instead of a huge fight, Rick finds himself at Negan's mercy, and soon, the remainder of the group do too, lined up to meet Lucille...

And from this point, we're at Negan and Lucille's (or rather, Kirkman and his script's) mercy. Negan becomes Kirkman's stand-in as he toys with the group, toying with his reader at the same time. Every fan knows that anyone can go at any time in this book, and everyone has been very prepared to say goodbye to one of the gang's mainstays, especially since Abraham was unceremoniously killed off in issue 98. Kirkman really addresses his fans and critics alike on the following pages, debating to himself which of his characters he should kill.

"A mother and child... No way I can kill you," Negan says to Maggie, in a wink to the events of #48 in which Lori Grimes was shot to death and fell upon the infant Judy. Kirkman continues in Negan's voice, this time turning to Carl, "What's the story on this future serial killer?... I can't kill you before your story ends." To Heath, Glenn and Michonne, he brings up the "Race Card" - a nod to the many times Kirkman has had to answer for killing off black characters in the book. And to Rick -  "You? How stupid do you think I am? You're practically invincible."

Of course, someone has to meet Lucille, and after a few more tense pages, poor Glenn is 'it'. I'm not going to print the panels here, mostly because you won't feel it as much seeing it here as if you're turning those pages. As my friend James remarked today, Charlie Adlard really steps up his game here, getting the chance to draw some extra detail in 4 oversized panels and a harrowing splash page at the end of the ordeal. Rest assured, this is pretty fucking grim and you may not feel ok afterwards. Negan's casual taunts throughout are as heavy as Lucille's blows.

The issue ends with Negan's promise that the survivors are entering a new world, one in which they will work for him. It's a portentous warning which sets the stage for what could be a genuine rejuvenation for this title.

Although there have been moments of brilliance, and the narrative has remained engrossing, things haven't really been the same since that fateful day when our characters left the prison. Even last year's 'No Way Out' event managed to shoot itself in the foot by effectively negating the zombies as a threat, with a post-battle emphasis on establishing a new world order and a realisation that with organisation, human beings could beat zombies. The quieter arcs since have built on this idea with the introduction of other characters and the Hilltop community (special mention to my favourite new character Jesus) but all this time, we've been missing the Governor, the Shane; the nemesis. The antithesis to Rick's ideals. In Negan, perhaps we've found a greater villain even than the Governor.

I guess we'll see how it pans out in #101...

but for now...

Ta ta.