I know some people are going to complain that this is the third issue of The Walking Dead in a row without zombies. But I’m finding that the current story arc (the gang has moved into a seemingly idyllic walled-in suburb) really allows us to see the characters deal with a new- and very different – set of problems.
In the case of this issue: They have to attend a dinner party.
I know! It sounds lame. But after two years-worth of comics following Rick and company struggle to survive on the road to Washington, it’s interesting to see them struggle to interact with people who haven’t been through what they have. In this new and, for now, safe environment, the main characters – specifically Michonne and Carl – remind me of war veterans suffering from PTSD.
Seeing how they act now in such a banal situation as a dinner party is – I think – a fresh angle from which Kirkman can explore his ongoing themes. This series has always been about how the zombie apocalypse changes the survivors, not about the zombies themselves. This issue illustrates those changes in a new and intriguing way.
And for those who are waiting for the other shoe to drop, just check out the last page…