The Walking Dead #160

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard
Publisher: Image Comics

The Walking Dead has so many characters now, it’s easy to understand why Kirkman murders half the cast every once in a while. In the middle of the Whisperer War, the ranks have thinned, but few of the core cast have been lost. That probably means more death is coming.

Kirkman has stated that the Walking Dead will never ever end. Never. Even if he suddenly dies, he has friends lined up to continue the series. Zombies have only so much traction in a story about people. They try to kill the people and the people try to survive. That’s why, after 160 issues, this is no longer just a zombie survival comic book. Everyone’s romantic subplots get attention. Politics are creeping in. New villains reveal themselves. Old villains return. The current arc has more in common with Cowboys and Indians than it does with traditional zombie stories.

A few issues back, Rick and the gang discovered the existence of creepy hippies called the Whisperers who have adopted the ways of the dead. They wear the skin of the dead to blend in with the zombies and avoid attacks. They believe the untamed land should remain so and warn the settlements that they must avoid venturing into Whisperer territory. That doesn’t work out so well. Rick’s crew inadvertently cross paths with them too many times, causing the Whisperers to send a violent rebuke. The Whisperers mark their borders with the heads of a dozen random citizens from the towns allied with Rick. Those decapitated include Ezekial, leader of the Kingdom, and Rosita, Eugene’s wife.

In a whirlwind of fear and grief resulting from the murders, an assassination attempt is made against Rick, Negan escapes and kills the Whisperer leader, Rick uses fear of the Whisperers to focus his people, and a war breaks out.

After several issues of planning, politics and intrigue, issue #160 is all nuts and bolts. We mostly just see the combat operations from both sides. Dwight has a daring plan to split up the Whisperers by using their own tactics against them and Beta, the current leader of the Whisperers, sends a massive herd toward the Hilltop.

The Walking Dead has its normal quotient of badass moments. It’s nice to have a straightforward fight after a year of skirmishing and posturing. The Walking Dead is a legitimately great comic book. Kirkman has managed to keep it fresh by switching things up from time to time. At times, The Walking Dead can seem like a egregiously violent soap opera. Other times, it can be an egregiously violent survival story. Right now, it’s an egregiously violent frontier story.

Kirkman has always been willing to spurn convention, killing off characters that would be untouchable in another writer’s hands. He shot a baby once, remember that? The TV show even balked at that. That willingness to destroy what he creates now means that he barely needs to ratchet up tension. Anyone can die in this world and we know it. As soon as a person is in danger, there is a decent chance that they don’t live through it.

Rick has lost three of his closest allies in this war already and that’s just the beginning. We will soon enter bloodbath territory and after so much build up, it will be a terrifying relief to see who makes it and who doesn’t.