Zeb Larson reviews The Walking Dead #150…
SPECIAL EXTRA-SIZED ANNIVERSARY ISSUE – 40 PAGES FOR ONLY $2.99! In our 150th issue, Rick Grimes finds himself… BETRAYED.
This is it, the 150th issue of The Walking Dead. If you were expecting anything like the hundredth issue in terms of shockers, either take a deep sigh of relief or prepare to be disappointed. However, while there aren’t any jaw-hitting-the-floor moments in this issue, there are a few interesting threads to follow in Rick’s response to the Whisperers and his attempt to manage his community’s response. Is this going to be a long-term change to Rick, or is it just a tactic in his fight against the Whisperers? It’s something to go on. Warning: I will be discussing spoilers from this point on.
Dwight saddles his horse and rides away from the compound, though not before Laura joins him for the ride. Rick finishes explaining to Eugene his plan for the army and walks home, but he’s interrupted by a masked Morton and Vincent, who try and scare. Morton pushes it too far though, and Vincent stops him long enough for Rick to kill Morton as Vincent flees. Rick awakens in the hospital, asks that they catch Vincent, and goes to address the town in his bloody, battered state. In a stirring speech, he talks about the need to create an army to defend the town. Presented with Vincent, he forgives Vincent and tells him that he needs him now as a soldier. Having whipped the people into a near-frenzy, they chant Rick’s name as Negan smiles.
This is the first time we’ve seen Rick really engage in the theatrical side of being a leader, and that’s what he does here. It’s not the first time he’s delivered a speech to his survivors, but he’s playing for effect in a way that we’ve never seen before. His dramatic forgiveness of Vincent isn’t just an act of kindness; it’s a way to try and force the community to unite around this issue. Now that Rick has visibly suffered with them, they can act as one again. Seen from this perspective, the army is less important as a tool (although I’m sure it will be used as that) than as a way to rally people after what has happened.
But then, what do we make of Negan’s approval? Getting a smile and a nod from the devil isn’t a good thing by any means, but then again, is Negan really the devil? He’s done some truly awful things that can’t be redeemed, but Negan is more than just a shallow monster. Has Rick compromised himself in some way by acting like the charismatic authoritarian leader that Negan used to be? Rick killed a man in this issue, albeit in self-defense, but still a transgression of sorts from the man who vowed no more killing. Or, by copying the good parts of Negan, will Rick make himself into a better leader?
So, while this issue wasn’t quite the “huge” issue that we were led to expect, it teases an interesting direction for the future. Is Rick going to take a stand against the Whisperers with his army, or is the army just a way to keep everybody distracted? And is Rick going to change from what he’s done here? That should make next the 150 issues interesting.
Rating: 9.3/10
Zeb Larson
https://youtu.be/vDx6g5ua25E?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published January 14, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
