Zeb Larson reviews The Walking Dead #151…
Call to Arms.
In contrast to issue #150, a lot is going on this time around. All of it is in a sense organization: Rick is trying to reorient his people to meet this latest threat. There aren’t a lot of twists in this issue, nor is the action particularly heart-pounding. That said, it does a good job in setting the scene for what will come. Furthermore, I like the increasingly political nature of The Walking Dead as people start to form little villages and proto-states. I will be discussing spoilers from here on out.
Rick has started the process of training a zombie-killing army. Fans of World War Z will likely enjoy the pseudo-Napoleonic tactics being employed here: massed formations, aimed shots, disciplined fire control. Though it gets out of hand with the rookies and Rick’s weaknesses as a front-line combatant are revealed, Dwight steps in to help the trainees recover. Rick uses this to organize his people: Michonne is sent to the Kingdom, and Dwight is put in charge of the army. Elsewhere, Eugene spends the issue trying to make his radio work. Just as he gives up hope, he gets a response from another person.
This issue is really Rick sounding the trumpets and summoning the troops, both literally and metaphorically. Interestingly, he’s taking a backseat in this process, finally having recognized that his injuries no longer allow him to be in the frontlines of all the action. Of course, amid all of this, Negan’s prediction is coming true. The crisis with the Whisperers is a fantastic way to unite the community, finally bringing Michonne back to the fold and even possibly keeping Dwight in the mix. Of course, the fact that Negan is Rick’s hidden advisor is a potential risk too. How would Dwight feel about that?
And then there’s the issue of Eugene’s first contact. Not knowing the range of his broadcaster, it’s hard to say how far away they might be. Since they’re using a radio and broadcasting, they must be organized in some capacity, but we have nothing else to go on. It’s a good cliffhanger for the next issue, which we need because we’re likely going to be dealing with training and life for Rick’s people for another few issues before the war breaks out.
A lot of little things are being set in motion: Michonne taking over for Ezekiel, Dwight training the army, Eugene discovering more survivors, and even Gabriel volunteering to fight. Those little things are going to become more significant too. The pessimist in me thinks something bad will come of all of this, but if nothing else, it will be fun to watch.
Rating: 8/10
Zeb Larson
https://youtu.be/XUGnM460Waw?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published February 10, 2016. Updated April 14, 2018.
