Some issues of The Walking Dead are a slow burn. They take their time settling into character dynamics and build to a shocking reveal that forces you to open the next issue as quickly as you can only to start the process over again.
And then there are issues like this one.
The Walking Dead Deluxe #14 gives readers a taste of what the series is like when there is a lot of ground to cover in just a short time. It is an issue where a lot happens and ultimately the story is better served because of it. The pacing is honestly a refreshing change of pace. There are a lot of iconic TWD moments including the prisoners introduction and getting comfortable at the classic C-Block location inside the prison, but fans of the TV series are sure to notice quite a few differences in this issue. First, something I personally wish the series would have adapted more closely is the gap between how everyone leaves the farm and joins the prison. Here, we see Rick having to go back and convince Hershel, Glenn and the others to come live at the prison when in the show everyone was forced to abandon the farm together. What we see in the comics is a more leadership-defined Rick who understands the need for sustainable resources like crops and farm animals and this sets the stage a little better for his increasingly important role in the group. They look up to him and trust his decision making.
Then there is also that brutal ending. But before we get to that, let’s talk a little about the prisoner interactions that we do get. Axel turns out to be something of a fan favorite as the story continues but for now, Lori certainly isn’t having him or any of the prisoners for that matter. It’s understandable, but there is a sequence about Lori’s hormones causing her to act up in this issue that doesn’t really hold up well. It was interesting to see Kirkman have similar sentiments in “The Cutting Room Floor” section where he contemplates if it was even necessary. It wasn’t. But there is an undeniable uncertainty that comes along with calling a prison home alongside former inmates. It’s a complicated situation, but TWD doesn’t really shy away from it and instead focuses in on the issue, giving the comic the tension it needs.
The prisoners themselves are also different from the series despite some being the same. It creates a different dynamic and despite this one being a bit more problematic by making the larger black guy the murderer, it does align with what these characters are meant to bring to the overarching story. And that is something that all of these changes in the adaption typically accomplish but rarely do we see so many changes and moments of comparison all packed within a single issue. Kirkman has such a strong story here that you really don’t need to differentiate too much to be successful overall. But reading this particular story again, it’s easy to see that making the murderer NOT the large black man in the series was the right step to take. So while we may not have gotten a more clear adaption of how the full group leaves the farm and ends up on the prison, not every change made is one that loses potential for the story which is something we will see a lot more of as we move forward.
So, about that ending. A botched suicide attempt from a completely nude Chris and Julie ends with devastating impacts especially for Tyrese. This moment is a jaw dropper for sure and one not many fans of TWD will ever forget. So why did the TV series skip it entirely? Well, these characters were honestly never really included so it makes sense this important character beat wouldn’t happen, but it’s difficult to deny just how intense the whole development is in this comic. This is the moment where I felt McCaig’s powerful influence in the colors the most as well. The heavy shadows stained with blood are emotionally evocative and really pushes the comic to portraying the story as effectively as possible. Tyrese’s expressions and tears are all the more heartfelt here thanks to what McCaig delivers in a limited but all-too-powerful approach to the colors.
Although so much happens in The Walking Dead Deluxe #14, the one moment you will most likely remember most is what happens to Chris and Julie at the end. Just fourteen issues in and it seems Kirkman, Adlard and company have already tapped into the dreadful cliffhangers that seemingly only they can do so well. It’s tragic and heart breaking, yet also remarkably naïve. Their decision lingers with you long after reading it, making you wonder just what in the hell they were thinking. Almost like how often Kirkman uses the term zombie in this issue! Seriously, they are walkers and the story behind how that term caught on may surprise you. Hint, it didn’t come directly from Kirkman! In all seriousness however, this relentless turn of events is exactly the type of character drama that makes TWD tick, but it is also a moment of insight for those paying attention.
This is the first time we learn that you don’t have to be bitten by a walker to turn into one. Rick tries to calm Tyrese by taking heart in the fact that they haven’t been bitten so they won’t turn. Tyrese explodes telling him he doesn’t know what the f*ck he is talking about and it turns out, he absolutely didn’t. The world gets a little scarier here, not just because of the walker lurching directly at Tyrese’s face either. Now we know that anyone who dies will turn, and it doesn’t matter how they die. It’s a cliffhanger perfectly depicted in Adlard’s art and made only more terrifying by McCaig’s colors but it’s the truth unearthed that is truly terrifying here. No matter how settled the group gets in their prison block filled with cafeteria food or potential for crops by Herschel’s generational knowledge, when it comes time for the end, EVERYONE turns.
This revelation spells a lot of trouble for the group moving forward, in not just how to deal with walkers but also how to break the news to everyone that they will be inevitably facing this fact themselves when they meet their end. If there is one thing that is for sure though, and it is something that TWD has touched on time and time again, it’s that you better enjoy the time you have now because things may not get any better!
