REVIEW: The Walking Dead Deluxe #76

Rick went too far in the last issue in his attack of Pete and the community is on edge. Most think Rick is losing it; in fact, Rick thinks he’s losing it. A large chunk of the issue revolves around Rick’s sit-down with Douglas Monroe. Douglas provides some backstory on his early life in the settlement and the communities early days itself. The dialogue is top notch. Writer Robert Kirkman provides dialogue to rival anything seen in Hollywood’s rendition of The Walking Dead. Deep dives into the human psyche take precedence over all-out zombie action here. Douglas isn’t playing around and Rick is slowly unraveling and the rest of the settlement is caught in the middle. It’s interesting, it’s deep.

As with the previous installments in the series, the art is quite gritty. Artist Charlie Adlard and colorist Dave McCaig take a minimalistic approach to the art. Characters are slightly stylized but everything is drawn in a realistic way and the colors are muted to match the downtempo vibe of the story. But that doesn’t mean the art is boring. Nice touches like completely covering character’s faces in shadow for dramatic effect help ramp up the intensity. Virtually all of the issue takes place within the colony so the settings and backgrounds aren’t particularly interesting but it allows the art team to focus on conveying the varied emotions of the characters. Overall, it looks bleak and serious, exactly as it should be.

In The Walking Dead Universe, things are always teetering on the brink of disaster and that is certainly the case here. Rick and Douglas’ conversations will stick with readers well after they are finished reading this issue and the confrontation ends in a shocking way. Issue #77 can’t come soon enough. Moreover, with so many people, relationships, and dynamics at play here, it’s an intense read from start to finish. Traditional action isn’t needed in such a well-crafted world and populated with such complicated characters. In conclusion, this is one of the best written issues in one of the best written comic book runs of the year. The Walking Dead Deluxe #76 is a must read.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Coloring – 4.5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Robert Kirkman
Art by; Charlie Adlard
Colors by; Dave McCaig
Letters by; Rus Wooton
Published by; Image Comics

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Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.