The Walking Dead #182

The Walking Dead (Single Issues)

by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard (Illustrator), Stefano Gaudiano (Illustrator)

John, the savage new leader of the Saviors, has turned over a new leaf... just in time for an alliance with The Commonwealth?

Genres: Comics, Horror, Zombies, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comic Book

30 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2018

About the author

Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.

Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.

In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.

Reviews

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Previously on Image's The Walking Dead:
There were some talking. Some more talking. Some walking. Some more walking. And then some talking. Then some more talking. Then some horse-riding. Then some talking while horse-riding. Then some walking talking and some horse-riding.

The fucking TREES (fuck ents) on LotR did LESS talking and LESS walking throughout the EXTENDED versions of the films than what Rick and a bunch of boring-ass characters did in here.

Fuck. That. Shit.

I still pay as you can see. And I still read because I have a problem. I like being treated like shit as you can clearly see.

YUP!

AND NOW In this issue there's RICK again.. (yay) and guess what? That new Governor is with him just like the last issue.. and yeah, I'll let you guess what they're doing throughout 25 pages that's a waste of paper... YEAP.. You got it you wonderful you. THEY TALK. They WALK. They horse-ride, and then they talk some more.

SPOILER ALERT: Someone talks to someone for as long as this series' been publishing issues.

Peace out!

PS1. Oh of course artwork is amazing but it didn't save this one either.

PS2. If you rate this shit 3+ stars you either love Soap Operas, or someone is actually paying/threatening you to do this. No other explanation.

PS3. Unless you're a zombie. Fuck you then for supporting this piece of shit. You brainless fuck.

Ps4. Me? I said that I HAVE to buy this because of Sienkiewicz's beautiful variant covers. So I kinda have to read them too.

XBOX1. Come to realize, you DO actually have one and only ONE reason to read this without being stupid, doing it because of the same reason I'm doing it. So yeah.. I can accept that. Other than that, go read some My Little Pony, I bet there's more action over there, and much more interesting plot.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable issue, not much happens but there is a sense that the story is building up to something.

[TonyAntSonWil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hope it's building up to something major as it's very boring at the moment. Not alot happening at all.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that one was interesting. No zombie action, but still good. Governor Milton get's a tour of the communities from Rick...and it looks like there might be some chemistry between the two of them.

This book has been very tame in the past year or so but I'm enjoying it. I must be the only TWD fan who doesn't like the Princess or Negan though.

Anyway, can't wait for next month!

[John Michael Martinez (Elio. Studio) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pamela's stubbornness and reckless decisions almost put everyone in grave danger during the previous issue. If it weren't for the cooperation and quick thinking of both Rick's group and the Commonwealth soldiers, the entire situation could have ended in disaster. She continues to act like she always knows best despite constantly proving otherwise, and so far she has done nothing to convince me that she's a capable leader. I'm hoping this issue gives us a better understanding of the Commonwealth beyond its polished image, because at this point I'm still convinced that something about it doesn't sit right with me.

The issue opens at the Sanctuary, where John has fully embraced his role as the community's leader. Instead of preparing people for war, he focuses on rebuilding through agriculture and sustainability. Christopher, one of the younger Saviors, complains about gardening and wishes they could spend their time practicing with firearms instead. John patiently explains that the world no longer revolves around what people want to do but rather what is necessary for survival. Food is far more valuable than bullets when people are trying to build a future. He proudly points out how much the Sanctuary has changed since Negan's reign. Instead of taking resources through fear and violence, they now produce their own crops and trade fairly with neighboring communities. He reminds Christopher that Negan's philosophy of taking from others only created enemies, while generosity and cooperation create lasting friendships. As John says this, Mark silently lowers his head, clearly ashamed of the things they all participated in during Negan's rule.

Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Rick and Governor Pamela Milton. Pamela appears intimidated by the Sanctuary's grim exterior, while Rick reminds her that it once looked far worse and has changed dramatically since the war ended. John greets the visitors politely, apologizing if he seemed suspicious at first before welcoming them inside. After hearing Pamela explain the Commonwealth and its desire to establish trade and cooperation between communities, John is visibly impressed. The idea of rebuilding civilization together excites him, and he generously offers them accommodations for as long as they wish to stay. Rick compliments John's leadership, acknowledging how much he has transformed the Sanctuary from one of the darkest places in the series into a productive settlement built on trust instead of fear.

Later, Rick asks Pamela for her thoughts on the Sanctuary. While she admits that she is impressed by the community itself, she quietly questions John's leadership and remarks that she now understands why Rick needs to supervise places like this. She even asks what John did before the apocalypse, only to dismiss the answer when Rick admits he doesn't know. Pamela's way of thinking once again reveals how heavily she judges people based on their previous status rather than the people they have become. She then asks Rick about Negan, prompting Rick to recount the long history between them and the events that ultimately shaped all of their communities.

The following morning, Rick notices Dwight looking exhausted after spending the night at the Sanctuary. Dwight admits that returning to his old home brought back painful memories of Negan and Sherry. Rick apologizes once more for everything that happened to Sherry, but Dwight finally stops blaming Rick. He admits that he spent years directing his anger toward the wrong people, whether it was Rick or even himself, and credits Laura for helping him see things differently. Laura playfully interrupts their emotional conversation, and Rick smiles as he realizes the two have found comfort in one another. Although Rick is genuinely happy for them, there is still sadness in his expression as he watches them ride ahead, knowing everyone still carries scars from the past.

The group then arrives at the Kingdom, where William warmly welcomes Pamela and jokingly remarks that the name made much more sense when they still had Ezekiel's tiger, Shiva. Rick briefly tells Pamela about Ezekiel and Shiva, reflecting on how much has changed over the years. The Commonwealth governor is fascinated by how colorful and unique each settlement has become, especially considering that every community has developed its own identity despite sharing the same goal of survival.

During their journey, Mercer asks Rick whether the roads connecting the communities are generally safe and whether people are truly allowed to choose new occupations regardless of who they were before the apocalypse. Rick explains that the old world no longer matters. While many people naturally returned to jobs they were already skilled at, nobody is forced into a role simply because of their previous profession. Instead, everyone contributes wherever they are most useful. Mercer admits that in the Commonwealth he remains a soldier because he served as a Marine before civilization collapsed. Rick jokes by asking whether Mercer secretly wanted to become a florist instead, earning a rare moment of humor between them. However, Mercer quietly admits that although he is satisfied with his own role, many others are not as fortunate. Rick expresses sympathy, explaining that their communities prioritize people's abilities and willingness to contribute rather than assigning them roles based on outdated social status.

When they finally arrive at the Hilltop, Rick is amazed at how quickly the community has recovered after its destruction. Maggie welcomes everyone, modestly apologizing that the restoration isn't yet complete, but Rick praises the incredible progress they've made. Maggie credits not only her own people but also the workers William sent from the Kingdom. Pamela, however, immediately shifts the conversation toward the attack that destroyed the Hilltop, asking about its history. Maggie is visibly suspicious of Pamela from the moment they meet and demands to know exactly who she is before Rick formally introduces her.

The emotional highlight of the issue comes when Carl runs toward Rick and embraces him after being apart for so long. Carl admits that he was worried about his father, especially after Andrea's death. Rick realizes that, for a brief moment, he had actually stopped thinking about his grief until Carl mentioned it again. Carl confesses that he worried he had made the wrong decision by staying at the Hilltop instead of remaining beside Rick. Rick reassures his son that he made the right choice and tells him that the people of Hilltop needed him just as much. It is a heartfelt father-and-son conversation that reminds readers just how much both characters have matured over the years.

During a meeting with Maggie, Jesus, Rick, and Pamela, Maggie remains openly skeptical about the proposed alliance with the Commonwealth. She sarcastically asks whether this partnership involves sharing resources or hanging pictures of Pamela in every building while pledging loyalty to her. Pamela awkwardly laughs it off, insisting she only seeks cooperation. Maggie refuses to lower her guard, explaining that people who smile too much while asking for trust often have something to hide. Rick gently tells Maggie she is being overly harsh, though it's clear he also understands why she feels that way.

The discussion turns toward Michonne, and Pamela reveals that she chose to remain at the Commonwealth after reuniting with her long-lost daughter, Elodie. The revelation shocks everyone, especially Maggie, who initially assumes Michonne is being held against her will. Pamela explains that Michonne willingly stayed after finding her daughter alive and thriving there. Although everyone struggles to believe such an incredible coincidence, Maggie ultimately agrees to support Rick's decision to visit the Commonwealth before making any final decisions regarding an alliance.

The following morning, Eugene surprises Rick by transporting several Commonwealth soldiers in a wagon to make their journey more efficient. Rick notices a collection of unfamiliar tools among Eugene's belongings, but Eugene refuses to spoil the surprise. Meanwhile, Dwight orders Heath and his team to return to Alexandria and remain alert while the others continue traveling toward the Commonwealth. Pamela invites Rick to ride alongside her, where they continue debating the philosophies that define their communities. Pamela praises Alexandria and the allied settlements, calling them worthy of joining the Commonwealth, but insists they must eventually adopt the Commonwealth's way of thinking. Rick calmly replies that perhaps the opposite could happen—that maybe the Commonwealth should adopt their way of thinking instead. Pamela jokingly remarks that Rick might become a problem for her, while Rick smiles and responds that he hopes he won't be too much of one.

One of my favorite parts of this issue was seeing how much John has changed since the fall of Negan. He perfectly represents what redemption should look like. Instead of clinging to the violent ideology that once defined the Sanctuary, he now teaches the younger generation that survival depends on cooperation, agriculture, and community. His lesson to Christopher about living in a world of necessity rather than preference was simple, but it carried a lot of weight. It showed just how far the Sanctuary has come.

I was also really happy to see Rick and Dwight finally reconcile. Dwight has carried an enormous amount of guilt throughout the series, constantly blaming either himself or Rick for everything that happened with Sherry. Seeing him finally accept that some tragedies were beyond his control felt like an important step in his character development. Laura deserves some credit too because she helped Dwight confront emotions he had buried for years.

Pamela continues to present herself as a friendly and diplomatic leader, but I still don't trust her. Every conversation she has seems calculated, and every compliment feels like part of a larger strategy. Rather than genuinely looking for allies, I can't shake the feeling that she's evaluating every community to determine how it can benefit the Commonwealth. She studies the people, their leadership, and their weaknesses as though she's conducting an inspection rather than building friendships. There is always something unsettling beneath her smile.

I found Rick and Mercer's conversation especially interesting because it highlighted the fundamental difference between Alexandria and the Commonwealth. Mercer seems comfortable serving as a soldier, but he quietly admits that not everyone in the Commonwealth feels fulfilled by the roles assigned to them. Rick's philosophy—that people should be valued for what they can contribute now rather than what they were before the apocalypse—continues to resonate with me. The old world ended years ago. Titles, careers, wealth, and social status should have died alongside it. Survivors should be judged by their resilience, compassion, and willingness to help others, not by whatever profession they happened to have before society collapsed.

The reunion between Rick and Carl was easily one of the emotional highlights of the issue. Their conversation wasn't dramatic or overly sentimental, but it felt incredibly genuine. Rick reassuring Carl that he made the right decision by staying at Hilltop showed how much trust they have in one another. Even after everything they've lost, moments like these remind me that family remains the emotional core of The Walking Dead.

Maggie's skepticism toward Pamela completely mirrors my own feelings. Every question she asks is one I found myself asking while reading. Pamela's promises sound wonderful, but they also sound rehearsed. Until Rick experiences the Commonwealth firsthand and uncovers everything beneath its polished exterior, I refuse to believe that it is the utopia it claims to be.

Rick's final conversation with Pamela perfectly summarizes why I continue to admire him as a leader. While Pamela believes society should return to its old hierarchy, Rick believes the apocalypse gave humanity a chance to build something better and fairer. People should earn respect through their actions, not inherit privilege because of who they used to be. That philosophy is what allowed Alexandria and the allied communities to survive together for so long. I genuinely hope Rick never allows the Commonwealth's class system to influence Alexandria because it would erase everything they fought to build after years of sacrifice, loss, and hard-earned unity.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I've been saying how not much conflict has been happening for the last couple of arcs. And you get that here, too. But it's interesting looking at the communities through Milton's eyes. It's like dropping a new reader of the series into this arc.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review of the entire series.

Rick Grimes is a strong-willed deputy who missed the end of the world because he was in a coma for a month after getting shot in the line of duty. Shaken, starving and confused, Rick escapes the horror of the abandoned hospital only to be met with something far more terrible. Not only has the world ended, but the dead have learned to walk and to kill without mercy. After learning that his wife and son have fled to Atlanta from a single survivor and his son, Rick goes on a journey to reunite with his family and search for more survivors.

Rick quickly has to come to terms with the fact that the world has ended and only a select few survived. The dead have risen from their graves and they prey on the living. In a world where every minute feels like hours, where there's no such thing as law and order, where finding a small meal is a tremendous task, the walking dead are quite possibly the least threatening thing for the survivors to have on their breaking minds. Humanity is pushed to the brink of destruction, forcing them to embrace their cruel and primal nature in order to survive. Sometimes you have to be more concerned about who you let into your community so they don't kill you in your sleep and steal everything you once cared about. Rick has no choice but to abandon the ways of law and order that he's upheld as an officer for so long in order to protect the few loved ones he has left. He has to become a monster to protect his crew or risk being devoured by those who became more monstrous than him and even the walking dead.

Despite zombies running the world and having the series named after them, what really sets this series apart from the average zombie apocalypse tale is the focus on realism and the daily struggles, flaws and depth of the characters. There's plenty of badass zombie killing action, but the action often takes a back seat to give the characters plenty of times to share their extremely tragic yet endearing stories, grow through mutual suffering and learn to adapt to a world that has left them to die. Even after the world has ended, many people still can't see eye to eye. They turn on each other and kill each other when they should come together. Others form alliances in spite of their differences and try to rebuild over the corpse of everything that was lost. The daily human drama and conflict is more intense than any monster apocalypse could hope to be.

We watch Rick struggle to balance his old moral code with the many necessary evils he has to commit in order to survive and make the world a better place for the ones he holds close. We watch people like Glen, Dale and Maggie attempt to find love in spite of having every reason to be filled with fear, hate and self-loathing. Characters like Michonne have to learn how to forgive themselves and convince themselves they deserve to be loved despite all the blood on their hands. We watch the weak like Carl and Andrea become strong and sometimes the strong become evil like The Governor. Even monsters like the wicked yet oddly lovable Negan are given the chance to find new ways of redeeming themselves by struggling alongside the other survivors that have all been changed by the horrors of the fallen world.

The pacing is extremely slow and I can understand why that may be a turnoff for a lot of people, but I eventually learned to enjoy watching the characters grow, overcome their trauma, find meaning in life and learn to love again. The characters are forced to do many terrible things to survive and it haunts them every waking moment. The ways they overcome these regrets is very realistic, human and hopeful. The slow pacing really gives the feeling that we're living beside these people. The way every tiny detail of their lives and who they are is explored makes them feel very real and believable.

When I first started reading the series, I wasn't expecting it to have such an uplifting ending. It seemed so bleak and nihilistic for a long time and things would go horribly wrong even when they seemed to be going so well, but the finale channels all the pain, suffering and betrayal of the previous volumes and tops it off with a very touching and inspiring finish. This was never a story about hopelessness. It's about learning to appreciate the little things, learning to forgive yourself and learning to move on even when it's hard. When everything seems lost there's always more to be found, even when we believe otherwise because we convince ourselves that we don't deserve to be happy ever again. Instead of dwelling on what was lost, strive to try and make things better than they were before.

I've never been a huge fan of zombie apocalypse stories, but The Walking Dead had enough heart and strong social commentary to make me stick by the characters until the end and I enjoyed every moment of their long trial.

***

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[Aron · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9 Stars. Solid, as always.

[Addie LeMaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh I want to see what trouble Rick is going to cause now.

[Babs · Rating 4 out of 5]

These past few issues seem to be simmering with tension....just waiting for it all to kick off!

[Nicole Magolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Walking Dead comics still out here delivering the Carl Grimes content we deserve!!!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was meh but may be setting the stage for something big. We shall see.

[Justin Chiang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The walking dead has become the walking around

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot like #181 without the action. More sizing each other up. I feel this is building to a conflict though instead of a happily ever after.

[Aidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Commonwealth arc keeps on delivering. The sense of suspense keeps building. Bring on the next issue!

[Sconesy Cider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love festival. The only conflict right now is political I feel like I’m been watching the news.

[Manuel Meneses · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gusta como ha crecido la comunidad del Santuario y cómo aprenden de sus errores.

[Tosca Wijns-Van Eeden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspection has closed... now what...

[Vikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the tour continues Pamela gets to see more of settlements and Carl meets Rick and they talk about stuff, people discuss about stuff and now it's time for a reverse journey.

It's no wonder The Walking Dead is a legendary series, it truly deserves all the praise it can get. I love The Walking Dead and it's style. It's wonderful and I love the journey taken with Rick and the group as they roam the wasteland in search of life and stability.I have always loved comics, and I hope that I will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics or Diamond Comics or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on the international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics I can. I Love comics to bit, may comics never leave my side. I love reading this and more, you should also read what you love and then Keep on Reading.

I have always loved comics, and I hope that I will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics or Diamond Comics or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on the international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I can. I Love comics to bit, may comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick and Pam visit the Sanctuary with "friendly" saviors, and the rebuilt Hilltop. Maggie is leery of Pamela. They discuss trade and security.Rick and Carl are reunited for a time.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very "chill" issue. Got a recap on the progress in each community. But in true TWD style, it appears the poo is about to hit the fan.

Side note, Rick seems to be moving past Andrea.