The Walking Dead - Libro undici

The Walking Dead #21-22

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

THE WALKING DEAD – LIBRO UNDICI Hard Cover è l'undicesimo capitolo della magnifica edizione cartonata della saga di Robert Kirkman.
La nuova edizione raccoglie l’equivalente di due volumi di The Walking Dead, in un elegante formato cartonato, con verniciatura serigrafica lucida delle parti colorate in copertina e sulla costa, e stampa degli interni su carta di pregio. THE WALKING DEAD - LIBRO UNDICI contiene i numeri 21 e 22 dell’edizione brossurata (‘Guerra totale - parte 2’ e ‘Un nuovo inizio’), accompagnati da numerosi materiali extra: le 12 copertine a colori degli albi contenuti, oltre a studi e schizzi commentati da Robert Kirkman.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Zombies, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Dystopia

312 pages, Hardcover

First published February 25, 2015

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

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are NEVER what I expect.
Maybe that's why I'm not sick to death of this cast of characters, and their seemingly never ending journey?
Anyway, what I expected was an epic battle between Negan and Rick.



Warning: Spoilers
I'll try to tag the biggest stuff, but no promises!



So Negan has this totally Neganish plan to win against in the upcoming battle for supremacy: Taint the weapons.
Yeah, dip the arrows, knives, and swords in zombie Walker goop, and every hit becomes lethal.
I was honesty quite impressed.



Now, this should have been a GASP! moment, but since you know that that dude with the iron-on face You remember, Dwight? The one who is working with Rick from inside Negan's organization?



shot him, it just doesn't quite pack a punch.
Still...Ack!



But, like I said, at this point you're pretty confident that TWD isn't going to feature Rick leading the Group as a walker, you know?
Besides, he swore vengeance for Glenn's death!
I wanna see VENGEANCE!
Oh! Oh! Oh! Here it comes!



But then this happens!

The fuck!? How is he doing this with his throat cut?! Is he a MACHINE?!



Doesn't matter, because even with his leg cracked like a crab, Rick still whups his ass, and before anything can escalate, Dwight takes control of the Saviors as their (<---benevolent? they don't show back up in this book, so I'm just assuming) new leader.



And now we'll FINALLY get revenge for Glenn!


You put that psycho in JAIL, Rick?!



Heh. Ok, can't wait to see how this blows up in your face, buddy.

I know what you're thinking.
Something was wrong (besides the obvious!) with that picture.
Very observant, my friend. Kirkman decided to Fast Forward a few years, and now everyone and everything looks a bit different!



SURPRISE! <---That's what I'm talking about!
Just when I think I've got the rhythm of this series down, Kirkman goes and shakes it all up on me.
And it's not just the look that's changed. The characters themselves have changed. Remember Carl, the little sociopath?
He's whittling unicorn statues for his friends!



To be fair, you see a change in him towards the end of the battle with the Saviors. Instead of his normal psychotic rantings, he comforts a boy who just lost his father.


I know! I know! The world is all upside down, now.
But what about some of the others?
Well, Maggie is the official leader of the people on the Hill, and we get a glimpse of baby Hershel...
Dawwwww!



This one is for those of you who like to play the tv show vs comics game with me...
Anyone who watches the show remembers getting gut-punched by this, right?



Well, not only is she still alive at this point int the books, but check out what a little badass Sophia has turned into!

Pretty cool, right? But what does Rick mean by this?



What?! What happened to Michonne? Did she go to live with Ezekiel at the Kingdom, or did something bad happen to her?!
OMG! OMG! OMG! Don't leave me hangin' like that, Robert?

So, what else has changed in the past few years?
Ooooh! Now they have bread! Yum!



Yeah, you're right...SKIP!
Who gives a shit about bread, let's get to the good stuff.
So what's next for our guys now that it looks like they are rebuilding a little chunk of society?
First, we've got some new characters! And it looks like Magna is going to play the role of Jubliee <--as in, she asked the questions that new readers would ask about the X-men, and help them understand what had already happened in the past, so that we can maybe find out some of what's been happening during this time jump.



I really like her so far! She wasn't afraid to question the Too Good To Be True feel of this community, and she wasn't stupid enough to get taken in by He Who Shall Not Be Named, either.

Oh shit! She's gonna open the door!

Bwahahaha! Yeah, IN YOUR FACE, Negan! Go back to your corner and crap in potty pot Rick gave you.


So, should she be questioning Rick & Co.?
Ehhhhh...maybe?
Rick has a rather extreme reaction to a guy who wasn't paying attention to his post, and I can't help but wonder if that was a foreshadowing of something rotten. At any rate, I'm curious to find out what's been going on for the past few years.



But this wouldn't be a Walking Dead book if the dead weren't in it!



Huh? The dead are whispering?
Did I just read that?
Or...maybe it's something else.










HolyShitWhatTheFuckWasThat?!
Next up, The Walking Dead, Vol. 23: Whispers Into Screams!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS THE 100th BOOK I HAVE READ THIS YEAR I AM SO PROUD OF ME!!!

Honestly though I loved this one. It is easily one of my favourites in the series! It was so good to see the characters grow and develop in ways that I hadn't really anticipated. I'm so keen to continue this series (I say that every time but oh well) because it is amazing but also I don't want to catch up and have to wait for book 14 to be released.

[Mindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I really love about this story is that more than 100 issues into the series, Kirkman is still able to surprise me.

For a while I felt like the conflict with Negan would never end. I just kept waiting for the inevitable to happen...big bad hurts the group in countless ways before ultimately being taken out in a spectacularly satisfying fashion. That didn't happen.



At first I felt betrayed.



WTH, Kirkman, I stuck with you for this long and you give me no awesome payoff? But then I thought about it for a while, and I realized that's what makes The Walking Dead so good. You don't always get the payoff you want. Instead, you get the closest thing to reality in the landscape of a very unrealistic zombie apocalypse. The good guy doesn't always win, good people die, and sometimes you just have to deal with it.

Did Rick make the right decision? Only time will tell, but Rick is a very human character with way more responsibility than anyone in an apocalyptic world would want. I think he is a man honestly trying to do his best, and so far his best has been pretty good.

Things have changed drastically with this story since the beginning, and now we even have a time jump to contend with. I'm intrigued about the new threat that was presented at the end of this compilation, and as always, I'm eager to see how they incorporate the graphic novel into the television series. They are now very different animals, but both are still outstanding.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of All Out War...and the beginning of what comes after.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Ten showcased the massive war between Negan and the saviors and this books highlights the after effects. After Alexandria is destroyed, the remaining communities unite for one last stand against the Saviors. They are enraged at how unfair Negan has been fighting (he was infecting all their weapons with walker blood to infect and kill all the wounded) and decide to take him down once and for all. The aftermath of their war leads to the biggest status quo change that we've seen soo far. Shit is on the mend. The only problems are little problems. Too much good may be occurring, I fear what book twelve will bring. This much peace and prosperity cannot last!

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of the show, I wanted to see how the original writing started and how the show writers followed and deviated from the comics. My dislikes were that the comics are much more crude, crass, and unnecessarily violent. I did like the change in relationships and how people worked together differently, and the comics have a different creepiness feel than you get watching it on TV. Overall, I prefer the show, and probably will not finish out the comic book series.

[Olly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Molto deludente la conclusione della saga di Negan, troppo veloce e semplice

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

That one was good...and not what I expected.

The first part was ALL OUT WAR: PART TWO which concludes the war between the three communities and Negan. The second part, A NEW BEGINNING, follows the life of the characters two years (I believe) after the war.

I enjoyed reading the conclusion of the war, but they could have thrown more action in there. Maybe it'll play out differently on the TV show. It was still good though.

I still have a hard time accepting Kirkman's decision for Rick to keep Negan alive, but once you read it, I suppose it makes sense. And it was awesome to see Rick keeping Negan locked in a jail cell and telling him, "he doesn't swear anymore because he's neutered him like a dog and that he's a pathetic sack of shit". Negan kind of has a Hannibal Lector thing going on in the way that he's locked up but verbally taunting everyone. So, I get it... but I hate to say it...I kind of feel like Kirkman is just keeping Negan around because he has some weird fixation with the character. I mean it doesn't make sense where Negan is currently at in the monthly books I read.

I actually very much enjoyed A NEW BEGINNING and seeing the communities rebuilt and everyone living in peace and harmony. I always thought, while reading the comics and the watching the TV show...that these guys should get at least one good day and now it looks like they've had two great years. Not sure about Rick's hipster look though. LOL.

Of course, we know peacetime won't last very long now that the Whisperers have shown up at the end of the book.

From what I understand, there are three more hardcovers currently there for me to read. I'm just gonna read 'em and get caught up. I love this series.

Hopefully, the show's ratings pick up again soon.

AND WHEN THE HELL ARE THEY GOING TO WRITE DARYL DIXON INTO THE COMIC BOOK?!!

[Soteralzobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1 biblio

[Rade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual story: 3 stars

Twist at the end: pushed to 4 stars

Like many, I expected the fight between Negan and Rick to get brutal. It was but it ended pretty fast. Besides that nothing much happens for a big chunk of the book. The survivors fight some zombies, ration food, divide up the jobs and/or responsibilities, converse, make ammunition, the sort of thing we saw in many other installments of this comic.

What makes this one unique is the ending where a big twist awaits. I just hope it does not end in "haha I am a bad guy and I want to kill the normal humans that are trying to survive the zombies, which are totally not our enemy so don't even think about bring that up," type of story arc since we have seen it plenty of other times. If so, than I hope they end the comic right there.

Also, why does it look like that some of these characters only show anger on their face? They have furred brow in every scene, even if they are talking about the most mundane things.

Anyway, highly recommended as this graphic novel seems to be getting better and better (even though I sometimes think it overstayed its welcome like The Simpsons TV show did years ago).

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume holds issues 121-132 of this epically good series and finds our survivors trying to rebuild after the war with Negan and the Saviors without completely losing their humanity. It starts with Negan trying to continue the war and take over all of the communities with more carnage and chaos on both sides, and some interesting uses of some captured zombies. There is a pleasant lull in the middle as rebuilding works begin and things seem to be settling down but then a very morbid discovery is made that seems to suggest that the walkers are not as mindless as originally thought, posing a whole new risk and terror to the surviving communities. As ever the story is supported by the superb greyscale illustrations showing all of the tender moments as well as all of the gory ones.

[Ander Mombiela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi volumen favorito hasta el momento. El arco de la guerra contra Negan ha sido el mejor y es una pena ver lo que hicieron con él en la serie. Aquí, cada encuentro entre Rick y Negan tiene una carga de tensión emocional porque sucede en ocasiones muy contadas, mientras que en televisión fue algo que exprimieron hasta el límite. El discurso final de Rick es una maravilla.

Además, ahora ya voy totalmente a ciegas y no tengo ni idea de lo que me espera. El cambio de tono después de la guerra me ha gustado muchísimo, igual que los diseños de Rick y Carl. Por si fuera poco, este volumen recopila alguna de las mejores ilustraciones de lo que vamos de historia.

¡Estoy muy contento de haberle dado una segunda oportunidad a The Walking Dead!

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fast and engaging arch. This series wraps up the Neegan series and begins to set up the Whispersers. Overall Im enjoying the books more than the show, seeing a darker and grittier side than what we got on TV. Can't wait to read book 12.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always forget how different the show is from the comic. So I kind of knew what was going to happen in this one but at the same time didn't. I always enjoy reading these.

[Tiffany Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the brutality of the last book, this one brings a nice change of pace and still manages to pack in the surprises.

[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The consistent twelve-issue arc collections for this version of the series once again creates a unit that does not function terribly well as a coherent book. The first half finishes off the Negan storyline, and does so in a fairly satisfactory way, even if we all KNOW that leaving Negan alive is eventually going to bite Rick in the ass. The second half jumps us forward several years--five or so, I'd guess, though I don't recall anything that spells it out. Most of the latter half of the book is, I guess you would say, a slow burn. There is little in the way of developing plot, but instead mostly just getting us used to the new world, now that Rick and company have established a relatively thriving set of interacting communities. Carl's now a teen, Rick is having trouble letting him go (argh); Rick has become a living legend and is having a hard time dealing with that (a potentially more interesting development); Eugene and Rosita are now together but probably falling apart (because what would TWD be without a least a little bit of soap opera action?), etc. Some old faces are mysteriously gone (explanations to come eventually, presumably), and a few new ones get brought in (on the "not a good sign" front: I finished the book a few hours ago but remember the names of almost none of these new folk), and by the end of the volume we seem to be gearing up for the next big crisis. (Seem to be? Clearly, we ARE.) I am curious to see where things go but do wish Kirkman could find some way to get around the structural problems that so often end up making these books failures AS books, however successful they may be as parts of a larger whole.

[Jacquline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't be more excited that this book has finally come out, and I eagerly await the book twelve. The first chapter was quite eventful, especially when Rick took Negan hostage. The Saviors have not fallen, but they have not become a nuisance anymore to any of the groups. It is really interesting to see the groups come together to attack the Saviors, and they have finally won, even though Negan had a great plan to defeat the group by soaking their weapons in zombie blood to get the others to turn, but luckily Rick's group is sharp and knew what was happening before things got really bad. Basically the first chapter of the book was continuing the war from the previous book. The second chapter shows about two years later, the groups formulating a system to trade goods and build factories to produce bread, bullets, et cetera. Andrea and Rick seem to be married, and Carl even calls her mom. Maggie has a son, Hershel, and he's at the talking stage. Rick and Maggie's group have a road cleared out to travel between both areas of living. The groups even ride out to keep the herds from coming too close, moving them systematically and mapping the area out to know what they are up against. They even have horses. The really intriguing part of the second chapter in the book is that we see zombies talk and attack. At the very end, we learn that there are people underneath the zombie exterior, taking what they want, but we do not know what that is yet until the next book. Also, Negan is rotting in jail, and he believes he is going to get out and destroy Rick. The other part of the book that captivated me was how there was a group lingering about, and they were brought into Rick's group. There are five of them, and they seem trustworthy, but how trustworthy they are is up for the reader to decide. Kirkman does not let his audience down with how amazing the story line is. Before I picked the book up, I thought that the series should end at this one, but after reading it, I am waiting for the next one. I hope it is all that I want it to be. Who knows, maybe Daryl Dixon's character will finally arrive.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think they should have killed Negan And since they didn't, I think they will live to regret it. The ending didn't make sense unless someone without any working electricity they found a way to not only make the dead move, but through electrical impulses, move their bodies in an intricate way which is really hard to believe. EDIT: Never mind. It was more an Anthony Hopkins' moment. Even with those two problems, this was really good. Great series.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I think things are going to get predictable, a new surprise comes along. This volume gives a satisfying resolution to the war with Negan and opens a new chapter for our heroes...and I for one can't wait to see what the future holds.

Also, SPOILERS...

Zombies that whisper? And that wield weapons? So awesomely creepy.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

The time gap between the first half and second half of this book threw me off. Let me amend that, everything about the second half of this book threw me off. The world of our dearly beloved characters changed in so many ways, that the characters themselves became unrecognizable.

[Singleton Mosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the war against Negan was excellent. Too bad it had to end at some point. And what an interesting, and brave way to continue.
Even though I do not really like the 'post-war storyline so far, overall TWD keeps being superb.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW what a twist at the end and a threat that is unlike anything ever seen.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the end of this book I was talking to it, "No Way, You Have To Be Kidding Me!!". My husband was trying to sleep but I got his attention with my comments. Great ride.

[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 starting 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.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The walking Dead book 11 by Kirkman, Adlerd, Gaudiano, and Rathburn. This is a comic book collection. This has a couple of different walking dead comic books compiled into one. This book is the 11th one. I have read through the other 10 before, and they are pretty good. These books are about this world just like ours that all the sudden the dead comes alive. The books follow a family/ guy named Rick Grimes. Rick was a police officer who woke up from a comma after being shot. He woke up to find the world as it is now. We have seen the books slowly make the world worse and worse. Now in book 11 Rick is facing his biggest challenges yet.

Book 11 takes place right after book 10 ended. The settlement on fire and the people scared after what happened. Rick comes to finding what happened after he got knocked out. He thinks about what to do, and he finally figures it out when a man confronts him. The man figures that he doesn't like living here knowing that there is a war going on. So Rick things about it and figures that it would be safer for everyone to move into the biggest settlement and become the strongest ones there. Everyone gathers together and moves there. They get to the town without a hitch, and everyone settles in. Rick starts thinking about what to do now that they have all these numbers. He comes up with a plan that is just too slow. Our protagonist, Negan, has decided to attack earlier than RIck had planned for. Negan attacks, Rick and his people fight him off as well as they can before they had to retreat. After a good wile of Rick and his people trying to get their barrings they finally have a plan. With this new plan when Negan comes to the front doors Rick meets him there. Rick talks him into a deal that would work best for the both of them. But this was just a ploy to get him into knife distance. After the battle they all come to an agreement.

Then the second half of the book starts. The book cuts a good few years in the future. Here we see the settlement has grown and turned into a true civilization. They have cows, pigs, and even a wind mill. The town is good.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume includes the twenty-first and twenty-second collections of Walking Dead, or in terms of storytelling the end of the Negan war and the start of the Whisperers arc.

Negan became a cultural touchstone thanks to the TV incarnation, which featured levels of brutality seldom seen on basic cable. In the comics he’d already been defeated, and I don’t know his effect there, because I became a sporadic reader of the series and really only knew he existed at all thanks to TV. The funny thing is, he almost seems ready to “retire” when Rick Grimes decides he’s going to beat him up. But not kill him, just imprison him for life. The good guys are about to embark on an era of good times, and they want to start off on the right foot.

Robert Kirkman chooses to skip ahead and dive right into the good times rather than watch them develop. Walking Dead is always a talky comic, a relationship drama. But there must always be a crisis on the horizon. And that comes when some of Rick’s sentries...overhear zombies talking.

Now, since I haven’t been a regular reader at first I wondered if this was somehow a thing I didn’t know. But no, turns out to be the next crisis. More on that in another review.

My criticisms are mostly to lack of subtlety. This was a much more pronounced problem in the early issues, with the original artist, who couldn’t mask this as well. Charlie Adlard brought an instant credibility to the storytelling. He made it feel both more relatable and more horrifying. But Kirkman spends so much time just having characters talk he doesn’t give the story much room to breathe, or the storytelling. More than a hundred issues into this concept they should not still be learning about big new threats in their backyard. Maybe there was foreshadowing? I don’t know. But everything reads like that.

It’s probably easy to be cynical about it, not being immersed. This gives me distance, but it also puts distance. Anyway, I read some other material, too, so that stuff is informing these conclusions. More on that elsewhere.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point in the series, I feel a lot of repetition. I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that it is and has been on television, but I was ready for the gang to run into something new. By the end of this book, I have hope for that.
This series has been in the making for several years now, and I sometimes have to go back a book or two once I get a new one. That was still the case when I read this edition. Once I was caught up to speed, it was the same feeling of urgency, hope, and despair all wrapped up in one book. I have to say, that I can't wait to see how the new developments from the end of this book play out in future books.
Overall, I gave this book 5 stars. There is a part of me that, since The Walking Dead has been mainstream, that wants to quit reading this series and leave it for later years. But, then I remember spoilers are a thing, and I would rather be caught up with the books. Although that has no impact on the content and review of each book, it is a little discouraging to continue the series. Regardless, The storyline still provides new and exciting plot twists, a realistic amount of disappointment and despair, and I am still holding a few characters very dear to my heart. The artwork at this point, I feel, may be rushed. Comparing it to older books in the series, something is different, but I can't put my finger on it. Still beautiful artwork, though.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankfully this one ends the Negan saga. So everyone leaves Alexandria leaves after it is destroys and everyone consolidates at the Hilltop. Then Negan and co attacks Hilltop with poisoned weapons to infect everyone. Little additions like this are what makes this series so unpredictable. Dwight shoots Rick to convince Negan he's still loyal even while he's playing double agent. Rick and Negan meet outside of the gate in an attempt to negotiate. Even though it seems that Rick has convinced Negan to try to rebuild civilization together, Rick cuts Negans throat; Rick has people save Negan to show the world he's better than Negan. Some from the Sanctuary almost fight back, but once Dwight convinced them otherwise they don't. I understand Rick's point in saving Negan, yet I have to agree with Carl. Negan did so much evil he should have been executed. We shall see if Rick made the right call as this is the end of the first section.
The second section introduces Yumiko and Magna. Not sure what to make of them here even if they were pretty bad characters in the show. This crew, for the most part, is fairly annoying. Eugene has devised a plan to deal with the herd. The Grimes' men have new looks. Not a huge fan of either one. Carl is sneaking talks with Negan, who's been in jail for some time now. This new group doesn't trust the community even after being taken as refuges. Carl is going to move to the Hilltop to pursue an apprenticeship. Some sentries encounter walkers that talk. Then they come into contact with walkers with knives and actually think that the walkers are attacking them. Soon, our group discovers they are people wearing skin from walkers. It ends with us meeting Alpha.
I really am glad the Nega saga comes to an end. It was wrapped up nicely I have to say. I was really getting tired with the character. Every sentence he says some type of profanity. It's not good writing nor does it even feel like a really person. Kirkman fell in love with Negan and ran with the idea. There is so development to his character. He is just a bad guy. We know nothing about him. He wears a leather jacket and cusses. The only thing resembling some development is him agreeing with Rick, but then he gets his throat cut. At least he is saved so we might get some improvement later. I felt like I knew the Governor more. The second half of the book is so refreshing without his character, for the most part, cussing up a storm. I enjoyed the new Alexandria and how we are moving toward a greater future, something akin to what we had before the fall of civilization. The threat of the Whisperers is teased nicely as Kirkman builds tension via some scattered encounters between the two groups. Good entry again. Thankfully Negan is relegated to prison so we can largely avoid his poorly formed character.

[Janne Paananen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pienen tauon jälkeen taas Walking Deadin kimpussa. Yhdennentoista kirjan ensimmäisessa osassa saadaan edelliset pari kirjaa veivattu sota sadistista Negania vastaan päätökseen. Tämän jälkeen sarjassa tapahtuu pieni aikahyppy ja toisen osan keskiössä on jo hieman varttunut Rickin poika, Carl. Murrosikään kasvaneen pojan hormoonit alkavat hyrrätä ja mieli tekisi jo isompiin saappaisiin. Edellisten kovin sotaisten jaksojen jälkeen tämä seesteisyys tuntuu ihan mukavalta vaihtelulta. Yhteisö on keksinyt tavan tuottaa ruokaa ja tarvikkeita. Vaihtokauppareittejä toisten yhteisöjen kanssa muodostetaan ja on aika luoda uudenlaista moraalista koodistoa, kuten miten rangaista väärintekijöitä tai yhteisölle uhaksi olevia jäseniä. Jotta homma ei olisi yhtä harmoniaa ja hyvää meininkiä, odottaa kirjan lopussa pieni yllätys.

Hyvin kulkevaa tarinan kerrontaa. Pidin myös aikahypystä. Tuttujen hahmojen vanheneminen ja muuttuminen toi tarinaan lisää syvyyttä, joskin sitä olisi voinut hyödyntää vieläkin enemmän. Nyt se näkyi lähinnä vain Rickissä ja Carlissa.

Hetkinen, olikos tässä kirjassa zombietarinassa zombieta ollenkaan?

[Brielle "Bookend" Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨⚔️ “Hope has teeth now. And it bites back.” ✨

4.8 out of 5 Burned Flags

Best for: Readers who’ve waited for justice to stop whispering and start roaring.
Skip if: You’re looking for clean victories. This war stains everyone who touches it.

Book Eleven is not subtle. It’s not meant to be. This is war, finally—Rick’s coalition versus Negan’s empire. And the first thing Kirkman does? Show you how messy war really is. No battle plan survives first contact. No alliance survives without cracks. And no one walks away untouched.

Characters you trust falter. Heroes hesitate. Villains monologue. Everyone bleeds. And yet somehow, in the middle of it all, a new kind of hope sparks: not in speeches, but in the refusal to be broken again.

Negan is still in control—but for the first time, he feels pressure. Rick’s not just fighting back. He’s fighting smart. And it’s terrifying to watch.

The pacing is relentless. The emotions are blunt-force trauma. And if you thought this series couldn’t surprise you anymore? Think again.