Yay for Michonne being back. Finally.

 

All I have to say is that I'm glad Michonne came back. I guess we also found out the reason there was distance between her and Rick, too.

 

She's baaaaack!


....and she's a...pirate?

 

You know; ever since AOW I've had this sneaking suspicion that the show was definitely beginning to influence the comic. Personally, this issue confirms it.

There's been little remnants of the show floating around since AOW--Dwight, Sophia, the way they turned Carl into Chandler Riggs after the time skip, and a few other subtle examples.

But this one takes the cake. After all this time; now we discover this extremely important detail about Michonne's past? Also, the manner in which she opened up was exactly like the way she opened up to Carl in the show; not to mention the fact that it had to do with her having kids and losing them gruesomely during the outbreak.

Yeah, they definitely did that because of TV Michonne having kids.

Although; I do like the plot twist with her husband Dominic. Up until now; I always figured her lover/boyfriend Mike was her "man"; and Terry was his bestfriend. But she was divorced, or separated from baby daddy Dominic, and shacking up with Mike. The plot thickens.

Also, I can't believe she would just take off like that. I understand the guilt; and not feeling worthy of happiness, I really do. And it's not just that she doesn't feel worthy; it's that she feels scared. She feels like she has yet to full pay the debt of abandoning her children. So she's deathly afraid; that if she finds happiness that it will be brutally ripped from her grasp in a cruel and final reconciliation. A balancing of karma.

But, after all she's been through; all Rick has done for her, how close she is to him and Carl; she had to have known people would risk their lives and go to the ends of the earth looking for her. And she still took off like a irresponsible child. I agree with Rick; had things gone differently; I couldn't have forgiven her either.

 

Wow Ezekiel finally dropped the whole Kindom charade. There was mention of Dwight and lumber.
Michonne is crusin the ocean.
Alpha aloud Carl to follow.
and damn it Dante why did you have to mess up your chances with Maggie you know her Sophia loves Carl.

 

Great issue. Although I was a wee bit let down when I first realized the boat was nothing more than a fishing boat--after thinking more, I'm happy it wasn't a bustling, thriving fifth community. That would have been too much too fast; and there would have been too many unanswered questions for the story to bear; especially with all the questions from the time skip that have yet to be answered.

It's funny seeing some of the character's assuming these new roles. At first; it almost seems cartoonish, but it makes sense. These are the archetypes that a primitive, medieval style world like this creates--swordsman, samurai, knights, pirates, wise kings, etc. Also, I have to say; Pirate Michonne is my favorite Michonne.....or maybe it's just the pigtails and overly-abundant cleavage.

It's good to see Ezekiel; and even better to see he's so-completely dropped the "King Zeke" act that he's even calling out his men when they still accidentally treat him a little too "royally". Also, I loved that Kirkman fakeout--when I turned the page and saw that zombie head falling apart after being sliced perfectly in half and saw that iconic word--"SVAASH!" and the sword; my heart skipped a beat for a second. And then the next panel shows it to be Ezekiel and I was like--"AH CRAP!". But hey, I was happy to see Ezekiel too. Although; poor sap needs a piece of rebound booty bad. I mean, here this guys is, having been dumped for most likely a couple of months now and he's still carting around Michonne's sword like a creep stalker talking about--"keeping it warm for her". Yikes Zeke; you're approaching dangerously high creeper-levels. But, nonetheless I'm happy to see him; and I'm happy to see he's found a lot more of his manhood and courage since AOW. I was impressed to see him out there dropping scored of walkers by himself.

Moving on; I thought it was cool Rick took Magna with him. That support what I was thinking for her character. That she'll become a valued member of the community and will become one of Rick's best people like Jesus, Andrea, Michonne etc. And he'll wind up entrusting an important job, or position of authority to her.

Concerning the rest of Rick's group riding party--I'm really worried about Aaron. It seems like he's full of a lot of guilt, and hate, and anger. He seems very depressed since the time skip. I guess time didn't heal his wounds when it come to Eric, and losing him during a battle in the war. It seems like that's eating him alive, as if he won't forgive himself. He feels it his fault; the same way he felt it was his fault that Eric got stabbed while recruiting. Aaron always felt, or knew, Eric wasn't meant to be out there, he isn't one of the warrior-breed; and that's okay. Eric was good at other things; he just wasn't made for life in the wild, so to speak. But he insisted on fighting, and being a part of the war effort and Aaron allowed it, and then Eric was killed. I'm sure Aaron feels like he failed to protect him in that moment as well. I'm just really worried for him; I feel his time may come soon.

That joke! I almost spit my coffee this morning when Michonne made that completely tasteless joke about Rick cheating on Andrea with Magna(it also is completely characteristic of Michonne and shows she hasn't changed one bit. She's the same fast and loose, promiscuous slattern she's always been. Sorry Michonne, but you're the only one who always needs to f*ck the new guy.) The way Rick looked at her; I thought he might for full-Rick and break out the whooping stick and go buck-wild on Michonne with his cane like he did to Benji. I also loved the bit about her social skills being rusty because they don't do much socializing on the ship; and Rick's slick remark about her always being quite the talker(referencing her talking to her dead boyfriend all the time; as well as his ghostly telephone calls). I'm loving all these subtle nuances and references to their past together; it makes it feel so much more realistic--we wouldn't have had that without the time skip.

I don't know why; but I choked a little bit when Rick began talking to Pete. For some reason when I saw Rick say that name I was like--"Uh-oh". But, this Pete character made me laugh; he's like the stereotypical "19th century first mate on a fishing boat". He reminds me of Queequeg, or Pip from Moby Dick, or even Alfie Pierre from "The Perfect Storm"--



Now, concerning Carl. I though the banter at the Hilltop dinner table was pretty funny/interesting. I loved how Maggie is more annoyed by Carl's disappearance rather than being worried and scared. It just goes to show how capable Carl is/has become. I also love how Maggie immediately knew exactly where Carl was and why he left. Even though he's the great Carl Grimes(!!!!!!!), he's still just a predictable teenage boy. Also, I'm really starting to like Dante; I mean I liked him before--but now that he's not dead, he survived a dicey encounter, kicked a bunch of zombie and whisperer ass, and is always hitting on Maggie and saying funny stuff he's fast becoming one of my favorites. His "first piece of ass" comment was hilarious; and oh so true! But, I have a feeling it didn't ruin his chances with Maggie; I bet she secretly has the hots for Dante. The only thing that bugged me about that was poor Sophia; I loved how she stuck-up/vouched for Carl's strength and capability in the deadlands when Maggie's friend freaked out about him being beyond the walls(apparently some people are still weak and naive). But, then when Dante made his comment; you could almost see the heartbreak on Sophia's face. I'm not sure if she's actually put two-and-two together--but just hearing that Carl ran off to follow another girl would be enough to devastate her. Which worries me, mainly because of the several years she spent in crazy-delusional-denial town after Carol died and everything. Way to go Carl, break the heart of the crazy girl who just now became normal, smart idea sport.

As for Carl, his coming-of-age arc, and he himself continue to impress and compel me. When I saw him sleeping up against that tree, pack on, and gun in his hand laying across his lap, cocked and ready to fire. I was also impressed at his situational awareness; as soon as a twig broke of a leaf cracked he popped his eye open, but cleverly didn't lift his head. Then, once he realized he wasn't alone; he brought his head and his gun up simultaneously-giving him the surprise advantage for a moment. I also loved his toughness and sh*t-talking when Alpha was trying to treat him like a child playing with a gun. But, it's funny, because at the same time; I liked Alpha's attitude and approach with Carl. It was a breath of fresh air to see someone not worship him for being a Grimes, and treat him like a child. It was nice to see Alpha basically cuff him upside the head in a sense, and say--"Put the gun down tough guy". Because Carl definitely doesn't get nearly enough slices of humble pie in his daily life. I think this whole "Whisperer" section of Carl's coming-of-age arc is gong to be what teaches him humility and modesty.

I think Alpha was so welcoming to Carl though because firstly; she recognizes him from the Hilltop, second; he immediately protected his people by ensuring that he was not sent by them and was following out of his own volition. Third, he was completely truthful, but most of all--I have a feeling Lydia has told her mother a great deal about Carl Grimes. It could be Alpha is happy about this; and wants her daughter to find a permanent mate; and she thinks Carl could possibly be man enough to take care of her daughter.

 

[MENTION=25512]jwcoombs[/MENTION] due to all the text and me being on a phone lol im not going to quote you. But that part about zeke, I felt when Michonne was explaining to Rick that she to had some deep feelings for him still but due to her own demons she ended it with him. I can see this playing out and them smoothing it over

 

**** YES DWIGHT GOT A MENTION!!!

Even better, it sounds like he's not fully reformed, he's still the "chaotic neutral" one. They've kept everything that was so great about his character. Can't wait for him to actually make an appearance!

Another thing, is this the first time they've actually been called "the Whisperers" within the series? Just that reading the line when Maggie calls them that felt kinda strange.

EDIT WITH A FEW MORE POINTS:

-What was the lumber thing about? Are the Saviors now lumberjacks? Because that would be awesome.
-Michonne is dead wrong about not being able to start over. Plenty of people have managed to move on.
-Did Ezekiel really give up his crown? It can't be...
-What the hell happened to Magna's story? I was convinced she was going to absolutely **** shit up, now she's lucky to even get a mention. She better do something at some point.

 

The lumber thing was just Rick making it known that The Kingdom isn't the only community that produces vast quantities of lumber for trade. Apparently the Sanctuary does too. So, Rick was just saying if Zeke doesn't like the prices of the only bullet-maker in town; that's fine--Rick can certainly get his lumber elsewhere.

It's seems Dwight has a decent lumber operation going on at the Sanctuary and the surrounding lands; he may also be manufacturing or gathering other valuable resources in large and lucrative quantities as well. But, judging by Rick's comment; Dwight and the Sanctuary isn't first on the list when it comes to the commerce and trade(Rick said--"I'm sure Dwight would be more than happy to provide our lumber."); and they would jump at the chance to improve their status and position in the economy.

Also, Zeke didn't relinquish leadership; but he finally dropped the whole medieval act. Also, concerning Magna; this is something I've mentioned in the past. I've felt; that she and her group was nothing more than a plot device. A device designed to show us, and exhibit the vast growth of the safe zone during the time skip, and to also show how daily life has changed, and to show that Rick has been regularly recruiting people and how he goes about it. I felt like the intro of Magna and her group in #127 was very similar to the tone, theme, and what they were trying to accomplish in the season 4 TV premier "30 Days Without an Accident". In that episode, a great many completely new characters were introduced for no other reason than to show the growth of the prison during the hiatus, as well as the changes in daily life, and the fact that they've been actively bringing survivors into the fold.

The other literary purpose Magna and her group served was to allow us to perceive the "New Beginning" through different eyes. They were meant to provide retrospect and contrast. Basically what I'm getting at, is over the course of the entire series we've always seen everything through Rick's eyes, and always took his side, and believed he and his group were the most righteous and the most worthy/capable/etc. But we were given deeper insight into things as a whole with Magna and her crew. Whereas, back in issue #70; we'd followed Rick through hell and back, and were equally wary, and worried as we he was when he first entered ASZ's gates. We trusted no one, thought it was a trap, and just knew it was too good to be true and would not last long. But this time; the shoe's on the other foot. We're viewing things from the other side of the fence; but that would just cause us to be equally as biased as before; just on the other end of the spectrum. This is why Magna and her group was needed. Because they are the carbon copy of Rick and his group when they first arrived at ASZ; same as how Rick and his group have become a carbon copy of the ASZ residents and leadership. So, for the first time ever; we were given a robust, full, and unbiased look into the "New Beginning". We were able to experience this new world through the eyes of both sides of the spectrum; through the eyes of the idealistic survivors living in the thriving bustling community--as well as through the eyes of the wild-eyed, mistrusting, suspicious survivors who think this must be too good to be true, or there has to be some kind of catch. It was a very cool experience and method to provide insight.

I think the only things Magna's future holds is an executive position within Rick's administration. This is what I've thought for a while. Basically; Magna's role will be bigger, and more important--but she'll just be another cog in the the wheel. She will work hard, and prove herself to Rick as no only a hard worker and strong survivor but as an asset. She'll prove to be on the same level as Rick, Michonne, Jesus, etc. Rick will eventually grow to trust her very much; and respect and value her opinion. This will result in her becoming a close and trusted advisor to Rick; and she will ultimately be given a position of authority and power within Rick's kingdom. Be it the on-site leader of a new community, or captain of the guard, or the commanding officer of a patrol regiment, or maybe a spot on or leading the herd crew. Either way; I think's that's the direction her story will go.

Although I will say that I do think one of her people still has the potential to cause some trouble.

 

Issue #139 in poem-form, LOL

I thought this was pretty neat--

It’s March 25,
And we’re all freaking out.
There’s a BOAT on the cover!
What’s THIS all about?
—–
Ezekiel! Wow!
We’ve not seen HIM for a while.
Since he returned to the Kingdom,
Away many a mile.
—–
But there’s one thing missing:
He’s completely alone.
Yes, he’s with friends,
But where is Michonne?
—–
“Hey Zeke, what’s up?
‘Tis your good friend Rick!
The sailors that’re coming,
Have not been quick.”
—–
“Hi, Rick, how are you?
“Bullets cheap?” he asked.
“Don’t you dare question that!
Only we can cast!”
—–
“Hey Grimes, chill out,
Just flappin’ my lips.
Let’s talk about other stuff,
While we wait for the ship.”
—–
“Oh God, are you serious?
He left on my watch?
Hey Dante, shut up!
I DON’T want your crotch!”
—–
Carl, in the woods,
Has a quick napping session…
Wait, he sees Alpha already?
Speedy storyline progression!
—–
The boat zeroes in.
Ezekiel’s sweating.
He’s found this development,
Rather upsetting.
—–
Lo and behold!
Oh my! It’s Michonne!
We now know where she is!
It’s no longer unknown!
—–
In the last few years,
Something big’s gone down.
Once her sweet lover,
She looks at Zeke with a frown.
—–
“Yes, I know I was cruel,
I shouldn’t have left,
But a life with His Majesty,
Would be a little bereft…”
—–
“But why, Michonne?
With him you were happy.
What changed your mind,
And made you so snappy?”
—–
“You don’t understand, Rick.
My daughters are missing.
In my mind, that thought
I’ll never be dismissing.”
—–
So the issue ends,
On a sorrowful note.
But “Don’t cry because it’s over”
That’s a Dr. Seuss quote!

 

I got it last night but haven't read it fully yet. I mainly glanced over it looking for Michonne. I got really excited when I saw the sword come down in the first page and got a little bit let down when I saw it was Ezekiel. Then I skimmed it looking for Michonne. I'll need to read it again later.

 

Maybe she'll join the fishing community?
There's already enough familiar characters in Alexandria, but Michonne is the only character we know in this new community. Bringing Magna and her people in would be a good way to introduce them, plus it makes sense since Magna's group was heading for the coast in the first place. Heck, maybe she'll even take charge, that might be interesting to see.

 

Great issue, read it in the car before I even left the store. Can't wait to see how Dwight is doing, but we prob wont see him too soon yet.

Carl, Carl, Carl...... oh man.

 

lol, when I read Moby Dick I pictured Queequeg as a black version of Sloth from the Goonies. Wasn't he like really big and deformed and borderline mentally retarded?

 

Such potty talk around poor little Hershel at the dinner table. By the time he's 5 he'll have a worse mouth than Negan. And Oscar, you tried so hard to find Carl, and still you don't get a thanks or a visible appreciation from Maggie.

Rick is kind of a dick sometimes. Ezekiel asked a simple question about the price of ammunition, and Rick has a hissy fit. Then he states the reason for his hissy fit was because he didn't want to ruin the good trade situation they had going, when in fact said hissy fit itself was the only thing possibly putting it in jeopardy. I kind of felt like he needed to give it a rest with Michonne too. She knows she f*cked up, and it didn't seem like the first time they've spoken since she disappeared, so I'm sure this isn't his first time scolding her about it. It makes me wonder if Rick will blame Maggie if/when he finds out Carl is missing.

I liked this issue. I liked how they showed Sophia's face when Dante talked about Carl getting a piece of ass, to make us wonder what she thinks about it. But then a couple frames later Dante's line "oh shit, this probably screws up any chance I had with you, doesn't it?" was pretty lame. It didn't feel like natural dialogue to me.

 

Yeah, while I kind of liked the little argument between Rick and Ezekiel; I completely agree. He says his reason for being a complete dick about the price of ammunition has to do with not wanting to "ruin a good thing"; but said good thing is trade commerce, supply and demand--just like Rick said. So, with that in mind; if there is no demand for his overly-abundant supply--I would think being a complete dick about your prices and being completely unwilling to negotiate, haggle, or compromise in the interest of both parties would be the only thing that would be detrimental to the economy. I mean; I was always taught that the sure sign of a good deal is when both parties walk away just a little bit unsatisfied. Sometimes I can still see Rick's "take what I want" attitude from living on road shine through. The Ricktator is still very much alive in him; whether he admits it or not.

I also agree about Dante's dialogue. I got the same "unnatural" feeling when I read it too. As a matter of fact, I had to go back and read it again once or twice because I originally thought the bit about "ruining his chances" was a thought-bubble. Had it been a thought-bubble it would have actually been completely natural. LOL

 

I can't believe I'm the only one who though Michonne's completely tasteless joke was a real f*cking knee-slapper. LOL

I mean, come on; that deadpan-"I just might murder you"-look on Rick's face was priceless.

 

So what happens now. Carl walks with the whisperers for a while? He stepped up for the Hilltop when he made sure Alpha knew it was his own idea. He's an impressive impulsive little man.