Review: The Walking Dead 88

Non Spoiler Review:

Issue 88 deals with the ramifications following Carl's emergence from his coma, as well as further domestic difficulties brewing around the community. Rick decides to organize a scouting party to get to know their neighbourhood and see if they can find any supplies of use, given food stores are running low.

This was the first issue in awhile that felt mediocre. That could mean this calm stretch following No Way Out has probably overstayed its welcome. A lot of the potential troubles seemed to be more of what we've already seen over the years. But on the positive side, Carl's situation managed to avoid some cliche pitfalls.

Spoilers Now!

Carl isn't a total amnesiac. He has a notion of a lot that has happened, though Rick has to tell him his mother is dead, which doesn't illicit that much of a reaction from his son. It's questionable whether Carl remembers the details of the twins' death, as well, but he gets some rest, leaving Rick to mull over his son's condition.

Spencer comes to talk to Andrea, wanting to see where they are at, but Andrea says in no uncertain terms that their brief flirtation is over. He can't understand why she's not giving him a chance to redeem himself, but she tells him to get lost.

Rather than wait, he decides he wants to go on a scouting mission to gather food as soon as possible, and leaves Glen to look after things (as per Maggie's request). His goal is to get to know the neighbourhood, and he and a large group rummage through the nearby blocks, most of which have been picked clean already. However, he comes across an office and goes inside, and is later found crying there by Andrea.

Back at the wall, troublemaker Nicholas is up to more shenanigans, gathering a small group to attempt to convince them of the necessity of ceasing control from Rick and his people before they become too entrenched.

The Verdict:

It was a pleasant surprise that Carl didn't emerge with full blown amnesia, and his condition seems realistic enough given his head trauma (though probably too optimistic given the size of the wound). At least we're not going to get bogged down in Rick debating whether to tell his son about his mother's death, as it was handled and gotten out of the way right off the bat.

Spurned Spencer seems to be set up as a plot point to aid in Nicholas' upcoming rebellion. But Nicholas' discord just doesn't ring as true for me. Had his character been around for longer than a couple of issues (or if he has been, I can't recall where he's appeared) it wouldn't come off as such an abrupt storyline introduction.

So a rather ho-hum month, but now that Rick and company are outside the gates I'm sure they'll find something interesting to liven things up again.