The Walking Dead Fan Club

EPIC!  Let's begin our discussion.  I literally felt my stomach drop with what happened to Carl.  This was so insane, I need a minute to collect my thoughts.

At least Michonne didnt die...

yet

I still cannot believe   what i just seen int eh comic... i must say without Carl .. Rick might  get crazy and i dont think he will last long  alive...

Carl suppose be dead by now with the bullet wound... but.. int eh world of comics.. you never  know ... i dont think  kirkman will let him go.. since he will ahve to restructure the complete comic without  him...

Lets see who make it from the community ... theres still the love triangle  of Rosita and Holly (both still alive), the gay couple + priest, Maggie and Glen

Niupon at March 30, 2011 at 3:00 PM

I still cannot believe   what i just seen int eh comic... i must say without Carl .. Rick might  get crazy and i dont think he will last long  alive...

Carl suppose be dead by now with the bullet wound... but.. int eh world of comics.. you never  know ... i dont think  kirkman will let him go.. since he will ahve to restructure the complete comic without  him...

Lets see who make it from the community ... theres still the love triangle  of Rosita and Holly (both still alive), the gay couple + priest, Maggie and Glen

Kirkman has no problem with completely restructuring the entire comic.

Remember a little something called 'No One Is Safe' arc?

Plus he stated that Rick will die before the end of the series and no one lives forever.

I don't think he's backing down from that statement anytime soon, nor he ever has.

So did anyone else laugh when lil  Ronnie pissed his pants, or am I just that fucked up?

pretty fucked up but thats encouraged......i think carl is dead because it would be piss poor writing if kirkman comes up with some inane reason why he lives

redhollywood at March 30, 2011 at 4:14 PM

pretty fucked up but thats encouraged......i think carl is dead because it would be piss poor writing if kirkman comes up with some inane reason why he lives

Definetly, it would ruin the series if Carl was walking around with a good chunk of his face missing. If he Dies then I think Rick should off himself and let Michonne take over.

Well Boys and Girls, the shit really hit the fan with this issue. And not a slow moving ceiling fan either, I mean an industrial strength cooling fan for large machinery. So many dead characters, so many more to go. It kind of feels like no one is going to survive this arc. Seriously, doom and gloom for all.

First I want to say, if you haven't read the comic (what the fuck is wrong with you, steal it if you have to) then please don't read any of our discussions or spoilers. Trust me, you want to have your head blown clean off your shoulders with this. So stop reading this and go buy it.

I've decided, being the annoying writer that I am, that I was going to write a review for this issue. So buckle up my fellow zombie aficionado's it's going to be a crazy ass ride through issue #83.

To begin, the name of a story arc hasn't been more perfectly phrased since the No One is Safe arc. No Way Out is absolutely the correct title, especially in the end for Rick. The issue starts immediately where the last issue ended, remember where Rick made the statement everyone was pissed about on here? ( but if they were in his shoes they would do the same damn thing ), "They aren't our kids." He responds that he's not being insensitive, but if he had to choose between someone else's kids and his own, then Carl wins every damn time(foreshadowing big time!). Maggie and Jessie look horrified, but who cares about them cause you know they would do the same thing. Jessie pleads that they come back for everyone else and Rick admits he would never abandon everyone, he just can't function with the thought of Carl in danger. He then quickly jumps into Leader Rick mode, telling everyone to get ready.

Upstairs Michonne pleads with Morgan to live in one of her more heart breaking performances Kirkman's every written for her. We get to see a softer side of Michonne and exposed nakedness that feels very real. She admits to him that she puts up a cold facade for people cause she has a hard time letting people in, fear of appearing weak. In Morgan she was in awe of his strength to carry on without his son, something someone else might have to do latter on (To soon?). He's pressed on no matter how broken he is. She apologies to him for her harshness and pleads for him to live and forgive her. We are then left with five of the best panels to date with Michonne, a close up of her cold face slowly breaking down with tears. Goodbye Morgan, we hardly new you (Isn't that the freaking truth with all these characters?).

Meanwhile downstairs, Maggie throws Rick a curveball by admitting that she's not risking Sophia's life by trying to escape. Both she and Sophia are to slow and would hold everyone back. Rick agrees with Maggie that none of them would be fast enough with a herd this large and that he has an idea. Rick then pulls an old card trick out of his issue #4 sleeve by pulling a roamer inside the house and hacking it up much to everyone's shock and dismay. Classic Kirkman.

While Rick chops up the Green Lantern shirt wearing zombie, we get a glimpse at all the other towns folk and the peril they are in. Inside Abe's house, he and Rosita huddle in the dark by the back door. Rosita is so scared she's shaking as Abe tries to console her. At Gabriel's church, Gab pleads with the lord for saving them as Eugene unceremoniously tells him to shut up. Eugene explains that the doors are solid, no one's getting in. Then, being the man he is, asks if there is any food because he and Thomas were hungry(the mustached fellow from when Rick and co first arrived in the safe zone).

Across the way Aaron and Eric hold each other as they watch the street, amazed that the herd hasn't torn through their house yet. Then by herself; Abe's other woman Holly lays on top of what looks like an outhouse covered in snow (shouldn't this cause the roamers to freeze?). At the same time Douglas prepares to kill himself as Andrea prepares Glenn, Heath, and Spencer for a suicide run to lure the roamers away from the town. I have a feeling we might lose some peeps from this crowd.

Back at Chateau de Grimes, Rick has just finished chopping up Hal Jordan as Michonne comes down the stairs with a dark expression. Rick knows it's bad if she looks that sad and she say's one sentence, "Morgan is Dead." Rick looks like he's on the brink as Michonne puts her facade back up once more and asks to help. The group prepares to make their move, but Denise refuses to wear zombie guts and would rather risk a run on her own only Michonne tells her she'll go with. Maggie then tells Rick again she's not leaving, probably the best idea Maggie has ever had in this comic.

Feeling that their window of opportunity is closing fast, Rick doesn't push her and wishes her and Sophia the best. He then asks Jessie if she's ready and she stupidly says, "I'd follow you anywhere." Apparently anywhere is hell. Carl and Sophia hug goodbye as Rick explains to everyone to put as much guts as they can on their shoulders. Once they step outside it quickly becomes apparent that Denise is drawing a lot of attention to them by being zombie deodorant free, so Michonne pushes the two of them ahead of the group as Rick pushes his group towards the front gate where it's thinning out. Only one problem that Rick never took into account, Jessie and Ron are not Andrea and Carl. They've been living too long in the safety of this zone, they aren't used to life and death situations. They can't operate in it and it would be a costly oversight for Rick.

Ron immediately freezes up and pisses himself because well, he's a normal eight year old boy and hell I would probably too. Rick pushes on, but Ron cries that he wants' to go back. Jessie yells that Ron needs to stop talking (two of the weakest characters in my mind, they never stood a chance ). By now it's too late, they've drawn too much attention to themselves and Ron pays the price. He is immediately devoured by a zombie and then another causing Jessie to scream out. Michonne hearing this, ditches Denise and tells her to make a break for it as Michonne pushes back towards Rick. Rick tells Jessie to leave her son, which she can't do. This action cost's her as well as a zombie takes a bite out of her back.

As all this hell is breaking out, our useless leader Douglas finally emerges from his Sadam like Spider Hole ready to kill himself in front of horde. Why he couldn't do it in his house is beyond me, but only before he blows his useless and pathetic brains out he spots Rick in trouble and like a learning disabled Super Hero, he springs into action. He jumps into the fray with his gun firing wildly. At the same time, Jessie's soon to be corpse won't release Carl's hand who is now pleading for his father's help. Rick cries as he apologies to Jessie before chopping off her hand and releasing her to her death. They make a break for it after she is swallowed up by the zombie horde.

Wow ok, time to take a breath because this shit is only going to get crazier. Ready, breathe in and out. In and out. Better? Good.

In the crowd, Michonne tries desperately to come to Rick's aide; cause he and Carl are the only people she has left that she cares about. However, Superass comes to ruin the day by firing into the crowd in a dumbass attempt to save Rick and Carl. Rick pleads with the insane old bastard to stop, that Douglas is drawing more attention to he and Carl. Maggie hides a crying Sophia and begs her to ignore their cries for help as Denise makes it inside her own house safely. Michonne, Rick, and Carl are almost to each other; maybe only a few zombie lengths away when Superass does it again. Douglas is bitten on the side of his body and crumples back into the horde, but instead of releasing his gun the moron continues to fire causing Rick and Michonne to duck. After the idiot finally (FINALLY) dies and the gunfire stops Rick asks if Carl and Michonne are ok only to find one of the most horrifying images Kirkman has ever given us. A full two page spread of Carl with half his face missing from a stray bullet. It's a terrifying image that I'll never personally forget. All Carl can say is "Dad?" before collapsing to the ground. Leaving a crying Rick screaming "Carl!"

There is hope however as Rick is being overrun with the dead, Carl's still breathing. So he bundles his son in his arms, let's the zombies tear off his disguise and pushes passed a questioning MIchonne towards Denise's house. He kicks her door once and she's horrified by the sight. The last panel is an image of a frightened and crying Rick holding a bloodied Carl in his arms, while Michonne fights off the horde behind them. Wow, that was just wow.

So, there's the story. Now onto my personal thoughts about the issue. AMAZING! So many dead, so many left to die.

Maggie - First, I need to mention that I feel that Maggie has become the most believable mother in this comic. Her choice not to follow Rick saved not only her life, but Sophia's as well.

Rick's plan - Now I know many are going to say Rick brought this onto Jessie, Ron, and Carl, but let me just say that Rick's plan was not that unsound. He was right, eventually the zombies would find a way into the house and kill them all. They had to make a break for it and smearing themselves with zombie perfume had worked before. However, as I said before Rick had not accounted for the fact that Jessie and Ron were not Michonne, Andrea, and Carl. They had lived a life of safety where as Rick and company were dealing with the dead since day one. Rarely having a safe moment. So by taking them out into the madness he forced them to see the evil they had forgotten existed and they couldn't handle it. They made so many errors I'm surprised they got as far as they did. Had it just been Rick, Carl, and Michonne there is no doubt in my mind that they would have made it to safety.

Douglas - I've hated this bastard since the beginning and have been saying that he would bring them to death. What a tool. I'm glad he's gone, just wish he could of off'd himself in his bedroom Hemmingway style.

Andrea and Glenn - I still feel there's more to come for the remaining heroes. I'm not sure who's going to die, but I'm pretty sure bitch ass Spencer isn't making it. It was so cool to see Andrea take charge, wonder if she'll be the new Rick or at least be there for him when Carl goes.

Jessie and Ron - Yes, I'll agree it was sad. No one should have to go like that, but still I was happy about it. I hated this storyline of Rick and Jessie. It wasn't believable or made any sense. He kills her husband and she goes over a week later and bones him? Please. Plus she was a whiner, just another Carol.

Michonne - By far one of the best aspects of this issue. Rarely does Kirkman let us see into his characters like this. Have them open up and show us their true self. The last time it happened was with Andrea in the Hunter's arc. I truly felt sorrow for this woman, every man she falls for dies. I did feel like that Kirkman was making a point of how loyal she was to Rick. She could have stayed in the house, she could have not gone back for Rick, but she did. She always seems to go back to Rick and Carl, like a surrogate mother. I've always felt they shared a connection, maybe Kirkman see's it too. I loved seeing her in the background of that last panel hacking away at the zombies, buying Rick time.

Carl - there are no words that can match the emotion I felt at that reveal. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. I literally felt my heart fall out of my chest and into my stomach. Adlard did a magnificent job of creating that mixed emotion of fear and confusion in Carl's one good eye. That fear was projected onto all of us. The detail he put into this image was a haunting one I'll never forget. I didn't even feel this when Lori ate it. I mean his eye, his ear, the back of the famous hat, just ripped away in a moment. I honestly don't know how Carl survives this. Not only would he bleed out, but his blood is mixing with the zombie blood on his clothes. Plus Rick places Carl's wounded face against his zombie blood soaked clothes. He's got to be infected. I feel bad because I know we are going to have a scene where Rick is going to have to put Carl down and it will destroy him.

Morgan - It was sad to see him go, but he never really did much in this comic. Panel time was never truly devoted enough to this man. It's a shame too, but it makes it more realistic. In life we don't always get to have that closure. Anyone think Michonne forgot to stab his brain and he will reanimate and get Maggie and Sophia? Possibly just Maggie. Maybe?

Rick - Boy, it never ends for him. I feel that if Carl were to die Rick wouldn't just give up. Maybe at first, but Michonne and Andrea (if she survives) would force Rick to carry on. He didn't give up when Lori died, though he had said she and Carl were the only things pushing him. I feel that Rick is one of the few nonexpendable characters. Kirkman knows it, he's even said that if Rick dies than the story would probably go with it and he's right. I don't think too many people will continue to read once Rick goes. I wonder if Maggie and Glenn were to bite it if Rick would make Sophia his surrogate daughter?

So far though I am five for five with my guesses on who dies, should Carl die I would 5 for 6. I called Morgan, Tobin, Douglas, Jessie, and Ron's death as this arc started.

On a final note, this has been one of the craziest and most emotional filled issues we've had in years. I must give a round of applause to Mr. Kirkman, Mr. Adlard, and crew for their astounding work. One month to go before issue #84.

Based on the final cover of this arc, we can say goodbye to Carl.

I felt like crying when I saw that double page and what happened to Jesse and Ron was heartbreaking

I feel sick

How crazy would it be if when rick takes Carl to get medical help he finds out that the only qualified surgon was Pete?

That would be awesome!  Shitty, but awesome.

What if Carl dies and shortly after Andrea and Spencer save everyone.  Rick spots the little puss and puts a buttlet through his face in retribution for what douglas did to Carl.

Jesus Christ.

Okay, I have to say it. Carl is DEAD. Even if by some miracle he could be saved, there simply is not enough time for the fix and time for him to heal. I'll be pissed as shit if Kirkman doesn't kill him.  It sounds aweful, but come on, shot in the FACE? the bleeding alone would kill him in minutes.

Holy shit that was nuts.  just wow...

i think Carl's gonna make it, but i don't think he should with that wound.  seriously, if it just went through his upper cheek and out the side or simply lodged in his head then it would be believable.  He'd lose the eye, be sick, have to readjust, etc.  but like 1/5 of his head was gone.  even if he didn't die instantly, the trauma or subsequent infection would do him in.  Maybe if they had an ER and a team of surgeons, then he could possibly survive.  but in this place, no effing way.

I dont think Carl dies. If you look his wound it seems to be a grazing shot, that just wounded his skull. Of course his right eye is gone, the bullet destroyed it, but the brain didnt get hit. Also he say "Dad" after gettn wounded. He will survive this, but i still think, that Rick's time is about to end. The cover with mochone crying in front of that grave... it could only be Morgan or Rick. Michone is not very close to Carl. Dying Rick will desperate them all, he is their only hope in this world. And thats maybe the point where "Davidson" appears - making a new "Rick" and the whole story gets a big turn.

FU - UCK

I think Carl lives. Looking at the pic the wound is clearly in his face not his brain.

One thing's for sure...Carl's gonna need that hat.

How does he survive being infected?  Answer me that?