In the last issue, the first shots of “All Out War” rang out as Rick lead his army against Negan and his. By the end of the issue, the Saviors were trapped in their base, pinned by walkers, but Holly sacrificed herself to ensure that first battle win. In this issue, Holly is held prisoner and Negan must deal with that onslaught of walkers, while Rick makes the next steps of his war plan known.

“All Out War” has been an awesome storyline so far, and Negan, though at first a cookie-cutter villain, has grown on me as a threat. This issue really justified my “like” (and I use that term loosely) of Negan even more. I really don’t want to ruin what happens here, but Negan says some things and does some things that gives much-needed depth to the character. He’s not just the cookie cutter bully anymore, instead, he’s almost sympathetic. This is something that writer Robert Kirkman has learned over the years, as the Governor (the last bad guy of equal weight) lacked sympathy. That sympathy is something that seems to come from the television show, and its depiction of the Governor, and it’s welcome to see in the comic.

Overall, the issue on its own is only ok, as it’s a part of the much larger story, but those scenes towards the end of it featuring Negan make it really stand out. They don’t make sense on their own, but when you put them in perspective with what we’ve seen since the introduction of the character, they’re pretty altering. That scene is a bit cheap with how it comes about, but still it works, and works really well.

Overall, the series has wandered a bit all over in quality, but it’s picked up steam again, showing off the excellence I expect. For fans of the series, you won’t be disappointed, this is a hell of an interesting issue when it comes to character development.

Story: Robert Kirkman Art: Charlie Adlard and Stefano Gaudiano
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review