The “New World Order” is here as Michonne and her group has made contact with a new community and things are definitely no longer the same. The Walking Dead #176 picks up right where you’d expect with Michonne distraught over the discovery that her daughter may be alive and has been looking for her.

That emotional ride is the driver of this issue as writer Robert Kirkman plays with that moment extending the tension, fear, hope, and more of the group throughout the issue.

What Kirkman does that’s really interesting is call back to a meeting with another Governor that eventually went off the rails. Like Michonne and our protagonists, we too are weary based on what we know.

Helping Kirkman is the art by Charlie Adlard with ink by Stefano Gaudiano, gray tones by Cliff Rathburn, and lettering by Rus Wooton. There’s a cleanliness and orderly sense of it all that’s emphasized through the art, not just the words. That order ups the tension as things progresses through the story. We get glimpses of reality at times but it’s the small detail in the art that provides more clues as to the world than what’s delivered in the dialogue. The images tell as much of a story as the dialogue.

This issue, while simple, is all about that emotional journey and build up to the cathartic end. It’s an emotional roller coaster that pays off in a build up throughout the issue. Kirkman is a master of this type of storytelling and here’s a prime example of setting the mood, building tension, and letting it build to release.

Story: Robert Kirkman Art: Charlie Adlard
Ink: Stefano Gaudiano Gray Tones: Cliff Rathburn
Lettering: Rus Wooton Cover Colors: Dave Stewart
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review