Welcome back to the Whisperer War part 3 of The Walking Dead. The issue is a continuation of the current war as Rick’s army faces off against Beta’s troops. In particular, we witness Rick’s army being able to hold their ground against the Whisperers but they have to deal with a herd of the undead. As a result, the war is prolonged as the Whisperers choose to regroup by using the walkers as coverage for their escape.
The Good:
The comic does an excellent job establishing Negan as an ally. Negan is about to kill Beta, but gets his weapon knocked out from him, resulting in him being defenseless. Seeing this Dwight tosses Negan Lucille, a baseball bat weapon, in order to kill Beta. This signifies a trust between the 2 men, despite their past, as Dwight realizes the situation he is in and can use all the help he can get. Furthermore, Negan, who is self centered, is helping and supporting the 4 communities as they share a common enemy of the Whisperers. A new bond is formed between these two characters as they face the threat of the combined herd of walkers and Whisperers. The issue also addresses the Whisperers mentality as Lydia is explaining to Carl that they have nothing left to live for with the death of their leader Alpha. The Whisperers do not morn their lost ones like the 4 communities do as they do not care for one another the same way. This gives the Whisperers an advantage over the 4 communities, as they are willing to do what ever it takes to destroy them, which makes them a new threat that the 4 communities have never seen before. Finally, the comic does an excellent job of showing Dwight’s leadership skills. He realizes some of the Whisperers are in the herd that is coming towards his army. As a result, he comes up with the plan to kill one of them and steal his skin to assimilate and steer the group away from the 4 communities. This shows that Dwight can immediately accesses a situation and enact a plan to save both lives and resources. Furthermore, this plan shows why Dwight is the right leader for the army to go to war against the Whisperers. The 4 communities have adopted some of the skills of the Whisperers and are constantly learning tactics in order to deal with new groups and threats.
The Bad:
The comic has made Rick useless as a leader. In particular, Rick is looking at maps to try and find an advantage for Dwight and his army. Yet he is unaware that Dwight has assimilated with a herd as a means to steer them away and kill more of the Whisperers. Rick is unaware of this development and it shows he is ineffective. He does not know what is going on with this war, as he is look at maps that are not going to be useful. Rick is making bad choices as a leader, he does not know what is going on and has no control over his own army.
The Verdict:
The comic is addressing the heart of the war as both the Whisperers and the 4 communities have suffered causalities in the first skirmish. With that skirmish being over it is clear that Dwight and Negan have developed a new relationship with one another as things have changed between them. At the same time, by surviving the first skirmish the 4 communities are forced to regroup as they are facing a new threat of a herd that has only one goal and that is to destroy them at all costs, as they have nothing to live for. The Walking Dead issue 159 is rough around the edges but it does convey that the Whisperers are the worst threat the 4 communities have ever faced.
eager to see the season 7 of the walking dead, the terrible Negan see in action, more than a month until the end of