[ThatEpicBeast U Know]

http://www.skybound....WD164-Cover.png

Story: Robert Kirkman
Art: Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano, Cliff Rathburn
Cover: Charlie Adlard, Dave Stewart
February 15
32 Pages | Black & White | Mature | $2.99

“A Fallen House”
Maggie leads the survivors from the Hilltop to Alexandria… to see it overrun with the dead.
Also, holy crap! There are two issues of THE WALKING DEAD this month!

If the image isn't showing, that's because I'm on my tablet and it's not showing the "add photo" option. Maybe someone can fix that.

We've been hit with 2 issues again! Last time was June 2015 with Issues 142 and 143.

[WhiteChocolate]

Looking more and more like my prediction of both Alexandria and Hilltop falling are coming true.

 

I think the person with her is Carl. Meaning Sutton, Dante, and Lydia might not survive.

[Dead Gov Walking]

looking interesting

[Rasmus]

Well, scratch Maggie and Hershel off of my list of characters likely to die in The Whisperer War. So, Andrea, Dwight, and Dante are the only characters I am worried about now.

[PorkTornado75]

good god that artwork is terrible.........that is for sure Carl , Maggie , Hersh.

[Mr. NomNom]

i just don't see how the whisperers would even manage to do this. if they were gonna pull this bs they should have during AOW. so once again we get another road trip. yay.

[Rasmus]

i just don't see how the whisperers would even manage to do this. if they were gonna pull this bs they should have during AOW. so once again we get another road trip. yay.

I am curious why you are so surprised. It seemed as though the Whisperers had several members whenever we were given a look at them. Also, it didn't work when the Saviors were attacking due to their methods. That was a more traditional act of warfare that didn't involve rounding up a gigantic herd of zombies and utilizing them as a means of taking down entire communities.

 

And I am totally on board with another road trip. I care about almost none of the characters who are currently alive, outside of the same ones that have been around since before they reached Alexandria, with the exception of Negan, Dwight, Dante, and Magna. And I feel like, with the exception of Negan, all of the aforementioned could stand to still be fleshed out more, and the way the story is currently structured makes it a bit harder to do that. Remember back in the pre-Alexandrian era of the comic when a character who was a crotchety, jealous ex-car salesman could be just as fleshed out as the protagonists's right-hand man? I want that back, and a more focused story may make us care for these people more.

[Mr. NomNom]

I am curious why you are so surprised. It seemed as though the Whisperers had several members whenever we were given a look at them. Also, it didn't work when the Saviors were attacking due to their methods. That was a more traditional act of warfare that didn't involve rounding up a gigantic herd of zombies and utilizing them as a means of taking down entire communities.

And I am totally on board with another road trip. I care about almost none of the characters who are currently alive, outside of the same ones that have been around since before they reached Alexandria, with the exception of Negan, Dwight, Dante, and Magna. And I feel like, with the exception of Negan, all of the aforementioned could stand to still be fleshed out more, and the way the story is currently structured makes it a bit harder to do that. Remember back in the pre-Alexandrian era of the comic when a character who was a crotchety, jealous ex-car salesman could be just as fleshed out as the protagonists's right-hand man? I want that back, and a more focused story may make us care for these people more.

Not surprised.

i would rather a core new group go out for some issues. I still say the ohio group could be bad. if not then they will have enemies. IF a bunch of people like Rick and the others actually make it, i don't want him to be a leader. i want him to be the guy that they pretty much look down on and watch him struggle with that.

[Rasmus]

Not surprised.

i would rather a core new group go out for some issues. I still say the ohio group could be bad. if not then they will have enemies. IF a bunch of people like Rick and the others actually make it, i don't want him to be a leader. i want him to be the guy that they pretty much look down on and watch him struggle with that.

 

At least one of the two misgivings you have about the Ohio group will undoubtedly end up being true. If it's only the latter, we may be waiting a bit before such a scenario presents itself, though. I agree that Rick becoming a leader again would be a bit too much of a rinse and repeat, but I will certainly enjoy the road trip there, regardless. We haven't seen an extended road trip since what, issue 69? We're coming up on 100 issues without anything of the sort, so I am totally open to that.

[theblackboxlies]

How the hell are the Whisperers going to destroy Alexandria in only 2 issues, when they're all at Hilltop currently? Unless their fighting force is 3 times the size we thought it was? Maybe the cover for #163 isn't a troll after all and it's really the end of Rick Grimes? Either way, it does seem like Kirkman's lining us up for a change of scenery. That will be nice and interesting to be on the road again. We've been in the Washington D.C. area for 90 issues. That's longer than any other segment of the story to be in one area.

[Rasmus]

How the hell are the Whisperers going to destroy Alexandria in only 2 issues, when they're all at Hilltop currently? Unless their fighting force is 3 times the size we thought it was? Maybe the cover for #163 isn't a troll after all and it's really the end of Rick Grimes? Either way, it does seem like Kirkman's lining us up for a change of scenery. That will be nice and interesting to be on the road again. We've been in the Washington D.C. area for 90 issues. That's longer than any other segment of the story to be in one area.

Well, I could see it realistically happening in two issues considering that the Hilltop's destruction has already begun by way of flaming arrows followed by an on-foot attack, and we know from the cover of #164 and its description that somehow the Whisperers breach Alexandria's entrance and flood it with zombies. The beauty of the Whisperers is that they themselves aren't necessarily any more threatening than average people, but if they are commanding large herds, they don't necessarily need large numbers to be dangerous.

[Dead Gov Walking]

 We've been in the Washington D.C. area for 90 issues. That's longer than any other segment of the story to be in one area.

jesus christ, it has been a long fuckin time, huh

[theblackboxlies]

Yeah I suppose that's classic Kirkman - make the communities seem safe & impenetrable and then boom they're burned down almost instantly. These issues have been denser though lately with the 16 something panels per page, so it's not like it's being super rushed. 

[WhiteChocolate]

But why spoil both the destruction of Hilltop and Alexandria on future covers? Would've been more fun not knowing key plot details like that.

[samus88]

Sure, it's a "spoiler"; but guess what? No one forces us to look at covers 3 months ahead of release. Literally no way to see upcoming covers unless you search for them.

[Mr. NomNom]

as far as we know of though. it seems they were careless. before AOW. they had a maze and ditches going around ASZ cars and all. it seemed like they just moved it out of the way....why would you do that? lol.

[Rasmus]

Yeah, it does seem that maybe they were careless, or it could be something else entirely. We won't know until December or January, sadly.

 

And as for the fact that the destruction of these two communities were spoiled, I choose to think of it this way: Kirkman and company are pretty guarded about spoilers in the comic, and I believe that if they were willing to reveal things of such significance, then the other events that happen in these issues must be even greater.

 

Also: If Andrea dies, I riot!

[WhiteChocolate]

Guess what? It's the internet era. If it's released, people will see it.

 

And quite honestly, these are huge spoilers. The Hilltop being set on fire is the only real significant turn of events this entire war...and that was spoiled on a cover. Take away the two major events that were spoiled and what do you have left so far? A truckload of dead redshirts, survivors wearing masks, and the most prominent death belongs to an inanimate object. I'm surprised it doesn't piss more of you off to have the only good shit ruined to be honest.

[Rasmus]

I agree that in our current era, any bit of information released will become known to the majority of a hardcore fanbase for something, whether they sought out the news or not. Truth be told, it will be annoying that the destruction of Alexandria and the Hilltop was spoiled if nothing more significant occurs in these final two issues. But the thing is, we don't know what else is going to happen, and because of this it seems unfair to claim the only two major parts in the arc were spoiled. And yes, it can most certainly be argued that even if we get some major deaths in #161 and #162, that they still shouldn't have spoiled these events, but I am trying to be optimistic about how this arc will conclude. I am curious, though: whose death would be a bigger deal to you than losing these two communities? I think Andrea's death is a real possibility, and that would devastate me far more than losing those communities.

[WhiteChocolate]

In all fairness, it would take along the lines of both Rick and Andrea. Given that this cover was spoiled and we know Alexandria falls, it could be possible both characters don't make it. It's going to take two very amazing issues to save a war that started out so promising. Issues 156 and 157 were awesome.

 

Ever since the time jump Rick was shown to be severely hampered and can see him putting up a fight but falling. Given his community will fall I can see Rick choosing to die rather than abandon ship. Andrea dying too would be fitting since neither would have to go on without the other and their curse would end with them both dying together. Now THAT would make up for the bs of leaking two major communities falling on a cover preview.

 

The story is headed in a direction where the refugees will have to turn to the have-not communities of Kingdom and Saviors. William is going to prove to be a monster douche. Probably turning away former ASZ and Hilltop residents. The Saviors already wanted to break from the alliance. And Negan (if he survives) could retake the Saviors and make everyone wish he died. The refugees will be forced to move onto Ohio to escape the tyranny.

[PorkTornado75]

On the run in real fear , get back to the end of the world not rebuilding it , back to what made this comic fun to read I am down with a road trip. 

[Mr. NomNom]

idk. i feel like the "shock factor" has finally wore off. the only reason to kill lots of people now is to make room for new people.

I'm just confused as to how tha many dead has still managed to get in. or who drove them there. unless there was a second small army idk what to expect.

[WhiteChocolate]

Dwight's army split off in multiple directions. Remember that Dwight's crew easily picked off their part of the herd. I'm thinking a larger section of the herd followed the crews led by Jesus and Magna in other directions, thus deceiving Dwight into thinking he picked the Whisperers off.

 

I guess not actually killing the dead during the time jump is going to come back to bite everyone in the ass.

[Rasmus]

In all fairness, it would take along the lines of both Rick and Andrea. Given that this cover was spoiled and we know Alexandria falls, it could be possible both characters don't make it. It's going to take two very amazing issues to save a war that started out so promising. Issues 156 and 157 were awesome.

 

Ever since the time jump Rick was shown to be severely hampered and can see him putting up a fight but falling. Given his community will fall I can see Rick choosing to die rather than abandon ship. Andrea dying too would be fitting since neither would have to go on without the other and their curse would end with them both dying together. Now THAT would make up for the bs of leaking two major communities falling on a cover preview.

 

The story is headed in a direction where the refugees will have to turn to the have-not communities of Kingdom and Saviors. William is going to prove to be a monster douche. Probably turning away former ASZ and Hilltop residents. The Saviors already wanted to break from the alliance. And Negan (if he survives) could retake the Saviors and make everyone wish he died. The refugees will be forced to move onto Ohio to escape the tyranny.

Totally forgot to reply to this thanks to Thanksgiving: I hear you, even if I'm not quite as letdown as you are. Sadly for you, I don't think you're going to get both deaths.

 

On the run in real fear , get back to the end of the world not rebuilding it , back to what made this comic fun to read I am down with a road trip. 

Amen!

[Koibito]

As for the whisperers having an ace, it was mentioned once they do not have ONE singular camp (I believe in that issue with Alpha killing someone for seeing her cry). Meaning we dont know the actual full size of their operation. (and i dont feel like we've seen even half of that herd they've been housing.)

 

I'm...guessing.....Two groups attack from different places (Hilltop, towards the army) The actually humongous force they're sending hasnt been shown yet.

 

But we'll see.