REVIEW: The Walking Dead - 50

Before I start, just so you know, I had to show off the brilliant Charlie Adlard wraparound cover in its entirety, rather than cutting it in half. The chilling picture of Carl surrounded by a horde of oncoming zombies was just crying out to be seen.

But anyway, I digress. On with issue 50...

***SPOILER ALERT***

So at the end of issue 49, Rick had passed out, leaving Carl alone in an abandoned house, having to fend for himself. Issue 50 picks up the beat immediately, and leaves the reader in a place he / she has never been before. Alone with Carl and his thoughts.

As you might expect any young kid to do - Carl goes through a mixture of emotions over being left alone, and having to fend for himself, and protect Rick from the dangers outside...

Initially, this issue was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It lacked the 'punch' of issue 48, or the 'dread' of issue 49, but was still interesting. I'm not going to lie though - right after reading it, I was a little torn, and swaying towards giving this issue three out of five.

But then I started to think about the issue a little. And I started to remember some of Carl's words as he was shouting at Rick's comatose body. Around here, I started to realise that Robert Kirkman had given us a rare insight into a character that most people had probably 'missed' or glossed over.

I sat down and began to think a little more about Carl as a character, and my opinion of him.

It became clear to me pretty quickly that I'd only ever seen him as a side-character. A character who I could do without, but a character that would continually be in Rick's thoughts. The only reason he was ever important to me, was because he was important to Rick.

I hadn't ever thought about all that Carl had lost, and how it might affect him. I'd only been thinking about how Rick would be affected. Issue 50 has made me do something pretty rare - see something that was underneath my nose all along.

An incredibly strong, but fragile character who is of equal importance to any other within the series.

Pete's Score: 4 out of 5
(a good issue - not quite the same as issue 48 or issue 49 but still thoroughly recommended)

And just before I sign off on this review - a quick extra for all of you Erik Larsen fans out there (yes - this one is partially for you mrATOMIC) - here's the alternative cover to issue 50...!