Posted 3/13/13 4:38 pm EST by MTV Geek in Comic Books, Image Comics
By Jorge Solis
How the hell did Ezekiel get a tiger?
Fueled by anger and hatred, Rick seeks out a new alliance in “The Walking Dead” #108 (Image Comics). King Ezekiel must decide whether or not he actually wants to ally himself with Rick and his community. Will Ezekiel choose to side with Rick and go to war against the tyrannical Negan?
Even though he is no Governor, there is still much to be frightened about Negan, the leader of the Saviors. Always having fun, Negan flashes a smile when he is about to proclaim, “Let the slaughter begin!” Wearing a leather jacket and black gloves, he keeps by his side, Lucille, a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Even Negan’s own lieutenants are afraid to stand near him. To prove his point, Negan won’t hesitate to resort to cruel measures.
After the brutal death of one of his closest friends, Rick will do anything to get revenge against Negan. At the outermost edge of the city, Rick seeks out the help of Ezekiel, ruler of his own territory. “The Kingdom” is a heavily fortified high school, where the last survivors are living. No one offends King Ezekiel because his tiger, the appropriately named Shiva, abhors violence. If Ezekiel doesn’t agree with him, Rick will have to face the roar of a savage and hungry beast. As the reader, you just go with the flow and accept this religious man has a trained tiger to obey his commands. I really hope in the next issue the tiger comes back. I would definitely love to see Shiva take on walkers.
What I particularly liked is that writer Robert Kirkman doesn’t explain how Ezekiel ended up with a tiger. Rick has his discussion with Ezekiel in the middle of a school auditorium. In a wide shot, artist Charlie Adlard depicts King Ezekiel sitting in his throne, which was probably made by the drama department. Rick is standing on a stage with a painted background and curtains.
Readers can see how the TV show has been influenced by the comics. Surrounded by biters, Carl and Michonne have each other’s back. Michonne chops the heads off with her katana while Carl never misses a shot. Even though Carl looks different in the comics, he is still reckless and juvenile. Michonne is always ready to protect him, even lie for him in front of Rick. If you noticed in the episode, “Clear,” Michonne and Carl are just starting to trust each other. It’s definitely a nice treat to see how their bond is meant to evolve.
As a fan of the TV series, I’m wondering if Negan will show up in future episodes. Because the TV show takes a different direction, it would be interesting to see if the Governor and Rick teamed up against someone like Negan. Because of Kirkman’s clever writing and Adlard’s gritty artwork, I can see why the “The Walking Dead” has made it to 108 issues and keeps going.
Read a preview of “The Walking Dead” #108 by clicking the image below:
