The Walking Dead #156 Review: Negan's Biggest Game Changer Since #100

When a comic book reaches 150 issues, it's hard to keep things fresh. Fatigue can set in for readers as cliffhangers, death, and redundancy get in the way of keeping them engaged. The Walking Dead comic book has walked that line closely with its audience in recent months as it seems like one threat is eliminated for another to be introduced time and time again. However, today's issue of The Walking Dead feels like even more of a game changer than the infamous issue #100 which saw Negan's brutal first appearance and altered the landscape ahead.

Major spoilers for The Walking Dead #156 follow.

Most issues of The Walking Dead follow multiple storylines. Last month, we saw Aaron and Michonne rushing back to Alexandria, Rick and Andrea debating over Rick's choices as a leader, and Dwight's group policing the areas across enemy lines, among other story points.

This week followed only one group.

Every page of issue #156 follows a humbled Negan as he appeared to be joining (and fitting in with) The Whisperers. He spent days hacking logs, learning to hunt, and earning his place among the creepy villainous company. Most importantly, though, for the first time since he has been introduced Negan appeared to make himself vulnerable. He only opened himself for a moment to a character he knew would never be able to repeat the words but readers got the first look inside of Negan's head, seeing past the visceral and brutal egomaniac we've come to know.

We know from the Here's Negan comic that the loss he is referring to is his yet-to-be-named wife. Just prior to the apocalypse, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and Negan rushed to her side to soak up every last moment with her he could. Her loss and the impending apocalypse seem to have pushed him over the edge, forming the frozen-hearted survivalist presented to the world.

That said, Negan still looks out for defenseless victims, which in this issue's case turned out to be a woman amongst The Whisperers. There's something inside the character which forces him to stand up for someone in need. In #156, a poor girl is being raped by a group of Whisperers and he rushes to her aid despite not being able to take on the large number of men assaulting her and later describes how outlandish he believes such actions are.

After confronting Alpha regarding the matter, also calling her out for not being a strong as she leads on and standing up for civilization, he slashes her throat and cuts her head off. Some readers can call this move predictable, as I myself even thought of the possibility Negan was looking to betray the Whisperers in an effort to gain Rick's trust but there was no way to predict this with absolute certainty. Again, it's not the kill which was the best part of the issue - it was stepping inside of Negan's maniacal and damaged head.

In addition to understanding Negan, though, we also got to know Alpha just a little bit before she died. The seemingly ruthless and all-powerful leader of the savage group admitted to missing her daughter and not being strong. Tears actually poured from her eyes before blood leaked from her throat.

Issue #156 and the 12 released pages of Here's Negan have given the character more intriguing depth than most core characters of the series and certainly more than any preceding villain. The mostly toned-down version of Negan offered on all 24-pages of today's book was the most interesting page-turner since Rick went to his cell and asked for advice. Thatta boy, Kirkman.

While the events of the issue were terrifyingly fun to read and watch unfold, it's not just the contents within #156 which make it great. Following the issue, The Walking Dead feels completely revamped rolling into its 157th issue. Negan killing Alpha and apparently aligning himself and his loyalty with Rick Grimes offers one of the most exciting and unpredictable futures The Walking Dead has looked forward to since Negan's introduction.

How will Negan escape The Whisperers camp? What kind of hell is Beta going to raise when he finds Alpha's body? Why is Negan aligning himself with Rick? Does he truly believe in rebuilding civilization? How will Rick react?

I can't remember asking so many questions after a single issue of The Walking Dead with such genuine anticipation for the coming issues since several before All Out War arrived.

The final page of the issue has a bloodied Negan smirking as he triumphantly holds Alpha's decapitated head in front of his own, uttering, "Wait until Rick gets a look at you," and I'm just as excited as he is to see how that goes down.

The Walking Dead #156 is on shelves now.