*Sigh* I really hope whoever kills Negan chops his tiny dick off before they do it. "We don't rape," he says, as he keeps five wives locked in his penthouse and claims they're there of their own free will, whilst threatening their husbands with a burning iron.Also, told you Shiva was gonna end up lost/dead/presumed dead.Anyway.This was perhaps the most eventful volume in a longggg time. I wonder if they can keep up the pace. I would still like to see less rape though, thanks. Rick makes the first move in fighting Neegan's forces. Rick's group attacks Neegan's factory headquarters, but they don't invade it--they send the zombies inside to pin Neegan's forces down. Neegan has a handful of outposts outside the factory where small groups of his men are stationed. Without the support of their main force, Rick hopes to knock out a few of the outposts and whittle down Neegan's power base. Since it's the Walking Dead, naturally things don't go according to plan. The tactics used by Rick and Neegan are interesting enough to make this book worth reading.What makes the book more interesting is the themes of leadership and honesty. Neegan tries to pass himself off as an honest leader of his people who will do what's in the best interest of everybody but he always slips back into being a bloodthirsty maniac who's willing to violate his own principles. Ezekiel, leader of the Kingdom (which is on Rick's side), has been a bit of a actor, playing at the role of a medieval lord. When the chips are down, he is not an effective leader and he knows it, so at least he's more self-aware than Neegan. Rick is at the other end of the spectrum. He's as honest as he can be though he's willing to deceive his own people to get an advantage over Neegan. Rick's people have been pretty forgiving of that. They recognize that he's working for their good as well as his own, so he earns their loyalty. But is loyalty enough to win the day?This book is only the first part of the story, so naturally a big cliff-hanger is at the end. Hopefully I can get Volume 21 from the library soon.
What do You think about Hel Breekt Los (1/2) (2014)?
The time to go on the offensive is now. Rick and the people of the Safe Zone are going to be attacking one of Negan's outposts while Ezekiel is going to use his own people to attack another. It is not a surprise to see that things do not go exactly as planned since that is never the case in this world ... or really in any war zone.Once again the readers will find themselves having to say goodbye to characters they have come to care about. The residents of the Safe Zone are always having to deal with saying goodbye. I did really like some development that has been happening with Aaron and his boyfriend in both this and the previous volume. It is interesting to see the fact that their relationship is accepted and not questioned in anyway as humanity is fighting to survive.We also get to see a very interesting twist as Hilltop finds a change in leadership when Maggie feels the need to take over the role of leader as the person in charge seems willing to support Nagen out of fear. I am looking forward to Maggie taking on this new responsibility, and it will probably do a lot to turn the tide of the war.I can't wait for the next volume, though I definitely have to because I don't believe it has come out yet!
—haley
Seeing as the cover reads "Part 1," this trade shouldn't let readers expect too much, considering it's not the full war. Yet there's a great deal to be had here in the first half (?) of the war with Negan, and a lot of unexpected turns. But it's The Walking Dead. What else would you expect?While I love the series and think that Robert Kirkman is a paragon plotter, I feel that he may be recycling things too much. The whole Negan story is the same as the Governor, just elevated to preserve the shock value when necessary.Still, this all-out war series is a good read and moves at a much faster pace than I thought.
—kamstout
The party is beginning. The good first then the bad. Grenades can be so powerful.
—cri_contreras
