Remember, when we talk about The Walking Dead on this site we talk about it in full.  All the spoilers, all the twists and turns, all the deaths.  If you’re not up to date and don’t want things to be ruined then I suggest you turn away now.

Onto issue 143.

Its fair time!  For many issues the survivors of the many communities have been preparing for the fair.  Goods and wares of all kinds will be brought to one field for the benefit of all.  Everyone will feel blessed and happy.  The possibility of returning to a pre zombie world is high.

But we all know that’s not going to work out.

This is a very big set up issue.  Many of the recent issues have been as well.  More than likely the forthcoming issue 150 is going to be a big one and all of the pieces need to be put in place.  The comic has been going on for awhile, plus had a two year jump.  Readers need to be reminded of who has a relationship with who, where the secrets are kept, and what the agenda are.  That way when the shit hits, which it is likely to do, readers will care about all of these characters and it will mean something when inevitably many of them die off.

How will that happen?

Most likely Alpha and the Skin Walkers (my favorite band) will over run the community leaving a very small group to run away and survive for further issues of the book.

In the finale of this issue, Alpha shows Rick her Ace card.  Thousands upon thousands of zombies corraled in wait.  If Rick wants a war this is the weapon of mass destruction.  All of the rules that have been laid down come into play in this moment.  Zombies follow the herd. If a handful of the Whisperers start moving towards Rick’s people this horde will follow.  Massive amounts of zombies against a gate/fence/wall have been shown to be enough to break down those walls.  Never have the walls been so strong but never have the collection of zombies been so legion.

Rick is distracted by Carl, by being a leader, by all of it.  It wouldn’t be tough to keep him off his game long enough to march the horde towards the community and leave Rick to pick up the pieces.  The “most important” characters are all together right now and thus all of society could be destroyed but the book continues on with a very very small cast.

Counter point to the horde of zombies is the entire new society all in one place.  The fair.  While this collection of the undead could destroy any one of these groups on their own, together they might just have a shot.

Then there’s Negan.  A great unknown right now.  Evil for sure.  But with the desire to live.  Granted its at any cost, but that could be what’s needed against an enemy stronger than ever previously seen.