Issue 129 is the one-hundred and twenty-ninth issue of Image Comics' The Walking Dead and the third part of Volume 22: A New Beginning. It was published on July 9, 2014.
Plot
Andrea helps Carl prepare for the trek to the Hilltop. Carl comments on how much stuff he has to pack and says it is weird having to pack more than one bag's worth of belongings now. Andrea comments saying that he does not need to take it all, and that one day he might be back with his own family some day.
Rick is visiting Negan at his cell. Negan comments saying that the worst part of his day is when his shit is taken away in a bucket, but is also his favorite because Rick is the one to do it. He tells Rick not to discipline Carl for sneaking down and talking with him. Negan tells Rick that he and Carl are "friends".
Carl gives a carving of a unicorn to Josh, to which Josh promises Carl a red sweater when he returns. Josh then tells Carl that Anna is looking for him. As Rick leaves Negan's jail cell, he runs into Magna who is confused about which buildings are actually houses. Rick tells her that this is the jail and that there is only one person who is residing within it. He tells Magna that she can meet him when Rick returns from the Hilltop.
Rick and Carl saddle up on horseback as Anna hands Carl a note. Rick teases Carl and says that it is a love note. Carl feels embarrassed and asks Rick to stop teasing him.
On the road, Rick and Carl pass by many people patrolling the area for roamers. They eventually stop for a lunch break when a few roamers begin walking out of the woods. Rick grabs his hatchet and tells Carl not to shoot unless it is needed.
Rick kills two roamers and then his body gives in, Carl having to shoot the remaining roamers as Rick nearly gets bitten from behind. A horseback rider in riot armor approaches Rick and Carl. The rider dismounts and apologizes for the area not being clear, as he had just cleared it 5 minutes ago. When the rider realizes that it is Rick he apologizes even more. Rick is angry and begins to beat the rider with his cane. Once he tries to protect himself in the fetal position, Rick stops. Rick asks the rider who he is and where he is from. The rider tells his name to be Benjamin, and he is from The Kingdom. Rick screams at Benjamin telling him that others would be grateful for this job and that he messed up badly. Rick says that he hopes this is is his first incident. Benjamin tells him that it is and that it won't happen again.
Elsewhere, Ken and Marco are riding horseback on a plain field. Ken appears ill and falls off the horse, claiming he cannot go on any further. Marco then climbs off of the horse to assist Ken. As they talk, the horse gallops away and roamers begin to close in. The duo attempts to catch up with the horse, as Ken wonders what the sound of the roamers really is.
Magna and her group decide to sneak into the jail. Once there, Negan grabs onto the bars of his jail cell in a frantic frenzy. He says that they have to rescue him from these horrible people and that Rick's group are animals. Magna and her group appear shocked at what Negan has to say.
Credits
- Rick Grimes
- Carl Grimes
- Andrea
- Olivia
- Josh
- Paul Monroe
- Negan
- Magna
- Luke
- Kelly
- Ken
- Marco
- Anna
- Carlos
- Benjamin
Deaths
- None
Trivia
- First appearance of Anna.
- First appearance of Carlos.
- First appearance of Benjamin.
- As an April Fools joke, Skybound claimed that Daryl Dixon from the TV Series would be featured in this issue. Skybound altered a page from #98 to make Dwight look like Daryl Dixon.[2][3]
- In the previous letter columns, it was stated by editor Sean Mackiewicz that Rick and Carl would "go on a road trip" in this issue.
- This issue has a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive variant cover that connects to Manifest Destiny #8's SDCC exclusive variant cover.
References
- ↑ July 2014 Comic Book Sales Figures - Comichron
- ↑ Joe, Robert Kirkman Teases Norman Reedus’ Character Daryl Dixon In The Walking Dead Comic Books For Real?, comicbook.com, (April 7, 2014).
- ↑ Matt Carteron, The Walking Dead April 1st prank was beautifully cruel, moviepilot.com, April 8th, 2014.