Issue 81 is the eighty-first issue of Image Comics' The Walking Dead and the second part of Volume 14: No Way Out. It was originally published in February 2011.
Plot Synopsis
The issue begins with Rick finally giving in to Jessie's romantic advances after a brief moment of hesitation. Jessie is regretful immediately after, given the circumstances between her, Rick, and Pete. Her feelings of guilt are short lived as Rick reassures her. Afterwards, Rick confronts the phone and admits to himself that Lori's voice isn't even real.
Meanwhile, Michonne and Morgan are in bed. Morgan brings up the subject of no longer feeling guilty about being happy, after which Michonne storms out, annoyed with his constant self-absorption.
As Rick is about to begin his patrol, Abraham notifies him that a portion of the wall is beginning to give way to the undead herd due to some supporting posts not having proper foundations. A truck is backed up in front of the loose panel to reinforce it.
Glenn offers to head a group to distract some of the herd and take supplies to Andrea, who has been trapped in the tower for over a day without food. Spencer shows up equally concerned about Andrea, and agrees to join the supply runners. After securing a horizontal line between rooftops, the runners crawl along the rope, which sags underneath the weight of the runners and the supplies. Glenn and Heath make it across safely, but the rope breaks as Spencer crosses, plunging him toward the mass of zombies below. Glenn and Heath struggle to pull Spencer from the grasp of the herd, and Andrea suddenly appears to assist in pulling Spencer to safety.
As Holly and Tobin watch the loose panel, the herd finally pushes their way through. Tobin attempts to fight off the zombies while Holly races to notify Rick, who heads to the panel and tells her to inform everyone else. Rick runs to the site to discover Tobin has already been torn apart by zombies. Morgan teams up with Rick to fight off the zombies, only to be severely bitten in the bicep. The issue ends with Rick trying to help Morgan up with zombies looming menacingly close.
Credits
- Rick Grimes
- Morgan Jones
- Glenn
- Andrea
- Sophia
- Maggie Greene
- Michonne
- Abraham Ford
- Heath
- Tobin
- Olivia
- Denise Cloyd
- Jessie Anderson
- Spencer Monroe
- Holly
Deaths
Trivia
- Last appearance of Tobin.
- The issue cover shows Glenn and Heath as the rope breaks and they are plunged to the herd below, but, this does not happen to them, but, to Spencer instead.
- This issue marks Morgan Jones 25th appearance.