Comics
Review: ‘The Walking Dead’ #127
For those of you in doubt “The Walking Dead” #127 provides an excellent return to form for the series. It encapsulates the dread of the previous arcs and redefines it in a way I didn’t think Robert Kirkman was capable of. This is the best issue of “The Walking Dead” in years.
WRITTEN BY: Robert Kirkman
ART BY: Charlie Adlard
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: May 14, 2014
Now that the dust has settled, Kirkman has done something beautiful. He has eased into a wholly new chapter for his world and shown us something we’ve never seen before. To say any more would do this story a grand disservice, but it has restored my faith in a series I’ve recently grown tired of.
There is a great deal to be discussed in this issue. It literally redefines every major character in an new and interesting way, and brings on a new status quo for the series. With Negan gone, we’re not living in the same horrible world any more. We’re very far from it, and that’s an excellent thing.
For once the pages of this comic are lined in hope. They are filled with optimism and they show progress instead of destruction. It’s a bold move that I hope carries forward. So much has been done that to remove it all in another act of destruction will lose me as a reader. This feels earned and marketed different than before.
Adlard actually steps up his game here. His character work in this issue will blow you away with the minor exception of Carl with one half sunglasses. I don’t know who thought that was a good idea, but man does it make me hate that kid. Someone needs to sock him in his eye hole and set him straight. I digress. Adlard manages one of the biggest displays of zombie power he’s put to page and it feels terrifying.
It’s hard to say too much about this book without giving everything away. Save for I recommend it whole-heartedly. I wasn’t the biggest fan of “All Out War.” I was ready to drop the book, and this has completely changed my mind. Bravo Kirkman, you’ve done it again.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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