Comic review of The Walking Dead issue 178: New World Order Part 4

Was issue 178 of The Walking Dead titled ‘New World Order Part 4 of 6’ any good? Here is our review of the April 2018 installment of the comic book series.

Right now is a great time to be a fan of The Walking Dead comics. The New World Order storyline is in full force, with a relationship being developed between the people from The Commonwealth and the representatives from Alexandria.

That’s not to say both communities are without their flaws. During issue 178, which is the fourth installment in the current plot arc, a lot of the positivity that was being built between the two group came to a grinding halt at the hands of one individual, but there was more than that happening.

Let’s dive into the positives and negatives from issue 178 of The Walking Dead titled ‘New World Order part 4 of 6’ and see what we took away from this issue.

Positives

• Eugene finally gets to talk to Stephanie. She is one of the only ones that doesn’t seem too happy about living in The Commonwealth and might have some interesting information about the settlement.
• Elodie is trying to accept Michonne. After blaming someone for their family being torn apart for so long, letting go of resentment can be hard. But with Michonne wanting to be there for her and Elodie’s initial response, it’s hard to believe they won’t find common ground to stand on.
• Maggie is finally talking about Dante. Sure, it took a big outburst from Sophia to get Maggie to really talk about her loneliness since Glenn’s death, but  she’s finally talking about it and opening up to the idea of finding love again.

Negatives

• The vaguest of threats. Mercer may be big, strong, fast, and talented in what he does, but he’s not great at intimidating people. His approach of “tell Siddiq exactly what is going on and then repeat his words” is NOT a good way to keep a secret,
• How old is Sophia again? Maybe the zombie apocalypse stunts the intellectual and social growth of people, but should she really be acting this way? I mean, she’s old enough to know about hooking up, so why is she so bent out of shape that Maggie wants to get some action?
• Sebastian is seriously awful. This will likely be a recurring theme in these reviews. He thinks he can throw his mother’s position of power around to get laid and obtain anything he wants. That’s not how it works outside of The Commonwealth’s walls.

Interesting things

• Sophia’s a potty-mouth! I have a sick sense of humor. While I laughed at both Sophia’s foul language as well as Maggie’s joke at the end of their chat, I didn’t know whether to laugh or be horrified. Either way, that was one of the most amusing exchanges in the comics.
• Princess is already defending her new group. When Sebastian shoved Magna to the ground, it didn’t take long for Princess to lower the goggles and get to work. She’s a dynamic fighting machine and I have a feeling she is going to be right at home in Alexandria.

Overall impression

For what should have been a bland, character building issue of the arc, this was more much exciting than I thought it would be. Pairing the intensity at The Commonwealth with the heartfelt talk at The Hilltop was a recipe for success, giving fans an issue that was balanced and interesting without being too serious and heavy-handed.

Issue grade: 8/10

Next: Full recap of The Walking Dead issue 178

What did you think of issue 178 of The Walking Dead? Did ‘New World Order Part 4 of 6’ meet your expectations or did the April 2018 issue disappoint you? Let us know in the comments section below.