Review: Negan Lives #1 closes a door and opens a new one
Negan Lives #1 makes it feel like The Walking Dead comics never ended
There’s something to be said about one-shot comic books. They’re usually encapsulated so that the story exists in its own little bubble, outside of the larger canon, and that’s exactly what fans get with Negan Lives #1. This special edition release from The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard follows Negan’s story.
Minor Spoilers for Negan Lives #1 Ahead
From the beginning, there is a lovely sense of familiarity with Negan Lives #1. It’s like the series never ended. And Negan is in classic Negan form, warning readers directly that he never left.
The bravado lasts for about two pages before we realize that Negan has been alone.
Negan is talking to flowers. (Don’t worry, he’s still swearing up a storm, though)
Negan might be slightly lonely.
When a stranger arrives, Negan is at once thrilled and suspicious. He has good reason to be suspicious, because in this world no one simply “arrives” and they almost always have ulterior motives. Almost always.
As someone who hasn’t read the comics save for a few key issues, Negan Lives #1 is very accessible for the casual reader. Anyone can follow along, and if there is any confusion about the things Negan casually mentions it’s easy enough to look it up and figure out what he’s talking about.
What I liked about this issue is that it gives Negan another chance to shine, which is always fun. (I could read it hearing Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s voice in my head, and that was a nice touch) It also gives the divisive leader a chance to apologize for some of the things that made fans cringe, namely the whole harem thing, admitting that it was “gross.”
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Negan Lives #1 is everything you can hope for, especially given that The Walking Dead comic book has ended its run. If the next few years are filled with one-shots like this, fans will be happy. (And props to Kirkman and Adlard for making sure that the profits stay with struggling comic shops)
Negan Lives #1 is available now at your local comic shop.