| Title | : | The Walking Dead Vol. 7: Calm before |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1582408289 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781582408286 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 136 |
| Publication | : | First published September 26, 2007 |
The Walking Dead Vol. 7: Calm before Reviews
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It's the calm before the storm? Will Woodbury's people find the prison? Will Martinez make it back to Woodbury? Will Carl get a sister? This relatively quiet time gives time for relationships to harden, Rick to re-evaluate what he can offer, and Michonne to maybe heal? As we're talking more about relationships
Charles Adlard's facial expression and body language artwork are phenomenal over this period.
The more times I read this, the more I see that this just wouldn't have worked so well in colour! Behind the prison walls life is beginning to go on again, which is not necessarily a good thing? 8 out of 12, another Four Star read for this phenom series!
2019, 2017, 2013 and 2011 read! -
A disturbing calm.
This is the seventh volume of the softcover editions of "The Walking Dead", collecting the comic book issues from #37 to #42.
Creative Team:
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Illustrators: Charlie Adlard
Additional gray tones to inking: Cliff Rathburn
Chapter Seven
THE CALM BEFORE
I just don’t need to hear you say it. I can’t hear you say it.
Rick’s group is reunited again and they remained in the prison.
However, Woodbury’s people is out there, preparing themselves for an invasion to the prison.
This is only the calm before…
…the storming arrival of the dwellers of Woodbury to the prison.
It’s not a matter of “if” but a disturbing certainity of “when”.
Rick’s group is doing their best to keep on with their existence along with doing their best to be prepared for the unavoidable confrontation.
And certainly this is war, and sadly, in a war, there are casualties…
…and these will be high costly and too dearly casualties.
And Woodbury's people may be more prepared that anyone can imagine! -
This was a simply set up. Nothing more, nothing less. These issues exist to usher in the conclusion of the first compendium. It’s filler material, appropriate filler material, though it’s still a little dull.
It’s a foreshadowing of the climax. The group arm themselves and set up the prison’s defences. An attack in the next volume is only appropriate. But this was a little dry. Carol’s fate was aloes quite random. I mean we all knew it was coming. She’s been degrading for a while, but to throw herself away like that seemed a little extreme even for her. I much prefer T.V Carol. She’s a badass. She’s very much a female Rick. It’s a shame she’s not stronger here, though I suppose a character similar to her may come at a later date.
The real excitement is coming in the next volume……..….. -
Yes! We're finally getting a storyline where there's a little bit of joy.
Part of me was excited to find the small moments of joy in this volume and then other parts of me were nervous because it feels like the calm before the storm. That's not to say that nothing sad and/or traumatic happens in this specific volume, but we are getting a story that focuses more so on the success of our characters. In some ways this volume forgoes the conversations surrounding morality and chooses to focus on an exploration of comfort and normality. That being said, I do think that the characters end up getting a little too comfortable. While the attempt to prepare for the possibility of an attack, Kirkman reminds readers that, for them, there is no room/capacity for comfortability. Rick wants everyone to believe that the prison could serve as their safe haven, but in a situation where everything is constantly floating between life and death, Rick's choices lead to complacency. Overall, this is one of the easier installments in the series. I don't doubt that it will shift back to being dark, but it was nice to see a little light for a while and experience the characters reestablishing connections that existed prior to the downfall of their world. -
First Read: March 8th 2016
Re-read: May 29th 2019
I like where the story has progressed to at this stage all the characters have changed over the course of two months living in peace at the prison. Everyone is starting to find some what of a normal life at the prison, but things do surely take a bad turn as things can never stay good for a long period of time for the group.
Lori's pregnancy has finally come to an end and she has now given birth to a baby girl, meanwhile Dale has his leg cut off to save him from a walker bite that he got while trying to get gas to keep the generator going during the birth of Lori's kid. The group suffers its second big loss with the death of Carol who intentionally commits suicide after walking right to a walker who is tied up in the prison.
I really liked the flashback scene at the beginning of the comic, it showed what happened when rick was in a coma I hope that i get to see some more flashbacks with rick or other main characters in the series.
The cliffhanger of this issue was good but nothing can prepare me for whats going to happen in the next issue. -
Okay, I get it, I’m hooked
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This volume is FULL of suspense. There isn't a lot of killing/main characters dying in this volume but throughout the comic you can sense that something big is coming and oh yes, something very big came at the end! It definitely matched it's title. It was very predictable but I was still like "ooooh shittt!". Volume 8 is going to be absolutely crazy (I hope!).
[ & yes I still wish that Tony Moore was doing the covers, that the comic was in colour and that there were more powerful women characters. It's just so man-centred but at least there's Alice and Maggie... I actually like Alice. ] -
Volume Seven is continuing the face-off between Woodbury and the prison. While Lori becomes more pregnant, Rick and the group focus on building up their armory. Buuuut this pretty much where the similarities between the show and the book stop.
Read on to find the spoilers listing the differences.
Or don't.
It's your call.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
•I officially can't stand Book Carol. She's an insufferable brat. For me to dislike Book Carol more than I dislike Show Carol is saying something. That said, I don't mind Show Carol once she gets with Ezekiel. It makes her into the character that felt organic for her all along. But I digress.
• Book Carol willingly walks up to a zombie and lets it bite her on the neck, all the while crooning to it about no one liking her, but at least Zombie likes her, so it's better that she die at the hands of Zombie who likes her than live another day as the not-princess of the group where no one wants to have nasty three way relationships with her even though she has a living, breathing daughter in the same building that was killed off in the show, but is still very much alive in the book, but it doesn't matter anyway because Carol thinks she's Queen Nefertiti and is going to pout if everyone isn't compelled to sleep with her wackadoo self, so Zombie, end it all because negative attention is better than no attention. I'm paraphrasing a bit.
•Also, I can't stand book Carol.
•Tyreese and Michonne are very much a thing now.
•Can't remember which show season Glenn and Maggie got married in. They marry in this volume, and immediately get bizzay trying to have a child.
•Dale loses his leg (many limb casualties so far in the series). And he and Andrea are still very much a thing.
•Lori has the wee Judith.
•The book confirms that Shane and Lori slept together knowing that Rick was still alive.
•The volume ends with the gang from Woodbury barreling up to the gates. The Governor is a bit worse for wear.
•Also, I can't stand Book Carol. I think I mentioned this.
I'd rate this book an M for barely concealed nudity, swearing, sexual scenes, violence and gore, and suicide. -
We need to prepare for a possible attack on the prison... plenty of action, but also quieter moments than in the previous two volumes.
Remember Allen and his leg? Yes, well...
The quiet moments are well done. Grown ups having realistic relationships, as far as that is possible during the Zombie apocalypse. It‘s the small moments...
Feels a little like a bridge story, waiting for that attack to come. Fitting title in that respect. Quite the cliffhanger at the end, although it was not unexpected. Interesting differences to the TV adaptation, the biggest being Carol. -
Kind of an in-between volume, as the title implies. Still, drama continues in the form of a new baby, sneaking suspicions, and suicide.
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Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! This volume was amazing! I love how this volume started with a flashback of Lori and Shane. It was nice to see what actually happened with them when Rick was still in a coma. Glenn and Maggie finally have their wedding! It's the cutest shit ever, with Hershel as their pastor and what not. I just love Glenn and Maggie so much. I really enjoyed the scenes with Tyreese, Glenn, Maggie and Michonne going to the National Guard place and taking out all the Woodbury men. It was epic.
SPOILERS BELOW
So, Lori finally had the baby! And surprisingly, nothing went wrong. The baby was born naturally and Lori lived through it and decided to name the girl Judith. I was kind of shocked by this because as we all know in the tv show, Lori has a very unsafe, unplanned delivery and is killed instantly. Now I'm wondering when and how Lori will die? Or if she will die? I don't even know. But Dale got bit on his leg while trying to get gas for the generator while Lori was delivering the baby and they had to cut his leg off but this time it worked! Also, what the fuck? Carol already died? She basically committed suicide while walking up to a zombie? It's so ridiculous. Carol's character in the comics has got to be the most different in the actual tv show because Carol was a weak woman controlled by men in the comics but in the show she's so badass. I just don't understand. I was hoping she would turn it all around and become a badass like she is in the show, but no. Ugh, it's depressing. Also, Glenn and Maggie just decided then want to try and have a baby! Like what even. That just happened in the show in season 6 so this seems really soon. I mean they are still at the prison after all. Also, HOLY SHIT THE ENDING. THE GOVERNOR IS ALIVE AND HE'S COMING TO TAKE THE PRISON I KNEW HE WASN'T DEAD ASKLDHJAK. This was one of my favorite moments from the tv show and I'm so freaking excited to read Volume 8! -
Nach reichlich Action und Gewaltexzessen in den letzten beiden Büchern wird hier nun wieder ein langsameres Tempo angeschlagen. Die Beziehungen zwischen den Figuren und ihre Ansichten zu der zombieverseuchten Welt rücken wieder in den Mittelpunkt. Meines Erachtens genau der richtige Schritt.
Nichtsdestotrotz gibt es auch hier wieder einige dramatische Entwicklungen und den Charakteren wird teilweise schmerzlich bewusst welche Herausforderungen und Gefahren diese stark veränderte Welt weiterhin für sie bereithält.
Letztlich lautet der Titel dieses Bands Die Ruhe vor dem Sturm (The Calm Before) und der nächste nennt sich Auge um Auge (Made to Suffer).
Insofern ist ziemlich klar, dass hier bald wieder andere Zeiten anbrechen. Ich bin gespannt.
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The title is fitting and this volume was chock full of Kirkman character development goodness.
So much happens! Really I think this, aside from the first volume, is the best so far at individual development of characters. After the Woodbury incident and story arc everyone realizes they need to restock on ammunition and supplies if they are to survive any possible attack by Woodbury which seems imminent now. Rick comes to terms that with his new disability he can't do everything and be the hero/leader anymore and needs to take a backseat role to the able bodies people they have.
Yes this volume still has guns firing and bullets flying, even people dying, but the majority of it revolves around relationships being made, Rick and Lori having a baby, Glenn and Maggie debating about having a baby of their own and starting a family with things how they are, Dale having to cope with jealousy and some other new developments, Alice getting thrown into her new role as the doctor, Andrea taking the role of the group protector/sharpshooter/firing instructor, etc. A lot happens and Kirkman is true to form with a last page cliffhanger that leaves you screaming!
A real great volume and must read for any Walking Dead fan. -
The group prepares for an inevitable attack from Woodbury, training up everyone who can hold a gun while a small unit sets off to find the National Guard Station to stock up on guns, ammo and gas. Meanwhile, Maggie and Glenn tie the knot and Lori finally gives birth but still more death and tragedy befalls the small group.
I thought after the craziness of Woodbury and the Governor that this volume would be much less interesting as it’s more or less a return to the status quo but it’s still chock-full of great stuff. Dare I say it - Robert Kirkman does some decent character-work in this book!
Carol, the mother of Sophia who also tried to commit suicide earlier in the series, has been slowly unravelling these last few books and Kirkman does fine work in showing her fatalistic state of mind - her speech towards the end gives the reader a glimpse into her life in the group and her perspective on how she views them. It’s a very real moment that made Carol seem like an actual person.
Kirkman also keeps things exciting for the reader by having the group looking for the National Guard Station encounter some of the Governor’s men while, back at the prison, Lori goes into labour at night with the generator about to run out of gas, and Billy and Dale have to venture out in the zombie-infested parking lot to siphon more fuel.
It is amazing that before they sent out the most able among them to gather ammunition from the National Guard Station that they didn’t ensure they had enough fuel for the generator. They didn’t know how long they’d be gone and they knew one of their group was about to give birth, but still they don’t bother to top up the fuel containers from nearly empty to full? What a bunch of idiots!
And the death and mutilation remains funny, to me at least, because it’s so over-the-top. When zombies aren’t popping out of the shadows like diseased jack-in-the-boxes, characters are happily dying, smiles on their faces!
Still, The Calm Before is a highly enjoyable volume that’ll keep readers deeply invested in the series - especially with THAT finale! The Calm Before, indeed. -
" THE CALM BEFORE " this title was so so true , there is a big crazy storm coming xD
this volume was good , not alot of walking deads and fire shouting but it was like they said calm calm calm .
i was gonna give 2 stars for this volume coz it was boring alittle
so yeah finally maggice and glenn officially married and that was really good and sweet , lori has her baby without any problems not like what i expected but it was okay great annoying LORI still alive , i feel sad for carol but she wasn't like the one in the series so i wasn't a huge fan of her in the comics anyway , but the finale deserves one more star really , Hershel look at the finale remind me of this one xD xD
so yes yes like what we all expected the Physco sadist head is back :( what a finale really
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WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT???
Well that was definitely unexpected. I totally thought that dude was zombie-food. Huh. Welcome back to the story, guy! Let's see where this goes.
Anyway... I'm kinda glad to see one of the losses from this volume. Chickadee was getting on my damn nerves. If Bill Maher was living with these folks, he'd be all like, "NEW RULE: If you can't cope with life, GTFO." It took longer than I expected, but FINALLY. Toodles, stupid.
Otherwise, this one was a little slower than past volumes, except for The Night of The Nurse, in which all of the things happened. Then calm, hence the title, and then BOOOOOOOOOM. Cliffhanger!
So... See you at the end of Volume 8 - which will definitely be the last one I read for a bit... seeing as how I don't actually have any more right now. *sigh* -
Tras el primer encuentro con el gobernador, este volumen es como de transición en el que vemos el día a día de nuestros protagonistas en la prisión. A pesar de ser un volumen algo más tranquilo también nos da varios sustos.
y el siguiente volumen tiene pintas de ser muy muy bueno. -
Oh Carol, I'm so happy the tv series took you in an entirely different direction.
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**SPOILER HEAVY**
Nothing particularly wrong with it, but it didn't keep me as gripped this time around. The group are really settled at the prison and then just when they feel safe and secure, the Governor turns up at the end shouting to his crew to kill them all for a nice little cliffhanger ending.
Lori finally gives birth to her daughter Judith, and it's actually nice to see her and Rick being happy for once. They always just seem to be pissed off at each other before this issue. I suppose that's married life ;)
I don't particularly like Dale's insecurities in this issue. He gets bit on the leg and they chop it off (basically like Hershel in the TV show), then he gets all worried about Andrea leaving him for Tyreese for no reason whatsoever. It just seemed random.
The other thing I didn't like as much was Carol's character. She has basically been on a downward spiral after she saw Michonne giving Tyreese head a few volumes ago. Then after a talk with Lori, she just goes and sleeps with Hershel's teenage son, then let's a zombie eat her. It just felt like they didn't know what to do with her character so they killed her off in a weird way. Maybe it's just me who feels that way.
I prefer it when they are walking around and it's constantly nail biting because they don't know when a zombie will pop up. Bring on the Governor to mess up their prison and throw a bit more excitement into it :P -
Oh my word, what a whiplash. The writing just plummeted AGAIN.
This is playing hard with my heart. Why are all the girls so stupid and/or just wanting to get it on? None of this makes plausible sense. The only thing I loved about the woman is that Lori gave no cares about nursing in front of her son because "it's natural" and that was beautiful.
Like, CAROL WAY TO MAKE US ALL LOOK BAD. Or should I say, way'da go writers for making all the women look bad and/or unrealistic?
Prove me wrong here....
Anyway, the group got comfortable, a baby was born and basically nothing dangerous was happening. Until someone (stupidly) died and they let their guard down.
Always be aware of your neighbor guys, come on! -
A lot of good things happened in this volume—Judith was born, Dale was saved, Glenn and Maggie got married. It was the calm before the storm that is the Governor...
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Another good one I enjoyed
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While my enjoyment of
The Calm Before is way down compared to the other installments I've read of
The Walking Dead, I think there was a real story telling wisdom behind the lull in action crafted by
Robert Kirkman.
Our crew of survivors are still hanging out in the prison, and time goes by -- for the characters -- rather quickly. Some shit happens: Lori give birth to Judith; Dale loses his foot (the first successful amputation of a Zombie infected limb) and starts to suspect Andrea and Tyreese or bumping uglies; Glen and Maggie decide to start making their own babies; Carol ends her whinging with a Zombie embrace (such a cool way to go in Zombie world); and a bunch of our Survivors raid a National Guard base for gas, guns and ammo and a Wal-Mart for canned goods.
Then they wander around and pontificate while eating Herschel's fresh produce; or they practice shooting the Roamers while convincing themselves that the Governor and the folks of Woodbury will surely leave them alone; or they descend a little further into madness. But for the reader this is all slow, slow going.
Which is probably good because this installment ends with the Governor riding in, one-armed, on a tank with his own little battalion of humans to take over the prison. I think we needed this break, boring though it is, before we are
Made to Suffer. I hope it all picks up again, though, because I've not been a fan of the last 10 issues. Maybe the death of the Governor, if that's what's coming, will perk me up. -
For the most part, reviewing volumes of The Walking Dead seems pointless to me because, well, the idea's pretty damn basic - zombie apocalypse, civilization as we know it has toppled, people live in fear everyday while trying to still get by, survive, and hold onto things worth living for. Over the past 6 volumes, we've gotten to see people grow close to each other and lose loved ones, and Rick has definitely gone through his issues, realizing that it'll take more than being "good" to survive and protect his family. It's not a perfect series - some moments become a bit melodramatic, including an unintentionally hilarious illustration of Lori confronting Rick about her time with Shane - but it's still gripping and entertaining, with just enough investment given to each character so that the fear death hangs over each one.
If this were the TV series, volume 7, The Calm Before, would probably be the stretch of episodes I'd hate because, well, nothing much happens. Yet, as Kirkman's talents as a storyteller have grown, I found this calmer volume to be one of my favorites, if only as a believable breath of fresh air, when danger comes not necessarily from zombies or other groups of people, but from despair, a lull in the action that allows the characters to dwell on their unhappiness and their sins. As the title suggests, danger's not far off, but that gives Kirkman all the time he needs to show what peace might be like in this post-apocalyptic landscape.
P.S. You probably shouldn't read volume 7 unless you have volume 8. They work perfectly together, and the last page of volume 7 will send you to volume 8 immediately. -
Holy cow a lot happens in this volume!!
I'm glad that
Honestly the only woman I can tolerate is Maggie. She's awesome and I adore her and Glenn together. In the show and the comics. :) Andrea is warming up to me also. Can't wait to continue with this series. It may not be as good as the show, but it's pretty damn close. :D -
Whoa... Like whoa. It was unexpected...
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What a relief.
Seriously, after the parade of dumb that was This Sorrowful Life, I was fairly close to giving up on the series entirely. Considering how many more volumes there are, I wasn't willing to waste my time and money if the comic continued down that trajectory. Thankfully, this one returns to the quality of the earlier volumes, story-wise, and actually does a few things better.
After engineering a stalemate with the nearby Woodbury survivors, Rick and company dig further into their prison sanctuary and try to create something resembling a normal life. The due date for Lori's baby rapidly approaches, which gets some others in the prison thinking about starting a family while they still can. Supplies are found and preserved, the fences are patched and guarded, and things begin to settle down, just a little. However, the stillness allows our heroes time to finally experience the anger, jealousy, and despair that they've had to bottle up until now in order to survive. If that wasn't bad enough, they may come to learn that their stalemate with Woodbury isn't as ironclad as they had hoped.
Adlard's art remains consistent and visceral. I don't know if I've mentioned this in previous reviews of the series, but I really like that the main art is rendered in stark blacks and whites. I've lately been delving into a lot of comics with panels vividly colored by computer, and the return to to Adlard's style is striking by comparison. It prevents the gore from going over the top, and reinforces the drama by keeping distractions from the characters themselves to a minimum. Also, it's a nice callback to Night of the Living Dead, which I recently rewatched.
To my surprise and gratitude, Kirkman has backed down a bit on a few of the most grating character and story arcs. Lori is no longer a screeching, shrewish caricature of a hormonal pregnant woman, and for the first time starts to look and sound like an actual character. Andrea reverses course from the Submissive Female Sidekick #4 role, and acts like a strong protagonist again. There's a bit of a break from Rick's melodramatic he-man bullcrap, which was long overdue (and nicely capped off with a metaphorical scene where he finally gets to shave). Some long foreshadowed developments finally occur, along with one surprise that promises an interesting psychological change in one of the major characters. And, yes, just when you start to forget that this is a zombie story... GRAAHR ZOMBIE ATTACK.
One particular element of the story (Alice's ambition and methodology for further studying the zombies) is something any fan of the genre will recognize, and easily predict what it portends. However, it felt more like a homage than a trope.
The Calm Before is an appropriate name for this volume, because it is rather slow and light on action compared to the previous books. It's by no means boring, though. Indeed, of the volumes I've read so far, this one comes the closest to doing what Kirkman set out to do: tell a zombie apocalypse story that's less about the apocalypse itself, and more about the people who are left. -
The Walking Dead, Vol.7: The Calm Before provides a much needed mental break for the characters and for me (well, mostly for the characters, with a couple of small exceptions). It's actually kind of notable that two things that would be considered absolutely horrifying in any other story feel really tame here because they are the only two bad things in this volume, where most volumes of this story contain WAY WAY WAY more than that. Also, Robert Kirkman is an asshole, I'm pretty sure, because the fact that all this normalcy and calmness and pleasantness is there can only mean one thing: everybody is about to die.
And that's probably not even hyperbole.
Not including the two exceptions I noted above (involving Carol and Dale), Vol. 7 has all the characters stopping to smell the roses, so to speak. Lori and Rick prepare for the birth of their baby, Maggie and Glen get hitched and start talking about starting a family, Michonne starts to deal with the trauma of the last couple of volumes, Andrea and Dale reaffirm their relationship, etc. The calm allows them all to take a step back and see what's there, plan for the future. They've got crops growing, they've stocked up on supplies, and they're feelings safe. Carol
All in all, a welcome respite, but as it's sure to precede utter carnage, I can't really say I'm all that grateful in the end, but I'll have to get back to you later. The Governor is at the doorstep and he wants revenge. -
I realize this is the review for Volume Seven of The Walking Dead series; however, can there be anything good coming in volume eight when the title of the seventh chapter is The Calm Before? Robert Kirkman takes an entire chapter to lull his readers into a bit of complacency. Perhaps he is trying to get his readers to experience the idea he is driving home in this volume: sit in safety long enough and you will forget how to protect yourself.
The lack of good times and warm moments seems all the more pronounced by the almost overwhelmingly good feelings provided here by things like a small wedding, and of course, the ultimate antithesis of death: birth. That’s not to say there aren’t some bad moments. Another chapter falls, one loses a leg. Kirkman has established his mythos by now, A bite like the one that claims ’Roger” in Dawn of the Dead is not a death sentence in Kirkman’s world.
As has been the case throughout, the characters in this saga act in very real, very identifiable ways. The insecurities and uncertainties in all of us are manifested by the small band of survivors. Their beauty, and the power of this series comes from their ‘realness’. The Calm Before exposes the frailties more definitely and does an excellent job of setting the reader. It’s the thrill of sitting in a dark movie theater, knowing something is going to jump out…then it does and you STILL jump. That is the last three pages of volume seven.
The last page is a return to the gut-wrenching, aggravating cliff hanger. This is the one that leaves you furious. Fortunately, those of you reading these reviews have the option of having chapter eight just a page away (if you own the hardcover compendium) or sitting beside you.
For those of you new to this series, I challenge you to just wait twenty-four hours. Savor the anguish of those inside the prison fence, living in their false security. Then…grab volume eight and quench your thirst for The Walking Dead.
