You can always count on Robert Kirkman to find a way to surprise or shock you when reading The Walking Dead.

And that’s the case here with the third installment of The Whisperer War.  It’s a great read with plenty of good character moments, with Dwight in particular stepping up as a leader in this war.

But before getting there, Negan versus Beta.  Unlike Alpha, I would expect Beta to stay around much longer than her, but there’s no question that Beta lost this battle to Negan.  It helps that Negan was more than ready to kill and even if there are some who still hate Negan for the terrible things that he’s done, he’s proving himself a useful ally here.

And seeing Dwight toss Lucille to Negan was a great sight that made it feel like a true reunion.  And let’s be honest, it is.  Given how long Negan has been without her, and how he did tell Dwight that he’d get her back, this was the reunion we wanted and got as Negan laid waste to Beta.

But then, she breaks.  You know, let’s take a step backwards, because this is a pretty clever move.  As the ongoing story progresses, we’re also getting Negan’s backstory in the “Here’s Negan” mini-series.  As of recent, we learned about the origin of Lucille’s name, and just when Negan reclaims her, she’s gone.

Now I’m wondering just how damn sturdy Lucille is.  Negan had her for quite awhile and we know she’s been used to smack across roamers and humans alike.  That she survived for this long is proof of her durability.  And yes, Negan’s rage may be exaggerated because at the end of the day, we’re talking about a bat wrapped in barbed wire, but damn it if it doesn’t sting nonetheless.

Hell, Lucille isn’t even technically a character, but I feel like I lost something with her breaking.  Now Negan could always make a similar weapon or a new one altogether, but whatever he does, it’s the end of an era here with Lucille’s death.  Godspeed, Lucille.  Yes, you took Glenn from us, but you remained in our hearts.

Okay, moving on, so the team manages to keep the Whisperers at bay for awhile, but once more roamers arrive, Dwight steps up and decides to divide and conquer.  I’ve said it before and will no doubt say it again, but Dwight has ended up proving Rick right.  He didn’t want the leadership position, but Rick gave it anyway.  Now that he has it, he’s proving to be an effective strategist.

And it’s a good plan as well.  No way should this small band be expected to take on that many roamers and potential Whisperers, so why not divide them up?  This gives them more time to weed out as many roamers as possible, but also formulate a plan to keep the oncoming herd from reaching one of the communities.

Like the Hilltop, which is how I’ll segue over there.  Oh, Carl.  Poor, young Carl.  Lydia comes along and takes his virginity, and sometime after that, she says that she doesn’t love him, despite appreciating all he’s done- not to mention defending her.  So after all that, Lydia puts Carl right in the friend zone.

But, to be fair, Lydia has a good point about the difference between Carl’s group and the Whisperers.  The Whisperers just exist for nothing more than to survive and kill for their leader.  Carl and company, though, they want to rebuild society.  They want to make civilization what it was before the world went to hell.  To the Whisperers, they’re already in hell.

So, in a way, those emotions make Carl’s group seem weak.  And I gotta give Carl credit for making a stand, thinking that Lydia was talking to him out of fear.  He really is his father’s son, refusing to be swayed by a scary premonition.  But even a badass like Carl can’t be with Lydia forever, so she breaks it off.  Of course, they can probably still fuck, but Lydia tells Carl that he shouldn’t think that it’s love.

Zoned!  But at the very least, this could open the door for Sophia to make a move.

Okay, I’m finished.  Moving onto the Kingdom for a second, damn this was a great scene.  So much got across in so little panel time, but William showed some serious fortitude here.  Zachary questioned his leadership and strength, but William is more than capable of leading.  Plus, despite his loyalty to Rick, he’s looking at the bigger picture.

If the Whisperers overwhelm and kill those sent out to fight them, of course they’ll start heading for the communities.  And William will be damned if he puts his people in danger or sit on the sidelines while other people risk their lives.  So as we see here, anyone who questions William’s leadership better be prepared to defend themselves.

We get snippets of life at Alexandria, with Rick still taking a backseat approach while Dwight leads the team in the field.  It is unfortunate and inconvenient that there’s no way to be in contact with them because now Rick has no way of what’s going on with the others. And that could end up being a huge problem with where we end up by the of the issue.

And that’s with Dwight’s group dressing up as the Whisperers.  It’s a good idea that could draw away some of the herds and kill Whisperers at the same time, but there’s a problem. Again, with Rick unaware of what’s happening, suppose Dwight’s group runs into someone from one of the communities that isn’t aware of his plan.  They could just see an approaching Whisperer and open fire, like on the show when Andrea shot Daryl.

So now we just wait and see what becomes of this plan, but all in all, a great issue.  We bid farewell to Lucille, Carl gets zoned by Lydia, and Dwight puts his plan into action to take down the Whisperers from within.  Meanwhile, keep an eye on the Saviors, who are trying to still stop Vincent.  They could still prove to be a thorn in Rick’s side if they don’t cooperate.

Still, though, great read.