The Walking Dead #186

The Walking Dead (Single Issues)

by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard (Illustrator), Stefano Gaudiano (Illustrator)

The powder keg: once it goes off, it can’t be contained.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Zombies, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

Paperback

Published December 5, 2018

About the author

Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.

Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.

In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.

Reviews

[Poria Da · Rating 4 out of 5]

cool surprises!!!

[Beth Jono · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it can make me gasp out loud it gets 5 stars

[Vikas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, that sure was surprising!

I have always loved comics, and I hope that I will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics or Diamond Comics or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on the international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I can. I Love comics to bit, may comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, that one was very exciting. And I did not see that major character death coming! Good stuff. I'll have to re-read this one soon.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well.. what do you know, we get some progress... but surprise surprise, it is NOT some good progress.

First things first, all of the spoilers of the world from here on out will be in my review, so if you don't want to know what happens in this stupid issue, stop reading. Even though you're not going to miss on anything but yeah whatever--

Rick Rick Rick... we had a glimpse of the good ol'Rick.. but that was like in the worst way ever and for a split second... then he turned back into this mickey mouse club character that he's on for the last *enter number* issues.

What Rick did was super foul. Super stupid. Super NOT what Rick would do.

What the fuck was that I ask you?

Ricardo would never fucking ever shoot someone like that. Especially SOMEONE FROM HIS OWN PEOPLE?!... Right? WRONG. Little Richard would do that shit at the blink of an eye if it meant something or someone is jeopardising his family's safety. And by that I mean Carl mainly.

So Rick would DO that shit, so why it's not ok now?

Because Rick had this fucking epiphany back when he jailed Negan, NEGAN who *cough* fucked up Rick's whole world and kept on fucking up with him, killing his people and threatening and trying to kill him, his son and everything else around him. So.... Rick stopped and when he had the chance he didn't kill Negan. Because it was pointless, but he kills Dwight now? Fuck. That. Shit.

You mean to tell me that he couldn't bring himself to kill the guy who fucked up his whole world killed his friends in front of him, humiliated him, tried to kill his son himself everyone and fucked him up while bringing war to his doorstep... but he killed one of his own like it's nothing?

Hm.. no. Not even that, I even have a problem with how he handled it afterwards. Like killing Dwight and not even taking responsibility for it, telling Michonne that it's her fault that he killed him. But that was so-so for me cuz I liked the tension, so yeah.

What I want to say here with that scene is that, the dude is all peaceful and shit now, he drew the line back with Negan who did everything to destroy Rick and everything around him and Rick had him but didn't do shit and decided to NOT kill again and all of that shit. And even though I strongly disagreed, I rolled with the punches and said yeah, whatever, bring more stories and shit as long as it's interesting. And sometimes it was, but cmon.. if you turn Rick to a man who doesn't kill his worst enemy, don't tell me he's grabbing a gun after that and he kills one of his own without a 2nd thought because of a "possible" "future" with some "community" that they may have to stay but change with "peace". Fuck that shit Ricardo.

What Michonne and Rick were telling Dwight that they WOULDN'T do is exactly what they DID to HIM. So, fuck your patronising Richie! And fuck telling on Michonne that it was her fault. <-- (see? this is what gets me to continue one more issue, cuz I liked it even though I disagree.)

We have a few good characters left in this shit and you go kill one more and what? You expect us to like who? Fucking Princess? The one dimensional Gwen-pool knock off? Who? The new what-they-called characters that I don't even know their names that's diverse and trendy right now? Fuck that. No thanks.

So you kill off Dwight. Clap Clap. And I'll bite. I'll take it. Just cause. You better bring it in the next issue cuz the only good thing was the Rick/Michonne scene at the end with Rick telling her it was her fault. ( Like there was NO other solution from a man who said NO to killing Negan, to choose to do/say something else than killing one of HIS people because he was threatening to kill the "boss" of some people he just met.. meh..)

Oh well.. one more issue for me, since I stopped buying the physicals cuz Sienkiewicz variants ended, I'll buy the next one digital on comixology and if we're on the same fucking motifs that we're in now I'm done with the series for now. The series which was my favourite since #1 back in 03'-04 when I first started reading.

Was going to stop on this one, but the end was kinda promising!

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This month tensions escalate and this leads to a shocking ending that’ll have a huge impact in the future.

[John Michael Martinez (Elio. Studio) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The previous issue ended on a massive turning point. Dwight deliberately tested the people's loyalty toward the Commonwealth, Rick found himself questioning the idea of equality under Pamela's rule, and Mercer practically admitted that the Commonwealth needed a new leader. It felt like every major character had reached a crossroads, each with a different vision of how this society should move forward. Going into this issue, I expected the political tension to continue building, but I never imagined it would escalate into something this heartbreaking. The Commonwealth has slowly revealed the cracks beneath its polished exterior, and I had a feeling those cracks were finally about to split wide open.

At the Hilltop, Sophia is quietly eating lunch when Joshua approaches and politely introduces himself, asking if he can sit with her. Although she reluctantly agrees, it's obvious she isn't particularly interested. From a distance, Carl notices the interaction and gives Sophia an encouraging look, hoping the two might get along. Sophia simply rolls her eyes, making it clear she isn't impressed by Carl's matchmaking attempts.

Meanwhile, back at the Commonwealth, Eugene wakes up beside Stephanie after spending the night together. While getting ready, Stephanie nervously removes her wig, embarrassed for Eugene to see her natural hair. At first, she tries to hide it, clearly afraid of how he'll react, but Eugene immediately reassures her. Without hesitation, he tells Stephanie that she's beautiful exactly as she is. It was a genuinely sweet and intimate moment that showed how much their relationship has grown beyond simple attraction into one built on honesty, trust, and acceptance.

Elsewhere, Dwight is finally released from jail, only to be greeted by Laura, who wastes no time scolding him for his reckless behavior. She agrees that the Commonwealth desperately needs change, but she believes rushing into conflict will only make everything worse. Dwight, however, remains convinced that waiting will only allow corruption to grow stronger. Laura insists that they need a proper plan instead of acting purely on emotion. When she asks whether Rick supports his ideas, Dwight confidently replies that Rick will eventually come around.

Rick later discusses everything with Michonne, revealing that Mercer's comments have made him reconsider Dwight's warnings. For the first time, Rick admits that maybe Dwight was right—that perhaps the people really would stand behind them if they challenged Pamela's authority. Michonne is horrified by the idea. She acknowledges that the Commonwealth has serious flaws, but she still believes those flaws can be corrected peacefully from within the system. Rather than tearing the community apart through violence, she wants to improve it through reform, believing the Commonwealth is still worth saving despite its imperfections.

At lunch with her friends, Elodie experiences the growing divide within the Commonwealth firsthand. Her friends admit they hardly recognize her anymore and openly question where her loyalties now lie. Since Michonne defended the officers responsible for Anthony Keith's death and now lives comfortably in an upscale apartment, many citizens have begun viewing both mother and daughter as part of the privileged elite. The accusation clearly catches Elodie off guard and forces her to realize that public opinion is rapidly shifting against them.

Back in Alexandria, Magna instructs Heath and Vincent to increase the Militia's readiness. Although the Militia is always prepared by default, Magna wants everyone to remain especially alert because she believes conflict with the Commonwealth may be unavoidable. Her instincts continue telling her that something much larger is coming.

Soon afterward, Pamela invites Rick, Michonne, and Dwight to accompany her on what she proudly calls a hunting expedition. Upon spotting a small group of walkers, Pamela requests a shotgun and confidently fires at one of them. Instead of killing it with a clean headshot, she merely wounds it before casually ordering Mercer to eliminate the remaining walkers. Once the threat is gone, Pamela immediately ends the excursion as if she had accomplished something heroic. Rick, Michonne, and Dwight exchange confused looks, clearly questioning what they just witnessed.

Later, Dwight and Rick privately confront Mercer in the locker room. Mercer finally reveals the truth behind these hunting trips. Pamela intentionally leaves a handful of walkers alive outside the Commonwealth so she can periodically organize these public "hunts." The entire event exists purely as political theater—a staged performance designed to convince the citizens that she is personally protecting them from danger. Dwight is disgusted by the revelation, while Mercer once again quietly admits that the Commonwealth desperately needs new leadership.

Michonne later invites Rick and Dwight to her apartment, hoping to prevent things from escalating further. She pleads with both men to abandon any thoughts of overthrowing Pamela. Dwight immediately accuses Michonne of becoming blinded by the luxurious life she's been offered. Rick, surprisingly, sides with Michonne and says he wants to work alongside Pamela to create peaceful reforms instead of provoking another war. Relieved, Michonne reveals that she has invited Pamela to join their discussion.

Unfortunately, before anyone has time to react, Pamela enters the apartment accompanied by two armed guards. Although Michonne intended this to be nothing more than a conversation, Pamela immediately orders Dwight's arrest after learning he has been discussing resistance against her government. Dwight explodes in frustration, accusing Michonne of betraying them. Refusing to surrender, he pulls out his pistol and points it directly at Pamela's head.

The room instantly falls silent.

Rick desperately begs Dwight to lower the weapon, but Dwight refuses. In his eyes, Pamela is no different from Negan—another authoritarian leader who only understands power and fear. He argues that removing her would allow the Commonwealth to rebuild itself into something better and that the people would ultimately support them.

Faced with an impossible decision, Rick makes the most devastating choice imaginable.

To prevent a civil war from erupting, Rick draws his own gun and shoots Dwight in the head, killing him instantly.

The room is left in stunned silence as Pamela thanks Rick for saving her life, promising she will never forget what he has done before calmly walking away.

Later, Laura mourns Dwight's death while Rick confronts Michonne in grief and anger. He sarcastically asks whether she's happy now, blaming her for bringing Pamela into the meeting and forcing him into an impossible position. Rick tells her he'll never forgive her for making him kill one of his own people. Michonne finally reaches her breaking point, arguing that Dwight had become dangerously unstable and would have eventually forced this confrontation anyway. She insists Rick prevented an even larger war and saved countless innocent lives. Rick quietly wonders whether he actually prevented a war—or whether he simply chose the wrong side.

Carl trying to set Joshua and Sophia up together was honestly hilarious. Sophia couldn't have looked any less interested, and Carl's hopeful expressions made the whole interaction even funnier. It's always refreshing to get these small character moments because they remind us that despite living through an apocalypse, these characters are still teenagers trying to navigate friendships, relationships, and awkward social situations.

Eugene and Stephanie continue to be one of the healthiest relationships in the series. Eugene accepting Stephanie without hesitation after she removed her wig was such a beautiful moment. There was no judgment, no awkwardness—just genuine affection. In a story filled with violence and political conflict, scenes like this provide a much-needed emotional balance.

I completely agreed with Laura throughout this issue. Change is necessary, but rushing into revolution without a proper strategy is incredibly dangerous. Dwight's frustration is understandable, but acting purely out of anger rarely leads to lasting peace. For a brief moment, I thought Rick was finally beginning to recognize how flawed the Commonwealth truly is after hearing both Dwight's concerns and Mercer's opinions. Unfortunately, things spiraled far beyond anyone's control.

Michonne is honestly becoming one of the most frustrating characters in this arc for me. I understand why she believes peaceful reform is possible, and I respect her desire to preserve what the Commonwealth has built. However, she's speaking from a position of privilege that many ordinary citizens will never experience. She now has a luxurious apartment, a respected profession, and opportunities that most people inside the Commonwealth could never dream of receiving because of the class system. From where she's standing, change seems achievable. For everyone else trapped beneath that system, it's much harder to believe.

Elodie's conversation with her friends perfectly illustrates how divided the Commonwealth has become. The fact that her own friends questioned where her loyalty lies shows that people are no longer quietly accepting the current system. They're beginning to choose sides, and that's always a dangerous sign.

Magna's decision to keep Alexandria on high alert was absolutely the right call. Even if nothing happens immediately, it's always better to prepare for the worst than to be caught completely off guard. Her instincts have consistently been among the sharpest in this storyline.

The so-called hunting trip completely exposed Pamela's leadership to me. Learning that she intentionally leaves walkers alive just so she can organize staged hunts and appear heroic is honestly pathetic. She couldn't even finish off a single walker herself and immediately relied on Mercer to clean up the mess. Everything about it felt like political propaganda rather than genuine leadership. At least Rick, Michonne, and Dwight were finally able to witness firsthand just how manufactured Pamela's image really is.

I was incredibly disappointed with Michonne's decision to invite Pamela without informing Rick and Dwight beforehand. Had she simply warned them in advance, the entire conversation could have unfolded very differently. Instead, everyone walked into a situation they weren't prepared for, and it immediately escalated into chaos. I don't think Michonne intended to betray anyone, but her lack of transparency directly contributed to what happened next.

Pamela insists that she's committed to fulfilling her "role" as Governor, but after everything we've seen, that word almost feels ironic. Is she truly fulfilling her responsibility as a leader, or is she simply playing the role of one? Between the staged hunting trips, the carefully crafted public image, and her obsession with maintaining authority, she often feels more like an actress protecting a performance than a leader protecting her people.

Rick shooting Dwight completely stunned me.

I honestly sat there staring at the page for a while because I couldn't believe what had just happened. I understand why Rick made that decision. From his perspective, Dwight had become an immediate threat capable of igniting a civil war that would cost thousands of innocent lives. Rick chose the option that he believed would save the greatest number of people. But understanding his reasoning doesn't make the moment hurt any less.

As much as Dwight had become increasingly reckless, I can't ignore the fact that many of his concerns were completely valid. The Commonwealth is corrupt. The class system is broken. Pamela manipulates public perception while hiding behind carefully staged displays of leadership. Dwight saw those problems long before most people did.

By the end of the issue, I found myself angry at both Rick and Michonne. Rick was forced into an impossible situation, but Michonne's blind faith in peaceful dialogue with someone like Pamela feels painfully naïve. She has become so attached to the comfort and stability the Commonwealth offers that she's slowly losing sight of the people still suffering beneath its system. Whether she realizes it or not, she's beginning to defend the very structure that oppresses others.

This issue was heartbreaking from beginning to end. It wasn't just about Dwight's death—it was about trust collapsing, friendships breaking apart, and the realization that even the best intentions can lead to irreversible consequences. More than ever, the Commonwealth feels like a community standing on the edge of collapse, and I have a feeling things are only going to get much worse from here.

[Christy Dang · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the seminal zombie apocalypse comic Walking Dead, Dwight's plan to take the Commonwealth by force gets rejected by Rick, who wants to avoid another war. Michonne struggles to maintain balance between both sides while being accused of being disloyal, Rick struggles to maintain peace, and Dwight struggles to control his anger towards the Commonwealth. All of this comes to an explosive match-off where all players are at odds with another's different approaches. Comic book readers don't want to miss out what happens at the end and what will happen after!

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review of the entire series.

Rick Grimes is a strong-willed deputy who missed the end of the world because he was in a coma for a month after getting shot in the line of duty. Shaken, starving and confused, Rick escapes the horror of the abandoned hospital only to be met with something far more terrible. Not only has the world ended, but the dead have learned to walk and to kill without mercy. After learning that his wife and son have fled to Atlanta from a single survivor and his son, Rick goes on a journey to reunite with his family and search for more survivors.

Rick quickly has to come to terms with the fact that the world has ended and only a select few survived. The dead have risen from their graves and they prey on the living. In a world where every minute feels like hours, where there's no such thing as law and order, where finding a small meal is a tremendous task, the walking dead are quite possibly the least threatening thing for the survivors to have on their breaking minds. Humanity is pushed to the brink of destruction, forcing them to embrace their cruel and primal nature in order to survive. Sometimes you have to be more concerned about who you let into your community so they don't kill you in your sleep and steal everything you once cared about. Rick has no choice but to abandon the ways of law and order that he's upheld as an officer for so long in order to protect the few loved ones he has left. He has to become a monster to protect his crew or risk being devoured by those who became more monstrous than him and even the walking dead.

Despite zombies running the world and having the series named after them, what really sets this series apart from the average zombie apocalypse tale is the focus on realism and the daily struggles, flaws and depth of the characters. There's plenty of badass zombie killing action, but the action often takes a back seat to give the characters plenty of times to share their extremely tragic yet endearing stories, grow through mutual suffering and learn to adapt to a world that has left them to die. Even after the world has ended, many people still can't see eye to eye. They turn on each other and kill each other when they should come together. Others form alliances in spite of their differences and try to rebuild over the corpse of everything that was lost. The daily human drama and conflict is more intense than any monster apocalypse could hope to be.

We watch Rick struggle to balance his old moral code with the many necessary evils he has to commit in order to survive and make the world a better place for the ones he holds close. We watch people like Glen, Dale and Maggie attempt to find love in spite of having every reason to be filled with fear, hate and self-loathing. Characters like Michonne have to learn how to forgive themselves and convince themselves they deserve to be loved despite all the blood on their hands. We watch the weak like Carl and Andrea become strong and sometimes the strong become evil like The Governor. Even monsters like the wicked yet oddly lovable Negan are given the chance to find new ways of redeeming themselves by struggling alongside the other survivors that have all been changed by the horrors of the fallen world.

The pacing is extremely slow and I can understand why that may be a turnoff for a lot of people, but I eventually learned to enjoy watching the characters grow, overcome their trauma, find meaning in life and learn to love again. The characters are forced to do many terrible things to survive and it haunts them every waking moment. The ways they overcome these regrets is very realistic, human and hopeful. The slow pacing really gives the feeling that we're living beside these people. The way every tiny detail of their lives and who they are is explored makes them feel very real and believable.

When I first started reading the series, I wasn't expecting it to have such an uplifting ending. It seemed so bleak and nihilistic for a long time and things would go horribly wrong even when they seemed to be going so well, but the finale channels all the pain, suffering and betrayal of the previous volumes and tops it off with a very touching and inspiring finish. This was never a story about hopelessness. It's about learning to appreciate the little things, learning to forgive yourself and learning to move on even when it's hard. When everything seems lost there's always more to be found, even when we believe otherwise because we convince ourselves that we don't deserve to be happy ever again. Instead of dwelling on what was lost, strive to try and make things better than they were before.

I've never been a huge fan of zombie apocalypse stories, but The Walking Dead had enough heart and strong social commentary to make me stick by the characters until the end and I enjoyed every moment of their long trial.

***

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[Pool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that escalated quickly.

[beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

FRIENDSHIP OFFICIALLY ENDED BETWEEN ME AND RICK AND MICHONNE!!! 🖕🖕
dwight pulls up to the classist and police brutality filled function talking about taking things over, EXACTLY like rick did when he arrived at alexandria. but im supposed to root for rick when he does it and not dwight? and when alexandria was just full of innocent people who didnt know how to fight but the commonwealth got THIS going on? the guards who beat one of their civilians to death not 2 days ago michonnes calls and jumps dwight bc shes a valued member of society with a nice house and doesnt gaf and when dwight freaks out rick shoots him? NUH UH. idc if its supposed to show a progression in civilization, dwight didnt kill anybody but rick will shoot him, his FRIEND, without hesitation but let negan go and live a free life? fuck that. remember when rick did the same exact damn thing, waving a gun around alexandria but michonne knocked him out? why couldnt have rick just done that here? AND THEY ENDED UP TAKING THE FUCKING PLACE OVER ANYWAYS. WHAT!!!!!! #DWIGHTWASRIGHT #JUSTICEFORDWIGHT

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dwight was really annoying me and I was kind of relieved when Rick shot him. Hate the tension between Rick and Michonne though. I kind of agree with Rick, Michonne shouldn't of brought Pamela. But I hope Rick forgives her because they're my favorite characters and I love their friendship. Overall didn't really like this issue.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly feel annoyed by what happens in this issue. Sure it might lead to some conflict, but it really sucks that Dwight's development has gone out the window. And now Rick and Michonne might end up on opposite sides.

[Tb35 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rip Dwight

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things are volatile between Dwight and the governor. Michonne has seemingly taken a side and Rick isn't happy about it. The governor proves she wants to keep power, and silence anyone who opposes her. Magna is running Alexandria and wants everyone to be ready for when the sh** hits the fan.

[Tony Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhhh shit...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

R.I.P. Dwight.

[Derek Neveu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t see that coming, but then again either did they!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shit just got real.

[Nicole Magolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are really getting interesting now!

[Aron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. Great, great issue,...man I live this series! In my opinion it just keeps getting better & better.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo Robert Kirkman and crew. You made my daughter run in and say "are you ok daddy" after the exclamation i made when I turned the page and the shock of what I witnessed.

[Manuel Meneses · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una muerte innecesaria, desaprovechar a dwith

[L.R. Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I don't want to spoil anything. So I'll just say, I didn't see that coming. 😨 😳 😱 😷 😨

[C S Olate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dwight... :/

[Hector · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

[Bernita Nur Cahyani · Rating 5 out of 5]

i want surprises but not like this :((

[Tosca Wijns-Van Eeden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone dies this issue

[Debbie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tidy

[Artrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dolor 😭