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The Walking Dead (Volume 20) All Out War Part 1 by Robert Kirkman.

"What at first seems like a good plan, quickly goes south when not all goes accordingly. The Saviors retaliate and the reader is left to wonder, what next?"

3 Stars. 

Pros:  Ezekiel is a good character, he has a heart, he's kind and most important of all, he has emotions. He's not always running off half cocked like Rick. And for his emotions, he's slapped by Michonne. I'm really liking her as a character less and less as the series goes on. 

Cons: Michonne is seriously a bitch/Rick always having to be the savior of everyone. 

Full Review: 

Rick's plan to march on Negan's Sanctuary is brought into play. And though he tells Negan he can surrender and no one will be hurt, Negan, of course, doesn't listen. Negan brings out Gregory, the leader of the Hilltop, who says that his men can leave, can live in peace, but if they don't, then they will be thrown out of the Hilltop and no longer protected. Not as many people leave as Negan would have hoped. Negan's played his card, so it's time for Rick to play his. The first part of their attack works and the Sanctuary is cut off from the outposts by a wall of zombies that were drawn to the Sanctuary by the sound of the gunfire. 

Rick's plan was go drive a car through the gates and get taken prisoner by Negan because he was sure that Negan wouldn't kill him. But Holly, who wants revenge for Abraham's death, gets to the car and does it first. The Saviors take her prisoner. While they're regrouping, Rick leads one group against one outpost and Ezekiel leads another group on another outpost. Rick's group is more or less successful but Ezekiel's group suffers heavy losses. 

He manages to escape and makes it back to Alexandria. But he's lost many men and what hurts the most, his beloved tiger, Shiva. She saved him and he ran. He feels terrible for abandoning her and doesn't know if he can go on. Michonne, being her bitchy self, smacks him and tells him to stop being such a wimp. She really is a bitch. 

Gregory and the few Hilltoppers who left the Sanctuary make it back to the Hilltop. Gregory explains that he had to do what he had to do to keep this community safe. He tries to reason with everyone, saying that Negan really can be quite reasonable if you work with him. Maggie, understandably, punches him, since Negan killed Glen. She explains that through everything, Rick has always been there, always been dependable and supportive. That if she believes in anything anymore, that she believes in Rick Grimes. 

After Rick comes back to Alexandria and it's explained to him what happened with Ezekiel's group, he knows Negan won't wait long to attack Alexandria. Even as he's explaining this to the gathered masses, a grenade goes off. Negan is here and ready to fight back. He releases Holly, whom Rick lets back in and Denise, the Doctor, takes the hood off, only to reveal that Holly is now a zombie. She bites Denise and as Negan starts lobbing more and more grenades, Heath is hurt. Denise manages to get him to the infirmary and Rick runs off to find Andrea and Carl. 

Things don't look good for Alexandria but with the timely arrival of Maggie and people from the Hilltop, they manage to drive Negan back. He and his surviving men flee and Maggie goes to talk to Rick. He asks if she's in charge of the Hilltop now and she figures she is, but before they can get any talking done, Rick passes out, 

While escaping, the Saviors asks what they'll do next. How they'll regroup and Negan points to the smoke coming from Alexandria and say that there are no fire engines coming, that there's no way to stop the destruction they've caused, that that smoke is the sign that the Saviors have won this war. 

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