Vol. 17: Something To Fear (Issues #97–102)

Notables

• This volumes starts with everyone, from Rick's community, in church praying for the safe return of the group that left with Monroe. They also pray that Carl is with the traveling group.
• It appears that Maggie is having issues with nausea.
• On the way home, Rick's group is followed by a group on motorcycles. They command Rick to stop the van . . . on Negan's orders. Ricks pulls over the van and gets out of the vehicle. The leader of the pack ordered Rick to place his weapon on the ground and lay face first. He let Rick know that they were confiscating everything in the van. Rick's response was, "Andrea?" And with no surprise Andrea is sniping away and Michonne is chopping of heads. 
• Rick sent Negan a message. He is taking over the protection of The Hilltop, and will give The Saviors the same deal they gave to The Hilltop.
• Carl is slowly getting his memory back.
• When the group returned to the community Maggie tells Glenn that she is pregnant.
• Rick presented the deal he made with The Hilltop to the whole community, and surprisingly no one objected to the arrangement.
• Rick and Andrea decide to be optimistic and give their relationship a try.
• Abe and Eugene left early then next morning to go on a run to collect supplies to make ammunition. While on the run there is a couple of people watching them. 
• When Eugene and Abe were talking about Rosita an arrow flies right through the back of Abe's head and out of his eye.
• Eugene scrambles for Abe's gun and protect himself as The Saviors approach him. They followed Rick's group home after their men were slaughtered.
• Carl walks in on Rick and Andrea in bed. Just as Rick is about to explain the situation to Carl he hears Abe's gun fire, and is on his way to help.
• When Rick and the rest make it to the gate, The Saviors are waiting outside with Eugene tied up and waving Abe's gun in the air.
• Suddenly Eugene does the unexpected and chomps down on the leader's penis and balls! Rick takes the opportunity to shoot one of men in the head, and all hell breaks loose. 
• Rick's group gets the advantage and forces The Saviors to run. Instead of letting the go so easily, Rick decides to chase them down.
• While chasing The Saviors the group finds Abe's body being eaten by walkers.
• The chase come to a sudden halt when Rick and Andrea run into a big group of walker. On the way back to the community they decide to pick up Abe's body even though it's a risk.
• Maggie and Glenn have a huge argument about rather they should leave or stay in the community. Glenn wants to move to The Hilltop before The Saviors return.
• The group has a funeral for Abe. During the service Holly kind of flipped out on Rosita when she was trying to give her condolences.
• After the funeral Rick has a town meeting and suggest that a group goes to The Hilltop and request assistance. During the meeting Glenn announces that he and his family want to go to The Hilltop and live their permanently. 
• A group of Saviors have been watching the community and made plans to attack as soon as Rick and a few others left, on the way to The Hilltop. 
• Rick and the others didn't make it to The Hilltop before night fall, so they had to make camp on the road. During Rick's night watch shift they are attacked by a huge group of Saviors. They are severely out-numbered.
• The leader of group tells Rick that he's not going to kill them, but they are going the have the same arrangement The Hilltop has. However, Rick's group must be punished for killing members of The Savior. The leader uses the any many miny mo method to decide who's going to suffer a beating with a baseball bat modified with barb wired.  . . . . . . Glenn is chosen and beaten until his head was crushed and the innards were splattered on the concrete.
• After The Saviors leave Maggie goes into a rage and beats Rick up. Then oddly, she stops abruptly. Carl pulls his gun on Maggie and demands she stops beating Rick. In defensive of Maggie, Sophia tackles Carl and bites him. Michonne breaks up the fight and group calms down.  
• Glenn is buried at The Hilltop. Maggie and Sofia remain at The Hilltop as they originally planned. Jesus/Monroe return to the community with Rick and his group.
• The group returns to community in shock. It's obvious they were attacked, however everyone survived. They even managed to capture a Savior and hold him hostage. 
• Rick is taking Glenn's death really hard. Because he is the leader, Rick feeling responsible for Glenn's death. He can't deal with how helpless he was. . . How he had to sit and watch Glenn die. 
• Michonne and Rick agree that maybe they should yield to The Saviors, for now. It seems foolish to try to go to war with a group that size.
• The volume ends with Rick holding a town meeting. He informs them of his decision to cooperate with Negan and The Saviors. Andrea is very upset with his decision. After the meeting the hostage is released; and Jesus/Monroe and Rick have a private conversation. It seems as if Rick lied to the community, and is in fact planning on making a move on the Saviors. Jesus/Monroe leaves to gather intel on The Saviors. 

Random Thoughts

• Oh gosh Eugene, Abe would never be jealous of a pervert in a million years.
• I think the TV show has done a great job of showing how growing up in the zombie apocalypse has affected Carl's perception of reality verses what was considered normal.
• Rick is on point. He knows exactly what Abe's gun sounds like. Well I guess if you're a gun enthusiast it wouldn't be hard to recognize.
• Ugh, this scene with The Saviors outside of the gate with a hostage reminds me of The Governor and Tyreese scene. Except I don't care nearly as much about Eugene as I did for Tyreese.
• I really like Andrea and Rick's relationship. She is just a tough and smart as him - - his equal. 
• The Saviors are brutal. I cannot even describe just how horrible these men are. As I was reading the scene when they attack the group on the road, I couldn't catch my breath. I just knew something devastating was going to happen.
• This volume is one of the best. Kirkman has captured my attention and emotions, and taken them on a journey.