Vol. 18: What Comes After (Issue #103–108)

Notables

• The volume opens up with Monroe kicking zombie ass and following The Savior the community released.
• Rick is dealing with back lash from Andrea and Carl about his decision to surrender to Negan. He tells Andrea the truth to prevent her from moving out. 
• Negan and The Saviors arrive at the community. He tells Rick that they wont take any of their food, because he needs them to survive to continue supplying The Saviors. During the 'raid' Negan is verbally abusive to Rick.
• Carl sneaks into one of Negan's trucks before The Saviors leave and go along for the ride with an assault rifle.
• After Negan's visit the community is terrified and not sure if surrendering was the best choice.
• Monroe is seen following Dwight, The Savior Rick's group let go, when he approached one of The Savior's outposts. The Saviors try to take Monroe hostage, but before they can return to the outpost he unties himself and escapes.
• When The Saviors get back to their camp and unload the truck they discover Carl. He immediately opens up fires and demand to see Negan. After a few deaths Carl is overtaken and Negan decides to show him around their camp.
• When Negan enters into the community area everyone stops and kneels before him, until he instructs otherwise.
• Negan has several wives. They are exempt from the point system. Once Negan has decided to 'offer' a woman position as his wife, she must be faithful to him and branded (like cattle). He makes them walk around in their underwear, even in front of the entire camp. 
• Eugene tells Rick about the ammunition plan he and Abe were working on before The Savior's first attack.
• As 'punishment' Negan asks Carl to take off his eye bandage. Negan's response was very insensitive and made Carl cry a bit. Negan also requested him to sing him and 'Lucille' a song: he sang 'You are My Sunshine'. (Negan is weird, creepy, and crazy.)
• Normally Negan punishes people who break the rules by placing a burning hot iron to their face.
• Rick has discovered that Carl is missing and set out to find him.
• Spencer seems to be over critical of Rick's decision making. It seems that he is a bit jealous Andrea chose to be with Rick instead of him.
• Jesus/Monroe returns to Rick's community to let him know about The Savior's camp. Rick suspected Carl was with Negan, but it was confirmed when Monroe said he heard gun fire. Abe's assault rifle was missing.
• Even though it's the middle of the night: Rick, Andrea, Michonne, and Monroe decide to go to The Savior's camp.
• Before the group arrive at Negan's town they are trying to plan a way to get Carl out. Rick says that he's going to knock on the front gate. He doesn't think Negan wants a war. Plus the camp's too big, they'd probably be spotted before the find Carl.
• As they are approaching The Savior's camp the run into Negan's caravan. 
• Negan baits Rick by pretending he's harmed Carl. Rick immediately deviates from the original plan and goes bat shit crazy. Rick head butts, bites, punches. . . .throws down with Negan. Once the scuffle is over he brings Carl out, who's fine. Negan admitted he was toying with him and takes the blame for the situation getting out of hand. 
• Eugene, Rosita, and Holly have found the store that has all the material they need to produce their own ammunition.
• Rick is still trying to convince the community he made the right decision by cooperating with The Savior's. (Of course he is trying to keep things calm while he executes his other plan.)
• Michonne tries to seduce Heath because she know he and Denise (Dr. Cloyd) are on the outs. However, he turns her down firmly but gently. He understands that she is lonely, but advises her to let her guard down around the rest of the community.
• Since Negan made Carl take off his bandage he hasn't put one back on, even though he's back home. He's dealing with his injury pretty well, but still has breaks down every now and then. While clearing walker with Michonne he was almost bitten because he didn't see the walker in his spot.
• Jesus decides to take Rick to meet Ezekiel, the leader of a community named The Kingdom.
• Ezekiel agrees to help Rick launch and assault on The Saviors.
• While Rick and Jesus are meeting with Ezekiel, one of Negan's men appear at the Kingdom - - Dwight. Dwight tells Rick that he hates Negan and can be an asset in taking him down. Of course Rick is very skeptical.
• To convince Rick, Dwight explained how Negan took his wife for himself. Negan caught Dwight and Sherry together and punished him with an iron to the face. 
• This volumes ends with Dwight promising the three men that he will help end Negan's reign.

Random Thoughts

• Negan's such an asshole. He calls Rick "Prick".
• Carl's a bad ass. The TV show version has nothing on the comic book version. Granted, in this universe Carl has been through a significant amount more trauma. I can't wait to see how the TV show writers are going to really transform Carl.
• The Savior are weird. I understand most people would want to be in the dominant group, but what good is it if it ran in a totalitarian manner. These people brutally raid other communities, and still have earn points within their own camp to earn the loot they've stolen. And this system was arbitrarily decided by asshole of the century, Negan.
• If you ever seen the TV series Prison break you will completely understand how Negan treats other people when it comes to his bat, Lucille.  T-Bag use to make his 'bitches' hold on to his pants pocket. It was meant to be a sign of submission, and humiliate the submissive. 
• Ugh I cannot say enough about Negan. He's sense of humor mixed with is asshole-ness makes me gag.

Quotes

• Negan: "You think I've got all these little communities at my feet because I roam the countryside bashing Asian-American skulls? That's no fucking way to make friends. Everyone toes the line because I provide them a service. I keep them safe. We're The Saviors, not the kill your friends so you don't fucking like us at all."