It's an exciting time to be a Walking Dead reader. The series is again venturing into uncharted waters as Michonne and her friends make first contact with the largest and most advanced colony they've encountered since the start of the zombie outbreak. Issue #177 loses some of the series' recent momentum, but it still offers a compelling taste of the conflicts to come.

As he occasionally does, writer Robert Kirkman takes a more ensemble-minded focus to this issue. The narrative constantly bounces between scenes set at Alexandria, at the Hilltop and at the Commonwealth. That approach allows Kirkman to touch base with a number of characters, both old and new. Unfortunately, this is another case where the constantly shifting narrative gives the book a jumbled quality. The script never settles in with any one group of characters for very long before moving onto the next. The script also suffers from Kirkman's tendency to overwrite dialogue. Certain conversations could really benefit from being pruned and streamlined in order to create a more natural flow.But despite the sometimes clunky nature of the script, this issue still has plenty of memorable moments. For one thing, Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard follow up on the dramatic reunion between Michonne and her daughter, Elodie. That twist alone is easily one of the most promising developments in the series since Negan first reared his head. Amusingly, the opening page even reacts to that twist in a cheekily self-aware way. It's fascinating to see this more vulnerable side to Michonne, and to be reminded of how simultaneously cruel and hopeful this post-apocalyptic world can be. Adlard's art is at its best in these emotionally charged pages, with the heavy use of shadow furthering heightening the mood. As always, Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano and Cliff Rathburn make for a winning team.Apart from that family reunion, the most memorable scenes in this issue involve newly introduced Commonwealth characters. Kirkman introduces readers to Sebastian, the pampered son of the Commonwealth's leader, and Sebastian, the weary bodyguard tasked with protecting him from zombies and prying eyes alike. The result of these new introductions is that the series suddenly develops a class warfare element. Even in a world ravaged by the undead, there are the haves and have-nots.That's a promising enough development on its own, but this issue also serves to address one of my complaints regarding issue #176. At the time, it felt as though Kirkman and Adlard were moving too rapidly in terms of transforming the Commonwealth from benevolent allies to sinister new threat. But this issue makes it clear that there are multiple factions even within the Commonwealth itself, and not everyone has the same goals or desires. This helps make the series feel that much more unpredictable, and that's always a welcome quality.