The Walking Dead

	The Walking Dead
	; Cover art for The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye trade paperback.; Art by Tony Moore.
Publication information
Publisher	Image Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	Zombie
Publication date	October 2003 - Present
Creative team
Writer(s)	Robert Kirkman
Artist(s)	Charlie Adlard
Creator(s)	Robert Kirkman; Tony Moore

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For other uses of Walking Dead, see Walking Dead (disambiguation).

The Walking Dead is an American monthly black and white comic published by Image Comics beginning in 2003. The comic was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore (replaced by Charlie Adlard from issue #7 onward) and chronicles the travels of a group of people trying to survive in a world stricken by a zombie apocalypse.

[edit] Synopsis

The Walking Dead is centered around a small-town police officer from Cynthiana, Kentucky, his family, and a number of other survivors who have banded together in order to survive after the world is overrun with zombies. As the series progresses, the characters become more developed, and their personalities shift under the stress of a zombie apocalypse. Fighting growing despair — and occasionally each other — the group searches for a secure location which they can finally call home. The lives of these survivors will be changed forever.

[edit] Days Gone Bye (issues #1-6)

The story opens with Rick Grimes and his partner Shane in a gunfight with an escaped convict. While trying to disarm the criminal, Rick gets shot and blacks out. When he awakes one month later, he finds himself in a hospital bed, completely alone.

Finding the hospital abandoned, Grimes sets off to find out where everyone went. He finds the hospital's cafeteria crowded with the living dead, and barely escapes with his life. He returns to his home, only to find it abandoned as well — and he catches a shovel in the back of the head. When he awakens, again, he discover that a young boy named Duane Jones had hit him, believing him to be a zombie. After a brief introduction, Duane's father Morgan explains what has happened while Rick was comatose: a plague of the dead has swept all civilization. Duane and Morgan have taken up in Rick's neighbor's house, hoping to ride it out.

Rick allows Morgan access to the police armory and a squad car, hoping it will help them survive. Then, Rick makes for Atlanta, Georgia, believing his wife Lori and son Carl went there to find shelter. When Rick reaches Atlanta, he finds a scene of utter carnage: bodies stacked chest-high, ruined military equipment rusting in the street. He is soon surrounded by zombies, and escapes alive thanks only to the aid of a young man named Glenn. Glenn leads Rick to an encampment outside the city, where he meets several other survivors as well as his family and Shane: shoe salesman Allen, his wife Donna and twin children Billy and Ben; Dale, a traveling salesman and older man whose RV is used by the group for a base; mechanic Jim whose family was killed by zombies; Carol, a single mother, and her daughter Sophia; and finally, college junior Amy with her sister, ex-clerk Andrea.

Rick adapts quickly to life in the encampment, soon becoming its de facto leader alongside Shane. He and Glenn daringly raid a gun store in the city, avoiding detection by rubbing pieces of a zombie on their clothes and skin to smell like a zombie. Rick teaches the group to shoot — including his son Carl (against Lori's wishes). The training comes in handy when the camp is beset by zombies; unfortunately, Amy is bitten and mercifully shot by Andrea. Jim is bitten, which will eventually change him into one of the monsters. The survivors leave him near the city at his request, believing that if he becomes a zombie, he will be reunited with his family in some way.

Jim performs a eulogy at Amy's funeral, while Rick finds himself at odds with his partner, Shane, who wishes to stay behind. Rick argues that the camp is unsafe so close to the city and that the coming winter will soon make hunting impossible. Rick also hears rumors that Shane is infatuated with Lori. Things come to a head when Rick confronts Shane in the forest while hunting. Shane informs Rick that "he should have stayed dead", and how he wasn't supposed to come back. Rick is unaware that while he was gone, Shane had an affair with Lori. Shane feels that everything will be okay if he kills Rick. In an attempt to defend his father, Carl kills Shane by shooting him in the throat. He remarks, crying, that "It isn't like killing the dead ones." Rick, in tears, replies "It never should be, son. It never should be."

[edit] Miles Behind Us (issues #7-12)

A flashback at the beginning of this volume reveals that, the night they arrived at the outskirts of Atlanta, Shane and Lori had made love — an act Lori now considers a mistake. Flashing forward to the present, the survivors have piled into Dale's camper and have left for safer ground. They encounter another group of survivors: Tyreese, his daughter Julie, and her boyfriend Chris. Lori discovers she is pregnant, and tells Rick, who is still unaware of the affair with Shane. The group wants her to keep it a secret from him, because he is their adopted leader, and the knowledge could ruin him. Banding together, they continue on the road, eventually coming to a posh, gated community called Wiltshire Estates. They clear out one house and sleep inside, grateful for the opportunity to get out of the camper. Dale and Andrea start up a relationship, having spent the most time together. The next day they spread out, intending to clean out the other houses one by one. They do not notice the snow-covered sign at the gate reading "All Dead Inside — Do Not Enter"--until it is too late. The group is again attacked by a great horde of undead. Allen's wife Donna is bitten and killed, putting him into a funk from which he will not recover. The survivors cram back into the RV and depart.

Low on food, the group stops to allow Rick and Tyreese to hunt. Carl joins them — and catches a stray bullet from another hunter. The boy is badly hurt, but not killed, and Otis, the hunter, leads the group to the farm of Hershel Greene. A veterinarian, Hershel tends to the boy and allows the group to take shelter at his farm while Carl heals.

Tensions quickly build up at the farm. Glenn begins a physical relationship with one of Hershel's daughters, Maggie. Rick soon learns that Hershel is not killing the zombies he encounters, but instead luring them into his barn. He hopes that one day they might be "cured" — especially since his son is among them. Rick sees this as madness.

Eventually, the inevitable happens: the undead escape Hershel's barn, killing two more of his children and leaving Maggie, his youngest son Billy, and his youngest children, twins Rachel and Suzie. After dispatching the zombies, Rick and his party are obliged to leave, though Glenn stays behind with his girlfriend, Maggie. Rick and the others eventually come to a prison. Secure from the outside, with large fields which can be used for farming, the prison seems like what the survivors have been searching for since they left Atlanta. Rick announces, "We're home."

[edit] Safety Behind Bars (issues #13-18)

The prison has great fences which seal it off from the outside, but a number of ghouls still stalk its grounds. Rick and the others begin the arduous task of cleaning it out. They discover four inmates using the prison as a shelter: Dexter, Andrew, Axel, and Thomas. Some survivors, including Lori, are reluctant to trust the criminals, but Rick reasons that they are all in the same mess together. Rick invites the Greenes to come to the prison with them, since there is plenty of food and plenty of room. The Greenes, whose farm is becoming increasingly unsafe, oblige, bringing Otis' girlfriend, Patricia.

Carol and Tyreese begin a relationship, but peace continues to elude the survivors, as Tyreese's daughter Julie and her boyfriend Chris sneak away during the night to fulfill a suicide pact. Chris shoots too quickly, killing Julie before they can die together. Tyreese and Rick hear the gunshot and run to where it came from. Rick arrives to find Chris huddled in a corner with a gun in his hand, and Tyreese with Julie dead in his arms. Chris tries to explain, but a homicidally furious Tyreese chokes him to death. Only Rick is witness to the assault. This tragic incident also reveals a frightening new fact to the party: reanimation occurs in all dead bodies, not merely in those who die from bites. Haunted by this knowledge, Rick departs the group to take care of some personal business: killing Shane, who had been buried before he could reanimate, so he can finally rest in peace.

While Rick is gone, more horror befalls the group. Rachel and Suzie Greene, the youngest members of Hershel's clan, are decapitated while playing alone. Suspicion falls on Dexter, the only convict known to have been incarcerated for murder. When Rick returns, he finds that his wife (among others) locked Dexter up in a cell. Dexter protests his innocence (of the current murders, not his other ones), but no one believes him. He recruits Andrew, another convict (who is also his lover), to steal several shotguns from Block A, which contained the armory and which had not been cleaned out yet. Together, they make plans for mutiny. Soon, Thomas, one of the other inmates, is caught chasing after Andrea, one of the younger members of the party, who escaped while he tried to behead her. Andrea escapes alive but Thomas slashes her face with a knife, cutting off her earlobe and leaving a long scar down her face. Dexter is freed, and Rick beats Thomas to within an inch of his life, severely breaking his own hand in the process. Setting down a decree that "You kill, you die," Rick orders Thomas to be hanged. Patricia, who was having difficulties in her relationship with Otis and was befriending Thomas, frees him, only to be attacked as the deranged killer spews misogynist remarks. Before that can take place, Maggie Greene shoots Thomas and kills him. His corpse is thrown over the fence to be devoured by the zombies, watched by Hershel.

Shortly afterward, Dexter, Andrew, and Patricia confront Rick and his party, ordering them out of the prison. Armed with small-caliber pistols, and improvised weapons, Rick and his party are no match for the prisoners' riot shotguns. Axel, the last remaining inmate, tries to reason with Dexter, but when he himself is threatened with expulsion, he remains silent. It seems they have no choice but to hit the road again.

[edit] The Heart's Desire (issues #19-24)

Fortunately for Rick, Andrew had forgotten to seal the doors to Block A, and a horde of the living dead pour out. The prisoners and the other survivors are forced to work together to wipe out the throngs of zombies. Rick picks off a zombie which was about to kill Dexter, but the convict merely says, "Don't change a thing. Smart man woulda let him get me." Taking a hint, Rick waits for an opportunity and shoots Dexter through the head. When the battle ends, he claims Dexter must have caught a stray round. Tyreese saw the shot, but says nothing. Andrew takes off through the open prison gates without a word. Axel allies with the other survivors.

Meanwhile, outside the gates, Otis is making for the prison. He had stayed behind at Hershel's farm to manage the livestock, and only now decided to head for safety. He stops to watch the battle inside the prison, and soon ends up surrounded by zombies himself. He is rescued, however, by Michonne, a mysterious woman with a katana and a pair of chained zombies. She is taken in by the survivors (minus the zombies which she decapitated without a second thought after being told that she could not bring them in), and things settle down again. While cleaning out the rest of the prison, Allen is bitten on the leg. Despite the warnings of others, Rick amputates the affected leg, hoping to catch the infection in time. He succeeds only in making Allen's last days miserable. Turmoil rises again when Michonne seduces Tyreese and performs oral sex on him. Tyreese had been involved in a relationship with Carol prior to that, and when Carol spots them, she has a breakdown and attempts suicide. Carol survives, and Rick learns of the affair. He confronts Tyreese, claiming that the entire group is on edge and that it was basically Tyreese's fault that Carol tried to kill herself. Tyreese counters that Rick is a hypocrite, having vowed "You kill, you die," then having murdered Dexter. The two have a fist fight, during which Rick falls from the upper level of a cell block and is once again knocked unconscious.

When he awakens, he learns that the entire group now knows of Rick's action. They do not blame him for it, but they have decided that the pressure of being their "leader" is beginning to cause him to crack, and they have made him merely one of four "co-leaders," with the others being Tyreese, Dale, and Hershel. He does not object. Carol confesses her gratitude for Rick's defense of her in the fight. She kisses a startled Rick, and subsequently apologizes. Rick insists that he is not cracking up, but merely realizing that life will never return to normal, and that he and the others must learn to do terrible things in order to survive. Shocking his fellow survivors, Rick closes by making the assertion that they, not the zombies outside, are the Walking Dead.

[edit] The Best Defense (issues #25-30)

Glenn discovers the prison's armory, complete with shotguns and full riot gear. Inspired by the new equipment, the group plans to siphon gasoline out of the remaining cars in the prison parking lot for future needs. Armored, Glenn and Rick head out and soon spot a helicopter in the sky, which suddenly descends, smoking and on fire. Glenn and Rick form a team, along with Michonne, who now has her sword. The three eventually find the crash site, but it is deserted, the only clues are many footprints, and tire tracks heading from the wreckage. Rick decides another group must have taken the survivors, and they follow the tracks.

Back at the prison, Carol continues to act bizarrely toward Lori and starts developing an obsessive care for her and Rick, to the point of suggesting a polyamorous marriage. A shocked Lori attempts to talk to the clearly disturbed Carol, but she reacts angrily and storms off. Dale and Andrea informally adopt Ben and Billy, who have been orphaned since the death of Allen.

Rick, Glenn, and Michonne eventually end up in the town of Woodbury. There they turn in their weapons after meeting a guard, Martinez, and find a well-armed and well-organized group of citizens, led by a man known as The Governor. The Governor explains that the National Guardsmen abandoned a nearby station, leaving behind weapons and equipment. The Governor leads the group to an arena surrounded by a ring of leashed zombies, which is used for gladiatorial combat, with two combatants fighting inside the ring. The Governor tells Rick they feed the zombies people that stumble into Woodbury, something that only the Governor's close confidants seem to know. One of the latest meals for the zombies was the helicopter crew.

Before Rick can respond, Rick is forced down on a table and interrogated at gunpoint by the Governor, who wants to know where Rick's camp is. When Rick and the others say they are the only ones, The Governor cuts off Rick's right hand. A raging, restrained Michonne tackles the Governor and rips off his left ear with her teeth. Rick is sent to the infirmary for immediate treatment, because the Governor wants whatever information he has. Glenn is locked in solitary confinement, and Michonne is raped and tortured by The Governor. She weeps, but defiantly tells the Governor that she is crying for him, and that she is thinking about her revenge.

The Governor returns to his home, where he has his zombie daughter restrained, and places Rick's hand in her bucket as a meal for her. He is able to yell at her to make her back off. He has several aquariums with zombie heads inside them, including the newly severed heads of the Helicopter survivors as well. Later, he talks to Glenn, who has become deranged from his lengthy stay in the darkness of The Room. He tells Glenn that he plans to question him, but wants to "stack the deck" in his favor, so he heads to the next room over and tortures Michonne again, making sure Glenn hears her cries of misery.

In the infirmary, a now conscious Rick talks to the local doctor, Dr. Stevens, about the Governor, whose real name is Philip. Dr. Stevens tells Rick how he came to power: Phillip emerged as a leader, a tough man who ultimately kept people safe. Gradually, it became apparent that he was evil, concerned with his enjoyment more than others' safety. No one challenges him because he keeps everyone safe from the zombies, which satisfies the majority. The Governor then enters and manipulates Rick into revealing that there is indeed a nearby camp, and he wants its items found for Woodbury.

Back at the prison, the group begins to worry about Rick, Michonne, and Glenn, who have now been missing for two days. Otis tries to patch things up with Patricia. Lori worries about Rick, and when Carol tries to help, she is roughly turned away, as Lori mistakes her friendly comfort for another romantic approach. Tyreese returns to the prison after searching for the missing survivors and tells the others that he found the car stuck in the mud, but that was the only trace of their presence.

[edit] This Sorrowful Life (issues #31-36)

In Woodbury, Rick is bonding with Doctor Stevens and his nurse, Alice, when one of the town's gladiators, Eugene, arrives and kills his opponent. After the confusion, one of the guards who let Rick's team in, Martinez, comes to check on the doctor and is surprised by Rick's injury.

Low on gladiators, The Governor offers Michonne a deal: he will give her back her sword and let her fight it out in the arena in exchange for a rest period from her daily torture. He explains that the arena fights are staged to look good, but not deadly. She agrees to fight Eugene, and in the arena, kills him and then the surrounding zombies without hesitation. The onlookers protest the extreme violence, and Michonne is quickly knocked out again.

Meanwhile, Martinez breaks Rick out, taking Stevens, Alice, and Glenn with him. When they rescue Michonne, she says she will catch up later. In the confusion of escape, Stephens is bitten, but asks to stay a zombie rather than be killed.

Back within the city, Michonne arrives and tortures Phillip to the point of severe mutilation. Among general physical abuse, she insures he will never rape again by nailing his penis to a board and later severing it. She pulls off his fingernails with pliers and pulls out one of his eyes with a spoon, severs his arm then cauterizes the wound with a blowtorch, and unsuccessfully attempts to sever the artery in his leg. When she is interrupted, she quickly escapes (leaving Phillip's zombie daughter unharmed). Phillip's saviors, such as they are, wonder if he is still alive. Michonne later arrives at the crashed helicopter, meeting her friends. Upon being questioned, Michonne seems to have suppressed her memory of the Governor, and a disturbed Rick tells Glenn to watch over her.

Suddenly, zombies attack, and after a long fight back to the prison, they return to find the gates open, the prison overrun by hordes of zombies, and Dale's RV seemingly abandoned. Rick's group finds Dale and Andrea, who tell Rick the other survivors are hiding elsewhere. Rick kills an undead Otis, but is reunited with everyone else, who is still alive.

Hershel says his wound was just a scratch from friendly fire, and Glenn finds a female zombie and takes its ring off, presumably to ask Maggie to marry him. Andrea catches Michonne talking to her other self, and Tyreese takes Rick off zombie duty due to his injuries.

In the confusion after clearing out the zombie infestation, Rick notices Martinez is missing, and assumes that he has gone back to Woodbury to tell where the prison is. Rick immediately sets off after Martinez in Dale's RV. He catches up to him before he makes it to Woodbury and proceeds to kill him by running him over then and then strangling him, despite his pleas that it is 'selfish' not to allow the Woodbury people the security of the prison compound.

Back in the prison, Glenn asks permission to marry Maggie from Hershel, to which the tearful father agrees. Glenn then proceeds to propose to Maggie and the two become engaged.

After Rick's return, he calls for a group meeting where he finally reveals where Glenn, Michonne, and he have been for the past few days. He instructs the group to prepare themselves for the upcoming fight with the Woodbury survivors.

[edit] The Calm Before (Issues #37-42)

The issue starts with a flashback regarding Lori's sexual encounter with Rick's partner Shane, who is implied to be the father of Lori's unborn child. Lori confronts Rick about this information, but before she can fully admit her mistake, Rick tells her that he knows, and that he just can't hear her say it. Glenn and Maggie were married by Hershel in a small ceremony in the prison's cafeteria.

Tyreese, Andrea, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne and Axel go out to search for the military base to stock for the incoming onslaught from Woodbury. The group finds the base and takes several guns and canisters of gas. To prevent the people of Woodbury from taking more supplies, they blow it up as they leave for the prison. They then stop at an abandoned Wal-Mart for additional supplies, where they are confronted by armed thugs from Woodbury. The group rushes to hide before the men spot them, but Glenn approaches the Woodbury men and attempts to peacefully negotiate, telling them that they are on an innocent supply run. The leader of the thugs sees through the story and recognizes Glenn from his time in Woodbury, and fires his rifle into Glenn's chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. A gunfight breaks out, and the Woodbury men are handily defeated. A concerned Maggie rushes to Glenn's body, thinking he is dead, but he is alive, having been saved by the prison riot armor.

Back at the prison, Lori goes into labor. Billy is sent to keep the generator on. He brings Dale with him, and they realize there is hardly any gas left to power the generator. They leave the prison gates to siphon gas from the cars, and Dale is bitten in the leg by a zombie. Glenn's party arrives at the same time and brings Dale and Billy inside. The issue ends with Lori delivering a baby girl. If she is truly healthy or not, can be speculated upon. Shortly after the birth, Dale is brought into the surgical ward and his injured leg is hastily amputated by Rick. Lori then decides on the name Judith for her newborn daughter.

Dale, despite being bitten, seems to show no signs of turning. Following Dale's injuries, Andrea is spending more time with Tyreese. Dale suspects something, but Rick is convinced he is simply overreacting. Outside, the others capture a zombie and hold it hostage for study. Carol meanwhile is losing her grip on her sanity. After having sex with Billy she goes outside and allows the captured zombie to bite her on the neck. Both she and the zombie are shot. Dale learns to walk with a peg leg that Tyreese and Andrea made for him. Glenn and Maggie decide to try and have a baby. Their happiness is short lived however as outside the prison fences, The Governor returns with an army of people and a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

[edit] Made to Suffer (Issues #43-48)

The next issue reveals what happened to the Governor between Michonne's torture and his army's arrival at the prison. Badly mutilated, he is treated by Bob, an alcoholic and former combat medic with little experience who is forced into the job after Dr. Stevens' departure. The treatment goes well, leading some of the Governor's men to suspect that Michonne intentionally avoided a lethal wound.

After recovering, he speaks to the Woodbury people and manipulates them into thinking that the prison survivors are a group of savages who must be destroyed. After saying goodbye to his zombie daughter, the Governor and his army depart Woodbury and arrive at the prison.

Immediately upon arrival, the Woodbury army opens fire into the zombie masses between themselves and the prison. Rick tells Lori to head underground and hide while he and the others dive for cover. Andrea heads to the tower with her rifle, and despite a few minor wounds, begins picking off men from the Woodbury army.

Despite superior numbers, the Woodbury army is poorly trained. Few, if any, were soldiers in their prior lives. In fact, it is all they can do to drive the IFV and they have no idea on how to fire its 25mm gun (they incorrectly refer to it as a "tank," despite it being nothing of the sort, further displaying their lack of familiarity with the vehicle). They are forced to fall back and regroup after considerable losses, and Rick's group begins to debate whether they should remain inside the prison or capitalize on their victory and go on the offensive. Before they can decide, Rick emerges from the prison with a bullet wound in his abdomen and collapses.

Dale, Andrea, the twins, Sophia and, at the last minute, Glenn and Maggie flee the prison in their RV in order to avoid the confrontation they expect from the Governor. It is only a temporary departure, but Hershel cannot shake the feeling that he has just seen his daughter for the last time. Rick gets a blood transfusion and starts to recover nicely. Tyreese and Michonne decide to tail the Governor and the townspeople in the hopes that if they kill a few more it will discourage their attack. Tyreese is captured after killing a couple townspeople and we are told that Michonne had her head blown off.

The Governor returns to the prison with Tyreese as his prisoner. He tells them he has Michonne as well, and he gives the survivors an ultimatium. Let him in, or Tyreese dies. Rick says it was stupid of Tyreese and Michonne to venture off. The survivors refuse to let him in, and in a fit of anger (and after multiple hacks), the Governor decapitates Tyreese with Michonne's sword. They leave Tyreese's body in front of the prison gates. Billy shoots at the Governor and his men as they flee, but to no avail. Rick then tells the survivors that they have to make sure Tyreese did not die in vain. The Governor tells the Woodbury people a false story about how Rick and his people killed Tyreese. Michonne then shows up right behind him with a gun to his head.

Gabe, the Governor's second-in-command opens fire at Michonne, but she fires back, clips the Governor, kills one of his men and escapes with her sword. The Governor and his army return to the prison and attack it in exactly the same manner as their initial assault. Axel is shot and killed, but the prison survivors are able to successfully defend themselves using the cars as shields. The Woodbury army is further destroyed and demoralized by Billy hurling a grenade into their midst, killing several of them. Gabe tells the Governor that Woodbury's army must regroup because they are scared and sloppy, but the Governor insists it's now or never. Gabe is shot and killed by Andrea as it is revealed that at least she has returned but the rest of the group of survivors who left in the RV are not shown. One of the Governor's henchmen drives a truck into the RV, injuring Andrea. As his army seeks to retreat, the Governor loses it, and orders the IFV to drive over the fences. Rick and his group rush to escape while the Governor and his army invade the prison. Rick rushes into the cellblock, looking for Lori and Judith and eventually finds them with Alice pointing a gun at them. They tell him they were only faking in case they were discovered by the Governor's men.

Rick, along with his family and Alice, attempt to escape to the truck. Meanwhile, Patricia and Billy are shot and killed. Billy's death demoralizes Hershel, causing him to refuse to even try to escape when Rick calls out to him. The Governor and his men open fire, and kill Alice, Lori and Judith. Rick and Carl escape, as they never stop moving, and only Rick sees Lori and Judy die. As Rick and Carl escape, The Governor orders his men to stop firing at them, as he is convinced the zombies will get them. Angered that Hershel is still alive--the Woodbury people believed he was surrendering--the Governor heartlessly executes him. At that point, Lori and Judith's killer, Lilly realizes that Lori was carrying a baby, and tearfully calls the Governor a monster. He is outraged, but she is no longer in his thrall as she hits him with her rifle and puts the barrel in his mouth, preparing to execute him. Then, a horde of zombies breaks through the hole in the fence and attacks the Woodbury army. The Governor gets up, shotguns a zombie and urges that the group calmly move into the prison and stick together. At that point, as the remnants of the army are overwhelmed, Lilly gets to her feet and shoots the Governor in the head, exploding it, and pushes his corpse into a mass of zombies, where it is immediately eaten. She leads the remnants of the army into the prison, but their guns fall silent quickly and they are killed by the zombies, as the prison is rendered uninhabitable.

Rick and Carl manage to run to safety, and burst into tears upon realizing that Lori and Judith are dead.

[edit] Here We Remain (Issues #49-54)

Michonne returns to the ruins of the prison, and upon finding Tyreese's undead decapitated head by his corpse, drives her sword through it, and sheds a tear for putting her dead lover out of his misery. The only other recognizable person she finds is the Governor's henchman who drove a truck into the RV; due to the wreck, his twisted body lays reanimated as a zombie, reaching out to Michonne. Michonne, not clear if she's protecting herself or taking vengeance on the Governor's army, quickly chops his head off. She investigates the wreckage of the RV, but finds no one and nothing, except footprints leading away from the battle. She follows them.

Rick and Carl are holed up in a nearby town. Rick tries to get Carl to eat, but he refuses to. Carl opens a can of food for his father, as Rick is unable to even operate a can opener. They investigate a nearby store, but are attacked by a zombie. Rick tries to drive his axe through its head, but is unable to penetrate its skull. Carl shoots the zombie after Rick lures it outside, and Rick asks Carl for his gun to dispose of another zombie that has come out.

They hide in a nearby house, but it is clear that Rick is still pained by his gunshot wound. That night he takes a huge dose of antibiotics he finds in the house's bathroom, but is still clearly in pain. Carl tells Rick that he misses his mom, only to find Rick unconscious, his eyes glazed over.

After defeating three zombies, one of which attacked him from behind, Carl decides that he no longer needs his dad to survive. He blames his father for failing to protect Lori and Judith, as well as the rest of their previous party. On two occasions, Carl has to decide whether Rick's grumblings are from his sickness or whether he has become undead. Finally, Rick momentarily wakes up and pleads with Carl to stay indoors. Carl agrees and holds Rick's head, taking back what he said about not needing his father's protection. Rick eventually gets better. Whilst returning to health, he gets a call on the phone of the house they are staying in. Rick begins to talk to the voice and converse about their ordeals. Eventually, he asks for the woman's name and she answers Lori. Rick then forcefully unplugs the phone but can still hear Lori speaking on the line. This causes him to realize that the phone calls were all in his head and that he is trying to forgive himself for Lori's death. Eventually, he "hangs up" although he takes the phone with him in his backpack, and he and Carl leave the house.

Continuing their journey, Rick tries to teach as much as he can to Carl, to help him be able to stay alive even if Rick should be killed. When Rick leaves Carl alone, in order to forage for some gas, a zombie attacks the child, who's saved by Michonne. Michonne rejoins the group, revealing that a still unknown survivor from the prison escaped and fled in the same direction that the RV had come from. Michonne was following the tracks to find out if he/she was one of them, or one of the attackers, and asks for the final fate of several of the people who were in the prison, including Lori.

The next morning they are startled by the sound of approaching horses and turn to see who it could be; it's Maggie and Glenn.

Rick, Carl, and Michonne return to Hershel's farm where everyone has been staying. Carl and Sophia are reunited, where Carl learns that Sophia has repressed her memories of her mother, and now thinks that Glenn and Maggie are her real parents. Michonne reveals to Rick that she's been "talking" to her dead boyfriend. Rick shows Michonne his phone and explains that every time he picks up the phone's receiver, he talks to Lori. Rick and Michonne agree to keep each other's "craziness" a secret.

The next morning, the survivors are woken by a gunshot. Outside, Andrea points her rifle at three new arrivals: Sgt. Abraham Ford, a muscled man in partial military fatigues; Rosita Espinosa, a latina woman; and Dr. Eugene Porter, an overweight man with a ponytail. Ford explains that they are on a mission to Washington D.C. He was in contact with Washington officials in the early days of the zombie disaster. Eugene, a scientist, reveals he knows exactly what caused the creation of the zombie plague, yet reveals little as he deems the details classified.

After a discussion of their current situation and an attack on the farm by a herd of roamers, the group decides to travel along with the visitors on their way to Washington DC .

[edit] Those Left Behind (Issues #55- )

The group travels and sets up camp along their way to DC. Rick has a nightmare where Lori eats him, and he lets her because he feels he deserves to die. Rick wakes up and talks to "Lori" with the phone he took. He still feels guilty for his decisions that led to so many deaths, but mainly hers and Judy's. Meanwhile, Maggie is going through a very serious depression due to the loss of her entire family, and despite his best efforts, Glen is unable to comfort her.

The group scavanges a small town for supplies, killing any zombies they encounter. They come across a zombie that is fully intact, but too weak to attempt to eat anyone. It doesn't even have the strength to bite anyone, despite how close they get to it. Eugene is fascinated by this, and the group wonders if the zombies can be malnourished enough to stop moving, or even starve to death.

The group sets up camp again, and Maggie leaves, saying that she has to use the restroom. Concerned because she has been gone for a while, Glenn sets off to find her. As Glenn is shouting her name, we see a silhouette of Maggie hanging from a noose. Apparently she was too overcome with grief from the loss of her entire family and hung herself. Glen screams for help and Abraham cuts her down, only to find that she is not breathing. Glen wants to do CPR, but Abraham puts a gun to her head and says that she is dead and they have to shoot her or she will come back as a zombie. The group argues and just as Abraham is about to pull the trigger, Rick puts a gun to Abraham's head and says that if he shoots Maggie, he will kill him. Just then, Maggie gasps for air, alive and okay.

The group goes back to camp, and Maggie does not want to talk to anyone, even her husband, about what she tried to do. Rick is watching over the camp that night until Abraham comes to relieve him and take his own shift. Abraham tells Rick that if he ever points a gun at him again, he will kill him. Rick walks away, but replies that if Abraham ever does something that requires Rick to put the gun to his head in the first place, he won't hesitate to shoot.

The next day, Rick walks away from the camp to urinate, and a roamer jumps out at him. Rick has no weapon and is unable to defend himself, but can see Abraham pointing a gun in his direction. Rick screams for Abraham to shoot the zombie before it bites him, but Abraham just watches. Finally, he shoots the zombie and saves Rick's life.

Abraham walks away from the group, and Rosita finds him shaking and crying. When she asks what's wrong, he tells her that no one EVER talks to him that way or threatens to kill him like Rick did, and that he was pointing the gun at Rick before he even saw the zombie. He is so angry that he thinks his rage is going to overtake him and he will murder Rick. He pleads with Rosita to not let him kill again, implying that Abraham might have possibly killed before out of rage. Rosita comforts Abraham, assuring him that the people he killed in the past left him no choice and it wasn't his fault.

The group stops at a gas station and tries to decide what the best route is to Washington DC. Rick tells Abraham that he wants to take the interstate to his home town, which would be about a two days' trip, to get extra supplies from the poilce station and to check on "old friends" (possibly Duane and Morgan Jones). Abraham agrees, and the group decides to wait while they go.

Rick, Carl, and Abraham set off, with Michonne saying if they are not back in 3 days, she will set off to find them. On the first night of their trip, they are surprised at knifepoint by 3 bandits who want to take their supplies. Rick tries to fight them off, but he is overpowered and beaten. The bandits then say they are going to rape Carl because Rick tried to fight. As they begin to take Carls pants off, Rick bites the neck of the bandit holding him back, killing him. This causes the bandit holding a knife to Abraham to get distracted, and Abraham shoots him in the head. The third bandit tries to run away, but an enraged Rick chases him down with a knife and butchers him. Abraham shields Carl away from what Rick is doing to the bandit.

The next morning, Abraham tells Rick that no one is the same after doing something like that, and that Rick will have a hard time "just being dad" again. Rick says that he can pretend to just be Dad for Carl's sake, and that he doesn't even know how much sanity he really has left after everything that has happened. Abraham then tells Rick that he thinks it is time to tell him how he really lost his family.

Abraham tells Rick that at the beginning to the Zombie plague, he and a group of friends and neighbors banded together. After securing a grocery store, Abraham goes out to search for more weapons. While he was gone, other people who he thought were friends, raped his wife and daughter. In a fit of rage he killed the men who did it. After that, his wife and child were scared of him and ran away. It took a day but he caught up with them. By then they were turned into zombies and he had to kill them. Abraham worries over how much he has changed. Rick recounts the stories of how he killed Dexter and Martinez to protect his wife and son. Carl talks about how he killed Shane when Shane threatened Rick.

In the meantime the other survivors discuss Dr. Porter's hair and the state of their supplies. Dale says that he no longer trusts Rick because of the things Rick has done. He wants to get away from the group and set up camp with Andrea and the twins.

At long last, Rick, Abraham, and Carl return to Rick's hometown. There they find an unstable Morgan and a chained zombie Duane. Morgan said that one day he heard Duane screaming, so he ran to him, only to find him being bitten by a zombie. Unwilling to kill his own son, he chained him to the floor and killed anyone who came to their house to feed him. While Abraham fears for Morgan's sanity, Rick invites Morgan to come with them. Unable to kill his son, Morgan shoots the chain, freeing Duane. Morgan then goes with Rick.

Morgan, Rick, Carl, and Abraham go to the police station where they get the guns that Rick wanted. While there, Morgan's unstableness becomes increasingly apparent. Abraham again expresses his fears to Rick about Morgan, before beginning the ride home. After spending a sleepless night out in the open, they are driving along when they come to a 'herd' of hundreds of zombies. Rick drives as fast as he can to get through them, but hits an abandoned car. They escape on foot pursued by zombies. . . .

[edit] Influences

The series borrows many of its concepts as well as much of its tone from George A. Romero's zombie movies (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, and Diary of the Dead). Creator Robert Kirkman, expressing frustration that zombie films always had a clear "end", wanted the series to be a continuing chronicle of the long-term effects after a "zombie apocalypse", showing the changes to both the world and the characters. The character Duane Jones, son of Morgan Jones, the first living people Rick meets after he comes out of his coma, is named after the actor who played Ben in the original Night of the Living Dead. Also, the opening sequence is similar to the one John Wyndham used in his classic horror The Day of the Triffids, which was also used at the beginning of Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, as well as the intro to Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Kirkman has said that he avoids more modern interpretations of the zombie genre, such as World War Z, in order to avoid being influenced by them. However the zombies in this series have a more complex behavior than the ones in Romero`s movies.

[edit] The Dead

The zombies of The Walking Dead share a number of traits with the ghouls of George Romero's films. Below is a short summary of what is known about them, along with some additional notes. Kirkman has stated in letter columns that the survivors (and therefore, the readers) know less of the zombies than they think they do, and he has no intentions of revealing the source of the outbreak.

The zombies that wander around and do not just remain in the same spot are referred to as "roamers". The zombies that just remain in the same spot not doing much unless provoked are referred to as "lurkers". However, these are terms adopted by the protagonists; other survivors use different terminology — in Woodbury, all zombies are called "biters", and Alice even comments that it's silly to differentiate between two kinds of ghouls.
Zombies cannot die conventionally. They can only be killed by destroying or removing the brain. A decapitated human will still turn into a zombie, but decapitating a zombie will not kill it. The zombie must suffer some form of brain trauma.
- If the brain is intact, heads of decapitated zombies will re-reanimate, though the bodies will remain inert.
Any human who dies with their brain intact will become a zombie, even if they have not come into contact with other zombies.
Reanimation can occur anywhere from minutes to hours after death.
Unlike conventional zombie lore, it is not the bite that turns humans into zombies; the bite merely kills. Thus far, it has been demonstrated that a bitten victim who has the bitten area amputated will not turn into a zombie, provided they survive the amputation.
Zombies will attack and try to feed on humans and other animals, such as horses. Animals do not appear to reanimate as zombies, judging by crows often depicted with the masses, that do not attack the living.
Zombies will not attack each other.
Zombies don't need their organs. They can endure severe damage and decomposition.
Zombies do not have much flowing blood. All they need to function is an intact brain.
Though zombies consume the flesh of their victims, they can function without eating. Although it is implied that they may possibly reach the point of malnourishment to where they can no longer move, while still being alive.
Zombies can endure being frozen solid, resuming activity once thawed.
Zombies are attracted by loud sounds, such as gunshots from as far away as three miles, but cannot differentiate between forms of noise, like human talking and zombie grunting.
Zombies will attempt to move in the direction of a loud sound and will continue to move even after forgetting why they're moving. These zombies will often encounter other zombies who will begin to follow each other in what is referred to by Sgt. Ford as a Herd. These herds of zombies will sometimes encounter other herds and merge into even larger herds of zombies. Sgt. Ford explains that these herds of zombies will continue in a given direction for no other reason than the fact that other zombies are moving in that direction. A 'herd was encountered by Rick, Morgan, Carl, and Abraham in issue #59.
Zombies may differentiate between humans and themselves by smell. Humans can fool them by rubbing zombie "filth" or innards over their bodies. (Kirkman acknowledged in a letter column that this has not been confirmed.)

--Note: Rick and Glenn made a trip into Atlanta for weapons from a gun-shop, and fooled the zombies by rubbing a dead zombie on themselves, and carrying tidbits(hand, foot) of the zombie in their pockets. They were rained on, washing the zombie-stink off them, alerting the zombies to their presence --

[edit] Cast of Characters

The cast of The Walking Dead is in constant flux as new survivors join Rick's group and old characters meet gruesome ends. The current adult survivors are Rick, Morgan, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, Andrea, Dale, Sgt. Ford, Rosita, and Eugene. The current children surviving are Carl, Sophia, Billy, and Ben.

The following table is a list of the main characters more or less in the order in which they appear.

Name	Description	Status	Series Lifespan
Officer Rick Grimes	Rick is the story's primary protagonist; Kirkman has stated that the series is intended to focus on him and cover his life, and presumably if Rick dies, the series will wrap up shortly thereafter. He was a small-town police officer within Kentucky living with his wife Lori and son Carl. At the beginning of the series, Rick is wounded in a shoot-out with an escaped convict, and put into a coma. Upon awakening, Rick literally woke up to a nightmare; he found the hospital, his neighborhood, and the entire world has been overrun by the walking dead. Upon meeting up with the survivor group outside of Atlanta, which includes his family, Rick was initially highly idealistic. As months pass, however, the zombie apocalypse, as well as the growing number of deaths amongst the survivors (recently his wife and new born daughter), takes a clear psychological toll on him. While he suffers a continual psychological breakdown, Rick remains a prominent leader in the group (but mostly against his will), and continues to survive against all odds.	Living	#1-present
Officer Shane	Shane was a small-town police officer and best friend of Rick. After Rick is shot and put into a coma, and the dead begin to rise, Shane accompanies Lori and Carl to Atlanta to find shelter, and later formed a group of survivors living on the outskirts of the city, with Shane repeatedly preaching the government would one day return to save them. Shane was initially overjoyed when Rick joined the group, but gradually became jealous of Rick and Lori getting back together. This was because, while on the way to Atlanta, Shane became closer to Lori, who had grown emotionally-upset and desperate after "abandoning" the comatose Rick at the hospital. Eventually, Lori was so desperate for closeness, she had a passionate night of sex with Shane on the highway to Atlanta, something Shane wanted for a long time. Eventually, Lori brushed off Shane's advances and said their romance had to stop. Sent into an emotional meltdown by Lori siding with Rick, Shane lured Rick into the nearby woods to shoot him dead, only to be shot in the neck by Carl, and dies seconds later from choking on his own blood. Possibly the biological father of Rick and Lori's second child, Judith. Cause of Death: Shot in the neck by Carl. When Rick realizes that the dead reanimate regardless of manner of death, he returns to Shane's grave and unburies him to find him re-animated. Rick then shoots Shane in the head.	Dead	#1-#6,#7,#37
Morgan Jones	A father hiding out with his son in houses in Rick's neighborhood, attempting to ride out the zombie apocalypse. Upon meeting Rick, Morgan and Rick instantly formed a friendship, as well as Morgan bringing him up to speed on current events as best as he can. After being provided with weapons from the police station, Morgan and Rick part ways, one day hoping to meet each other again. Much later, at Christmas, Morgan and Duane are seen alive and living in a cabin on a snowy mountain, in safety and relative comfort. Rick re-encountered the two, but found that Morgan is alive but Duane has turned into a zombie. Before leaving with Rick, Morgan broke Duane's chain, allowing him to roam freely within the house. Since joining Rick's group, Morgan has exhibited signs of severe mental illness and self-harming behaviors.	Living	#1-present
Duane Jones	A son hiding out with his father in houses in Rick's neighborhood, attempting to ride out the zombie apocalypse. After meeting Rick and being provided with weapons from the police station, he and Duane part ways, one day hoping to meet each other again. Much later, at Christmas, Morgan and Duane are seen alive and living in a cabin on a snowy mountain, in safety and relative comfort. Rick re-encountered the two, but found that Morgan is alive but Duane has turned into a zombie. Morgan left with Rick, leaving Duane to roam freely within the house. The name "Duane Jones" was the author's homage to the African American actor of the same name who was the main protagonist in "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). Cause of Death: Bitten whilst outside the Jones' residence sometime prior to issue #58.	Undead	#1-59
Glenn	Glenn was a pizza delivery boy in massive debt, to the point he almost lost everything and would have forced him to crawl back to his estranged parents for help. His hopes for anything to get him out of it came true, in a way, when the dead began to rise. Glenn joined the survivor group living on the outer limits of the city, and served as their primary supply source by frequently venturing into town and scavenging much-needed supplies, becoming quickly adept at evading and fighting off zombies. On one of his outings, he rescues and befriends Rick, as well as informing him of latest details concerning the government's collapse. Much later, Glenn finds emotional comfort with Maggie Greene. Initially their relationship was purely sexual; but later blossomed into something more serious. Eventually they are married by Maggie's father.	Living	#2-present
Lori Grimes	Lori was the wife of Rick and mother of Carl. After Rick was wounded in a shoot-out, and put into a coma, the dead began to rise. Lori eventually took Carl to assumed safety in Atlanta, where her parents lived, accompanied by Shane. Along the way, Lori became increasingly emotionally-upset and desperate, due to the extreme guilt for "abandoning" the comatose Rick at the town's hospital. Eventually, Lori was so desperate for closeness, she had a passionate night of sex with Shane on the highway to Atlanta, which she immediately regretted. Upon arriving in Atlanta, and finding the city overrun by the undead, Shane forms a group of survivors and encamps outside the city limits, and eventually Rick joins them there. The group leaves for safer areas of habitation after several survivors, including Shane, die. The tenuous situation worsens when Lori discovers she is pregnant, but was advised by Dale not to say anything to Rick about her encounter with Shane. At one point, during the group's stay at the prison, Lori attempted to reveal the truth to Rick, but he implored her not to, as the truth could kill him. Lori gave birth to a daughter, Judith, at the prison. Shortly afterwards, Lori and Judith were killed in the final stages of the attack on the prison by the Woodbury Army. It is unknown whether or not Lori and Judith were re-animated into the undead. Rick is currently hallucinating that he can "hear" Lori's voice on the other end of an inactive phone he carries, apparently communicating from the afterlife. Rick, however, knows that this is a sign of his growing madness. Cause of Death: Shot in the back by Lilly during the Woodbury Army's assault on the prison.	Dead	#2-#48,#51
Carl Grimes	Carl is the son of Rick and Lori and brother (possibly half-brother) of Judith. While only 7-years-old when the dead began to rise, Carl quickly became adapted to the new world, proving himself an expert marksman and world-weary, similar to his father. He is the playmate, and later "boyfriend" of Sophia.	Living	#2-present
Allen	Allen was the big-bearded husband of Donna and father of twins Billy and Ben. Before the dead rose, Allen was a shoe salesman gradually falling into debt. After the dead rose, Allen and his family joined the group of survivors encamped on the outer limits of Atlanta. Upon leaving, Allen suffered terribly when Donna was killed by zombies, sending him into a downward emotional spiral that he never truly recovers from. With time, he gradually gained a sense of acceptance, but this new-found peace was short-lived; Allen was bitten on the foot by a zombie, while helping the others clear out the remaining areas of the prison the group was staying in. In an effort to contain the infection, Rick made a violent and botched attempt at amputation. After a long struggle for survival against bloodloss, and serious infections setting in, Allen died. After being shot in the head by Rick before he could reanimate, his body was buried outside the prison. Cause of Death: Died of blood loss and serious infection (caused by botched amputation of his leg).	Dead	#2-#23
Donna	Donna was the wife of Allen and mother of twins Billy and Ben. Strong-willed, loving and caring to her family, Donna made all the big decisions in her relationship with her husband, while leaving the financial responsibilities with Allen. After the dead rose, Donna and her family joined the group of survivors encamped on the outer limits of Atlanta, where she made a point of resenting that the women of the group (herself, Carol and Lori) had to take care of most of the group's domestic chores (e.g. laundry). Shortly after, when the group attempted to settle at Wiltshire Estates, Donna is killed by a zombie and her body devoured by more of the undead, leaving Allen permanently devastated. Cause of Death: Bitten in the face by a zombie. Her corpse consumed.	Dead	#3-#9
Billy and Ben	Allen and Donna's twin sons. Said to be rambunctious, they play little part in the series to date. They are unofficially adopted by Dale and Andrea. They don't seem to understand what is happening in the world as it is.	Living	#2-present
Dale	Dale is an older Caucasian gentleman who owns the RV the group uses as their primary mode of transportation when looking for new places to live. He did a lot of traveling before everything changed, and his equipment and know-how have made life without modern conveniences much more bearable for the group. Despite their massive age difference, Dale began a sexual relationship with Andrea, beginning while he was consoling her following Amy's death. Despite his advanced age, Dale is remarkably strong and fit and (obviously) experienced, and even survived being bitten on one of his ankles by a zombie and the subsequent amputation without infection from the zombie virus. Dale effectively became new leader following the prison assault, after Rick declared "I'm through" with making decisions.	Living	#3-present
Jim	Jim was a mechanic living with a large family in Atlanta. When the dead began to rise, Jim remained generally unaware of this until the city, decreed a safe zone by the government, gradually started to become overrun with the undead. Jim was among the few who escaped from the city as it was completely overwhelmed, though his entire family died in the chaos, shielding him from the zombies long enough to allow him to escape. Emotionally traumatized and devastated, when Jim joined the survivor group just beyond the city's outer limits, Jim became the most taciturn member of the group, revealing almost nothing about his past and barely saying a word. During a zombie attack on the group, Jim, failing to kill one with his gun, grapples with a zombie and violently smashes its head in, his rage over his family's death driving him momentarily insane. After coming to his senses, he found the zombie, before dying, had bitten him, taking a massive chunk of flesh out of his arm. Jim suffered the effects of the zombie plague for days. Refusing a mercy killing or staying with the group (as he knew he didn't have a chance), Jim was willingly abandoned at the entrance to Atlanta, in the hopes that, upon reanimating, he could be reunited with the undead members of his family that may still exist. Cause of Death: Bitten by a zombie. Succumbed to the bite and reanimated; now un-dead.	Undead	#3-#6
Carol	Sophia's mother, Carol assists the other mothers in domestic duties. She becomes romantically attached to Tyreese until he cheats on her with Michonne. Seems to be mentally unbalanced, possibly due to the stress of what has happened to the world. She also cuts her wrist, but it is unknown whether it was a suicide attempt or to dull the pain of the world around her. Carol also had been pushing the issue to have a polygamy or plural marriage with Rick and Lori. After being shot down by Lori, she takes a liking to Billy (unknown whether it was for sex, comfort, or she truly liked him), which leads to a one-night stand, after which she successfully commits suicide by letting herself get bitten by a zombie. Cause of Death: Willingly bitten by a zombie and subsequently shot by Andrea when she turns ("The Calm Before").	Dead	#3-#42
Sophia	Carol's daughter Sophia is a young girl whose father was killed by zombies. She is Carl's playmate & childhood "girlfriend". Her mental status is called into question following the prison assault by Carl, who finds that, to cope with her grief of losing her mother and her traumatic experiences in the new world, she is repressing all her memories of Carol.	Living	#2-present
Amy	Sister of Andrea. Amy was a junior physical-education major, and was returning to college for the new school year. When the dead began to rise, Amy and Andrea joined the survivor group existing on the outer limits of the overrun city of Atlanta. Amy and her sister cared for the group's children, and Amy herself, adventurous and out-going, became a key member of the group by keeping morale up. One night, Amy was bitten in the neck by a zombie in the opening stages of a zombie swarm's attack on the exposed camp, and died of blood loss and trauma within seconds. Amy was ensured to not re-animate by her sister, who shot her in the head. Amy was then buried in the woods. Cause of Death: Fatally bitten by a zombie, then shot by Andrea.	Dead	#3-#5
Andrea	Sister of Amy. Andrea was a clerk at a law firm, and was driving her sister to college in time to return for the new school year. When the dead began to rise, Andrea and Amy's car ran out of gas but they were fortunately picked up by a passing Dale. They subsequently joined the survivor group existing on the outer limits of the overrun city of Atlanta. Andrea and her sister cared for the group's children. Andrea was more closed off and shy than her sister, which furthered when Amy was killed in a zombie attack on the exposed camp, causing Andrea to sink into a deep depression (increased by the fact Andrea was forced to shoot her sister in the head to prevent her from re-animating). To cope with her grief, Andrea became involved with the much-older Dale, and the two eventually become lovers. With time, Andrea suffered increased facial injuries, beginning when Thomas Richards, a deranged psychopath, sliced her earlobe off and left a long scar across her face with his knife, and later several bullet-grazing wounds. Nevertheless, Andrea has adapted well to the new world, and is proved to be the group's best shot with a firearm.	Living	#3-present
Tyreese	A tall, muscular African-American man. Tyreese, his daughter Julie, and her boyfriend Chris joined Rick's group shortly after they began their journey away from Atlanta. A one-time pro football player, he is much like Rick in many ways: he is a strong, a devastatingly effective melee fighter (managing to kill more than ten zombies single-handedly), a stern but loving father, and a generally sensible person. A terrible shot, and recognized for it, his signature weapon was a hammer. Cause of Death: Decapitated by the Governor, then stabbed in his reanimated head by Michonne ("Made to Suffer").	Dead	#7-#46
Julie	Julie is Tyreese's teenage daughter. The end of the world hasn't stopped her from seeking independence where she can find it. During the initial stages of clearing out the penitentiary, she and Chris act as babysitters. Once settled, after having sex for the first time with Chris, she carries out an ill-fated suicide pact with her boyfriend, Chris. Cause of Death: Shot by Chris in a suicide pact, reanimated, then shot by Chris a second time in head ("Safety Behind Bars").	Dead	#7-#14
Chris	Chris was the boyfriend of Julie, and was staying with her and her father, Tyreese, due to personal problems when the zombie crisis began. Chris, Julie and Tyreese eventually joined up with Rick's group, and moved to the prison. Unknown to everyone else, Chris was pushing Julie into a suicide pact, believing they could truly be together forever. On the night they executed their plan, Chris fired too soon and Julie was killed. Tyreese, in revenge, choked him to death. After Chris reanimated, Tyresse repeatedly killed him until he was nothing but mutilated pieces, which Tyresse then burned. Cause of Death: Choked to death by Tyreese.	Dead	#7-#15
Otis	Otis was the boyfriend of Patricia and a neighbor of Hershel Greene. When the zombie crisis began, Otis and Patricia narrowly escaped from Wiltshire Estates and were allowed to stay at Hershel's family farm until the crisis ended. Otis, despite his mentally slow nature, is kind and good-natured, and as such took it hard when he almost killed Carl after mistakening him for a zombie and shooting him (non-fatally). Otis remained at the farm to look after the livestock while the Greenes left to join Rick's group at the prison. Otis would later follow, and was saved from zombies surrounding the prison by the newly-arrived Michonne and joined the group (though ended his relationship with Patricia after learning of her part in Dexter's attempted coup). Later, the prison was (temporarily) overrun by zombies while rescuing Tyreese following his return from searching for Rick, Michonne and Glenn. Otis was attacked by zombies and killed. Otis reanimated, and was shot in the head by Rick after almost biting him, and his remains burned. Cause of Death: Killed by zombies.	Dead	#9-#30
Hershel Greene	The owner of a farm where Rick and the other survivors take temporary refuge. As a veterinarian, he has medical experience which comes in handy for the survivors several times. After an altercation with Rick, he joins them at a semi-abandoned prison where they next take shelter. His farm-work knowledge also comes in handy when he aids the group in growing fresh crops in the prison fields. He is deeply religious. His only reason for life is the protection and survival of his children. He gives up on life after his last son, Billy, is killed while fleeing the prison. Cause of Death: Shot in head by the Governor after Billy is shot ("Made to Suffer").	Dead	#10-#48
Lacey Greene	Hershel's oldest daughter. Cause of Death: Bitten while trying to save her dad. Killed by her father before she turned ("Miles Behind Us").	Dead	#10-#11
Arnold Greene	Hershel's oldest son. Cause of Death: Bitten while trying to save his dad. Killed by his father before he turned ("Miles Behind Us").	Dead	#10-#11
Maggie Greene	Hershel's middle daughter who eventually becomes involved with Glenn to her father's initial displeasure and eventual acceptance. She marries Glenn in a ceremony performed by her father. Following the prison assault by the Woodbury Army, where her father and brother, the last remaining members of her family, are killed, Maggie sinks into a deep depression that Glenn is unable to help with. Maggie journeyed with the group led by Sergeant Abraham Ford, to Washington D.C., until the depression was too much and, sneaking off into the forest, she hangs herself. However, she was rescued by Glenn and Abraham and is still alive.	Living	#10-present
Billy Greene	Hershel's youngest son. Billy is in his teens and plays little part in the over all story but from what is known he is helpful around the prison and is always complaining about all the "good-looking ones" (women) being spoke for. Billy ends up having a one-night stand with Carol before she commits suicide. Billy was killed in the final stages of the assault on the prison by the Woodbury Army; his death leading his father to allow himself to die as well. Cause of Death: Shot in head by the Woodbury Army.	Dead	#10-#48
Rachel and Suzie Greene	Twins, Hershel's youngest daughters, they were the first of Thomas' victims. Cause of Death: Decapitated by Thomas ("Safety Behind Bars").	Dead	#10-#15
Patricia	Otis's incredibly naive and overly trusting girlfriend. They broke up after moving to the prison. Her naivety almost costs her life when she attempts to break out Thomas after his evident murders, claiming his death sentence was harsh treatment. He almost kills her soon after, but is saved with the intervention of Maggie. Became an outcast after aiding Dexter and Andrew in their attempted rebellion. Saved Rick's life after the Governor's first attack by letting Alice give Rick a transfusion of her type O negative blood. Had sex with a wounded Axel. Patricia was killed in the Woodbury Army's assault on the prison. Cause of Death: Shot in head by the Woodbury Army.	Dead	#10-#48
Dexter	A towering, physically intimidating African-Amercian inmate at the prison where the group takes residence. Convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, whom he states, "were the last". He ironically trusts the other survivors far less than they trust him. He has a covert homosexual relationship with Andrew, but is purely in said relationship for sex. After the murders of the Hershel twin girls, the survivors wrongly lock him up on account of being the only convict known to murder. After this, he loses his patience and gathers up Dexter, Axel and a defecting Patricia with their new riot gear to force out the survivors. He is soon after killed discreetly in a skirmish against zombies from Block A by Rick, who covers it up as a friendly fire mistake. Cause of Death: Shot in the head by Rick ("The Heart's Desire").	Dead	#13-#19
Andrew	An African-American, dread-locked former drug user who believes God sent the zombie apocalypse to help him "get clean". He had a homosexual relationship with Dexter, probably due to the amount of time spent locked up with him alone and the two other convicts. He is apparently in love with him. When Dexter is accused or murder, he organizes Andrew to find a way into the previously unexplored Block A and gather up the guards riot gear to take over the prison. After Dexter's death, he fled the prison during the time Michonne and Otis arrive.	Unknown	#13-#19
Axel	A grizzled old white biker imprisoned for armed robbery. A peeping tom, but apparently otherwise harmless. When Dexter tries to force them all out of the prison, Axel stands up for them. He has earned their trust, and always helps whenever anybody asks for it. Says "You follow me?" a lot. Had a brief relationship with Patricia before being shot during the first prison assault. Cause of Death: Shot in head by the Woodbury Army.	Dead	#13-#47
Thomas Richards	A nerdy Caucasian man who claims to be in federal prison for tax evasion. He is actually a homicidal lunatic who murders two of Hershel's daughters by decapitation and attempts to murder Andrea before he is beaten senseless by an enraged Rick. He is later shot repeatedly by Maggie Greene after his attempted escape, nearly killing Patricia in the process. His deceased body was thrown to the zombie hordes outside of the prison. Cause of Death: Shot by Maggie Greene.	Dead	#13-#18
Michonne	A mysterious black woman armed with a Katana. She shows up with two zombies in shackles and causes no small consternation among the group. She gives fellatio to Tyreese, previously having recognized him from his days in the NFL, and causes the break-up of Tyreese and Carol. Michonne was previously a lawyer coming out of a marriage where she lost her children. She and Tyreese share the same passion for working out. She appears to have some degree of schizophrenia. She tortures the Governor after he rapes her and she escapes. She disappears during the battle at the prison, but has since returned to look for the RV survivors. Finding nothing but tracks, she follows them and finds Rick and Carl, and later rejoins the other remaining members of the survivor group at Hershel's farm. Michonne later admits to Rick that she has imaginary conversations with her dead boyfriend, to keep herself from breaking down.	Living	#19-present
The Governor	His real name is Philip. When the dead began to rise, Philip gathered together a large number of survivors, numbering almost 40, and established a semi-secure settlement in Woodbury, clearing and guarding almost 4 city blocks, upon which he declared himself "Governor" (as "President" would be going too far). Initially appearing a fair and strong leader, Philip was truly a monster; he only helped people to benefit himself, as long as they follow his every command. Philip had a daughter who became a zombie; he kept her tied up in his apartment, feeding her severed body parts of those who displeased him. When Rick and several survivors found Woodbury, Philip initially acts hospitable, though later turns on them and imprisons them. Attempting to find the location of the prison, Philip proceeded to mentally torture Glenn, cuts off Rick's hand, and have Michonne restrained, stripped and repeatedly raped her. When the survivors escape, Michonne stays behind and, after knocking out Philip, strips and restrains him, and proceeds to torture and dismember him brutally, removing an arm, ear, eye, and penis, before escaping. Philip survived, however, and eventually, after the prison was found, he led an army to the prison, looking to take it over, telling his "soldiers" the people in the prison are monsters and killers deserving death. Only after the assault makes the prison uninhabitable and leads to the deaths of most of the survivors, do the remnants of his army turn on him and kill him, before they themselves are overwhelmed and killed by the undead. Cause of Death: Shot in the head by Lilly; his corpse is ripped apart and eaten by zombies.	Dead	#27-#48
Caesar Martinez	Former gym teacher who conducted Rick's party's entry to Woodbury. Later helped Rick's party escape, and fight their way back to the prison. Eventually left the prison to go tell the people of Woodbury the location of the prison to escape from the Governor. By an apparent proofreading error he is referred to as "Rodriguez" several times. Cause of Death: Ran over by Rick before he could get back to town and strangled to death ("This Sorrowful Life").	Dead	#27-#36
Dr. Stevens	Woodbury's primary doctor. While he resents working for The Governor, he understands that he would be killed if he did not cooperate. Cause of Death: Bitten while escaping the settlement with Rick ("This Sorrowful Life").	Dead	#28-#32
Alice	Previously an interior design student, Alice is a fast learner and, while living in Woodbury, was Dr. Stevens' assistant. She chooses to leave Woodbury with Rick and thereafter becomes the de facto physician of Rick's group. She is killed by the Governor during the assault on the prison. Cause of Death: Shot in head by the Governor after being shot in knee ("Made to Suffer").	Dead	#29-#48
Judith "Judy" Grimes	Judy was the newborn daughter of Lori and Rick, (though it is strongly implied that Shane is her actual father) sister of Carl. Judy's life came to an abrupt and tragic end as she, along with her mother, were killed in the final stages of the Woodbury Army's assault on the prison where she and the other zombie plague survivors resided. Cause of Death: Killed along with Lori by Lilly.	Dead	#39-#48
Sergeant Abraham Ford	Ford is a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. After the crisis began, Ford was able to retain contact long enough to find out Washington D.C. is the only potential sanctuary from the zombie hordes. Teaming up with Rosita and Eugene, Ford is now on a mission to get there, intending to solve the zombie crisis after Eugene discovers crucial information about the zombie's origins.	Living	#53-Present
Rosita Espinosa	A latina woman who joins up with Sgt. Ford and Eugene in their mission to reach Washington D.C. and end the zombie crisis.	Living	#53-Present
Doctor Eugene Porter	A scientist, who was able to discover what caused the creation of the zombies after the crisis arose. Teaming up with Sgt. Ford and Rosita, Eugene is now on a mission to get to Washington D.C., intending to solve the zombie crisis using the crucial information he discovered.	Living	#53-Present

[edit] Artists

Tony Moore: #1-6 (2004) (interior & covers), #1-24 (covers) (2005), collected trade paperback volumes 1-4 (covers).
Charlie Adlard: #7-present (interior), #25-present (covers), collected trade paperback volumes 5-present (covers).

[edit] Collected editions

The series has so far been collected into the following collections:

[edit] Softcovers

The trade paperbacks collect six issues each, but contain only the story and no cover art.

#	Title	ISBN	Release Date	Collected Material
1	Days Gone Bye	ISBN 1-58240-358-9	May 12, 2004	The Walking Dead #1-6
2	Miles Behind Us	ISBN 1-58240-413-5	November 24, 2004	The Walking Dead #7-12
3	Safety Behind Bars	ISBN 1-58240-487-9	May 18, 2005	The Walking Dead #13-18
4	The Heart's Desire	ISBN 1-58240-530-1	November 30, 2005	The Walking Dead #19-24
5	The Best Defense	ISBN 1-58240-612-X	September 27, 2006	The Walking Dead #25-30
6	This Sorrowful Life	ISBN 1-58240-684-7	April 11, 2007	The Walking Dead #31-36
7	The Calm Before	ISBN 1-58240-828-9	September 26, 2007	The Walking Dead #37-42
8	Made To Suffer	ISBN 1-58240-883-1	June 25, 2008	The Walking Dead #43-48
9	Here We Remain	ISBN 1-60706-022-1	January 21, 2009	The Walking Dead #49-54
10	The Road Ahead	ISBN 1-60706-075-2	August 29, 2009	The Walking Dead #55-60

The Walking Dead Compendium Vol. 1 (Collects #1-48; ISBN 1-60706-076-0; To be Released 5/6/09)

[edit] Hardcovers

All hardcovers contain the material from the comics including the covers, and are slightly larger than the paperbacks. The deluxe hardcover collects the first 24 issues in a slipcase with several extras. The limited edition version of the standard hardcover (12 issues) is autographed by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard with 300 pieces available.

The Walking Dead Volume 1 Deluxe HC (Collects #1-24; ISBN 1-58240-511-5; Released 12/14/05)
The Walking Dead Volume 2 Deluxe HC (Collects #25-48; ISBN 1-60706-029-9; Released 2/17/09)
The Walking Dead Book One (Collects #1-12; ISBN 1-58240-619-7; Released 7/19/06)
The Walking Dead Book One Limited Edition (ISBN 1-58240-620-0; Released 8/2/06)
The Walking Dead Book Two (Collects #13-24; ISBN 1-58240-698-7; Released 3/7/07)
The Walking Dead Book Three (Collects #25-36; ISBN 1-58240-825-4; Released 12/19/07)
The Walking Dead Book Four (Collects #37-48; ISBN 1-60706-000-0; Released 10/29/08)
The Walking Dead: The Covers (Collects the covers for issues #1-50; ISBN 1-60706-002-7; TEMPORARILY CANCELLED
The Walking Dead Days Gone Bye Retailer Giveaway (Limited Hardcover of softcover Vol. 1, with black and red foil binding)

[edit] Tie-Ins

Five Zombie minibusts are available from CS Moore (One is a repainted variant). In March, a Rick Grimes vs. Zombies was made available as well. As a companion to this piece, a half zombie statue was released. Future Walking Dead statues will connect to the base to form a diorama.

[edit] Aircel series

In 1989, a mini-series named The Walking Dead was published by Aircel Comics. It was followed by a one issue special in 1990. Other than the shared zombie theme and title, there is no relationship between the Aircel and Image titles.

[edit] External links

[edit] Interviews

Interview with Charlie Adlard about The Walking Dead
WEEK OF THE DEAD I: Robert Kirkman, Comic Book Resources, May 19, 2008
WEEK OF THE DEAD II: Charlie Adlard, Comic Book Resources, May 20, 2008
Walking with the Dead: Robert Kirkman, I, Newsarama, May 20, 2008
The Making of The Walking Dead by: Charlie Adlard
Emotionally 14 interview Robert Kirkman about The Walking Dead