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[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] picked up the rights to produce a show based on the comic in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |url=http://geekadelphia.com/2009/08/12/the-walking-dead-comes-to-television/|title='The Walking Dead Comes to Television'|publisher=Geekadelphia|date=August 12, 2009 |accessdate=August 25, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url =http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22824 |title='Kirkman Talks "Walking Dead" TV'|publisher=''[[Comic Book Resources]]''|accessdate=4 September 2009}}</ref> It ordered a pilot episode on January 21, 2010<ref>{{cite web |url =http://blogs.amctv.com/horror-hacker/2010/01/he-walking-dead.php |title='Zombies Invade AMC as The Walking Dead Moves to Pilot'|publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]]|accessdate=21 Jan 2010}}</ref> and began filming on May 15, 2010.<ref>[http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35816/start-date-set-the-walking-dead-pilot Start Date Set for The Walking Dead Pilot]</ref> The series premiered on October 31, 2010 with high ratings.<ref>{{cite web |url =http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/11/01/the-walking-dead-premiere-attracts-5-3-million-viewers/ |title='Walking Dead Premiere Attracts 5.3 Million Viewers'|publisher=AMC|accessdate=21 Jan 2010}}</ref> On November 8, 2010, after broadcasting two episodes, AMC renewed ''The Walking Dead'' for a second season of 13 episodes,<ref>Moorhouse, Drusilla. [http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b210072_zombies_live_amc_gives_walking_dead.html?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories "The Zombies Live! AMC Gives The Walking Dead a Second Season"], [[E! Online]], November 8, 2010</ref> which began on October 16, 2011.{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}}
[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] picked up the rights to produce a show based on the comic in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |url=http://geekadelphia.com/2009/08/12/the-walking-dead-comes-to-television/|title='The Walking Dead Comes to Television'|publisher=Geekadelphia|date=August 12, 2009 |accessdate=August 25, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url =http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22824 |title='Kirkman Talks "Walking Dead" TV'|publisher=''[[Comic Book Resources]]''|accessdate=4 September 2009}}</ref> It ordered a pilot episode on January 21, 2010<ref>{{cite web |url =http://blogs.amctv.com/horror-hacker/2010/01/he-walking-dead.php |title='Zombies Invade AMC as The Walking Dead Moves to Pilot'|publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]]|accessdate=21 Jan 2010}}</ref> and began filming on May 15, 2010.<ref>[http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35816/start-date-set-the-walking-dead-pilot Start Date Set for The Walking Dead Pilot]</ref> The series premiered on October 31, 2010 with high ratings.<ref>{{cite web |url =http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/11/01/the-walking-dead-premiere-attracts-5-3-million-viewers/ |title='Walking Dead Premiere Attracts 5.3 Million Viewers'|publisher=AMC|accessdate=21 Jan 2010}}</ref> On November 8, 2010, after broadcasting two episodes, AMC renewed ''The Walking Dead'' for a second season of 13 episodes,<ref>Moorhouse, Drusilla. [http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b210072_zombies_live_amc_gives_walking_dead.html?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories "The Zombies Live! AMC Gives The Walking Dead a Second Season"], [[E! Online]], November 8, 2010</ref> which began on October 16, 2011.{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}}


The TV show is loosely inspired by the comic, introducing new characters and deviating from the comic in many plot points. The Walking Dead TV series currently finished its fourth season on March 30, 2014. The fifth season is expected to being in October 2014.
The TV show is loosely inspired by the comic, introducing new characters and deviating from the comic in many plot points. The Walking Dead TV series currently finished its fourth season on March 30, 2014. The fifth season is expected to begin on October 12 2014.


[[Frank Darabont]] wrote, directed and served as an executive producer until AMC fired him on July 25, 2011. Kirkman and [[Charles H. Eglee]] are currently writers and executive producers.
[[Frank Darabont]] wrote, directed and served as an executive producer until AMC fired him on July 25, 2011. Kirkman and [[Charles H. Eglee]] are currently writers and executive producers.

Revision as of 00:01, 10 April 2014

The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead #1
Publication information
PublisherImage Comics
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing series
Genre
Publication dateOctober 2003 – present
No. of issues125
Creative team
Created byRobert Kirkman
Tony Moore
Written byRobert Kirkman
Artist(s)Tony Moore (#1–6)
Charlie Adlard (#7–present)
Inker(s)Stefano Gaudiano (#115–present)
Letterer(s)Rus Wooton
Colorist(s)Cliff Rathburn
Editor(s)Sina Grace (#67–96)
Sean Mackiewicz (#97–present)

The Walking Dead is an ongoing black-and-white American comic book series written by Robert Kirkman. It chronicles the travels of Rick Grimes, his family and other survivors of a zombie apocalypse.

First issued in 2003 by publisher Image Comics, the comic was created by Kirkman[1] and artist Tony Moore (who was later replaced by Charlie Adlard from issue #7 onward,[2] though Moore continued to do the covers through issue #24.)[3]

The series received the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series at San Diego Comic-Con International. A television series bearing the same name premiered Halloween 2010 on AMC. The series has inspired a Kirkman-approved prequel series of novels prologuing the comic book's timeline.

Plot

Shot in the line of duty, Cynthiana, Kentucky police officer Rick Grimes wakes from a coma in the hospital to find his town overrun with walking corpses, referred to as 'walkers'.[4] In this world, the walking dead outnumber the living about 10 to 1.[5] Rick learns from fellow survivors Morgan Jones and his son Duane that the government told people to find safety in Atlanta, Georgia. Rick travels to Atlanta in search of his wife Lori and son Carl. He meets a scavenger named Glenn, who takes him to a small survivor camp outside the ruined city, where Rick reunites with his family.[6]

After a fatal walker attack on the camp, Rick criticizes its leader, his former police partner Shane Walsh, who also had an affair with Lori before Rick came. Shane pulls a gun on Rick and is then shot dead by Rick's son Carl. Now the de facto leader, Rick decides the survivors need to find a safer home.[7] Upon meeting Tyreese, his daughter Julie, and Julie's boyfriend Chris, Lori reveals she's pregnant, but doesn't know whether the father is Rick or Shane.

Rick's early settlement attempts are disastrous. Donna, mother of twins Ben and Billy, is killed after the survivors move into a gated neighborhood infested with walkers.[8] A farmer, Hershel Greene, invites the group to stay on his land, where Glenn strikes a relationship with Hershel's middle daughter Maggie,—until walkers kept in the barn break free and kill two of Hershel's children.[9] The group's fortunes improve when they discover an abandoned prison with a zombie-resistant fence.

Joined by four surviving inmates, Hershel, his remaining family, and a few other friends met along the road, Rick's group fortifies the prison against walkers. In a suicide pact gone wrong, Julie gets shot by Chris, but then reanimates as a walker and gets shot again by Chris. After a vengeful Tyreese kills Chris, the group learns that you don't have to be bitten or scratched to become a walker, but can reanimate when you die without head trauma. After Rick goes to Shane's resting place to kill his reanimated body, danger comes from within: a psychotic inmate murders Hershel's two youngest daughters[10] who soon gets killed by a vengeful Maggie, Rick kills another inmate during an attempted coup against his group, and one inmate decides to leave his fate to the walkers.[11] As the last surviving inmate Axel and katana wielding survivor, Michonne, are welcomed by the group. Allen, the twins' father gets bitten and dies from a long battle against blood loss from having his infected limb amputated. Increasingly erratic and brutal as he struggles to keep order, Rick steps down as the group's leader. He is replaced by a committee run by him, Hershel, Tyreese, and the group's oldest and wisest member Dale.

Rick, Glenn, and Michonne, leave the prison to investigate a nearby helicopter crash and stumble upon Woodbury: a survivor town ruled by an insane tyrant called The Governor, who kills other groups of survivors to take their supplies and keep their severed heads as trophies.[12] When his visitors won't tell him where they came from, he imprisons them, cutting off Rick's right hand and forcing Glenn to listen to him sadistically raping Michonne.[13] The Governor eventually allows the three to escape, hoping to tail them back home. But on her way out of town, Michonne captures, tortures and mutilates the Governor.[14]

The prison dwellers prepare for a reprisal attack, but slip into complacency and distraction after weeks with no sign of Woodbury forces. Lori gives birth to a girl that she names Judith.[15] Dale gets bitten on the leg but lives through having it amputated and gets a wooden peg to replace his leg. Glenn marries Maggie[16] and “adopts” Carol's daughter Sophia after Carol commits suicide. Dale and his 40-year younger girlfriend Andrea adopt the twins. Rick and Hershel are admiring the courtyard vegetable garden when the Governor (having been revived by former Army medic Bob Stookey) and a small army rolls up to the prison fence.[17]

Despite their better weapons and larger numbers, the Woodbury forces take heavy casualties and retreat.[18] Convinced they will return, Glenn, Maggie, Sophia, Dale, Andrea, and the twins flee in Dale's RV.[19] Michonne and her lover Tyreese are captured while attempting a preemptive commando strike on Woodbury.[19] Michonne escapes into the wasteland but the Governor executes Tyreese outside the prison gate before launching his second assault.[20]

The Governor's forces use a tank to break down the fence and massacre the prison dwellers, killing Hershel, Axel, Lori, Judith, and many others.[21] Rick and Carl flee to a nearby town.[21] Walkers pour in through the broken fence and surround the Woodbury forces. One of the Governor's soldiers Lilly Caul, shoots him in the head for making her kill Judith, before his army runs out of ammo and presumably perishes.[21]

Rick and Carl reunite with Michonne and those who fled in the RV.[22] These few survivors of the prison massacre wander until they join up with a trio headed to Washington, D.C. One of them, Eugene, claims to be a government scientist in radio contact with survivors in the capital.[23]

Maggie attempts suicide over the death of her family. Rick and Abraham, a U.S. Army sergeant traveling with Eugene, bond during a supply run to Cynthiana as they confess the killings they've each committed to survive. Upon returning to Cynthiana, Rick encounters Morgan, but discovers Duane became a walker. Though he is extremely grief-stricken, Rick allows Morgan to join the group.

Ben becomes mentally unstable and kills his own brother. Ben is later secretly killed overnight by Carl.[24] While mourning the twins' deaths Dale gets bitten again and sneaks into the forest to die alone, but is kidnapped by a group of cannibals known as the Hunters, who eat his leg before he dies.[25][26] Rick and the other adults find, kill and mutilate the Hunters to avenge Dale and everyone else they've eaten. A priest who recently joined the group, Fr. Gabriel Stokes is the only person among them appalled by their brutality.[27]

On the outskirts of Washington, Eugene admits he is actually a high school teacher and has no contact with the government. Washington is overrun like other cities. But the group is approached the same day by Aaron, a recruiter for a peaceful walled-off town of about 40, the Alexandria Safe Zone.[28]

Worried the Alexandrians have forgotten the dangers of the wasteland, Rick gradually asserts authority over them. As town constable, he secretly carries a gun[29] and disobeys Alexandria's leader, Douglas, to intervene in a domestic dispute.[30] After Rick beats down the abusive Pete Anderson, Pete tries to kill him with a knife but accidentally kills Douglas' wife Regina instead. With Douglas' permission, Rick executes Pete, but the gunshot alerts a group of bandits to Alexandria. After defeating the bandits in Alexandria,[31] Douglas admits Rick is a better leader and steps down.[32]

The gunfire during the bandit attack attracts a herd of walkers, who surround and break through Alexandria's wall, killing Bruce and Tobin (two guards), Morgan, Pete's wife Jessie, and her son Ron.[33] The surviving residents retreat to their houses while walkers flood the town.[34] When Rick and Carl get surrounded by walkers, Douglas tries to help them, but accidentally shoots Carl in the eye before he is killed himself.[35] Rick carries Carl to Dr. Denise Cloyd, Alexandria's last surviving doctor, then returns outside and—with Michonne and other residents—destroys the entire herd. The victory convinces Rick that walkers are a manageable threat if everyone puts their issues aside and work together, and he resolves to rebuild civilization at Alexandria.[36]

Carl wakes from a coma with amnesia. [37] Rick quashes a small rebellion against him but forgives the transgressors. [38] Andrea confesses she loves Rick, but he mostly spurns her advances, until he admits he returns her feelings. [39]

Paul "Jesus" Monroe, who claims to represent a nearby community known as the Hilltop Colony of about 200 survivors, offers to trade supplies with Alexandria, claiming he already does so with several other survivor groups in the area. [40] Fearing a trap, Rick imprisons Jesus and prepares Alexandria to defend against an attack. But he soon has a change of heart and decides to trade with Jesus' group. Once arriving at the Hilltop Colony, Ethan, a Hilltop resident attempts to kill the leader Gregory for an enemy named Negan, until he is killed by Rick. Jesus reveals that Negan is the psychopathic leader of a group known as the Saviors who clear out zombies but take half of a group's supplies as payment. Jesus asks Rick to help him eradicate the Saviors so they can live in peace, and he accepts.

The Alexadrians manage to repel two Savior attacks but Abraham gets killed by Savior lieutenant Dwight. While returning to the Hilltop Colony with a small group to ask for help, Rick gets ambushed by Negan, who beats Glenn to death with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire as punishment for killing his men. Before leaving, Negan demands that Rick hand over half of Alexandria's supplies soon. Once returning to the Hilltop Colony, Maggie and Sophia decide to remain there as it was Glenn's last wish that they stay for their safety and Maggie's unborn child. With Jesus by their side, the group returns to Alexandria, where Dwight has been captured. Pretending to be scared and giving authority to Negan, Rick releases Dwight and has Jesus secretly follow him to find more information on the Saviors. Though he gets captured along the way, Jesus escapes.

Thinking his father is scared to do anything, Carl sneaks into a Savior truck and kills many Saviors using Abraham's rifle, but is stopped by Dwight. Negan takes a liking towards Carl for his hard-headedness and lets him go to Rick, proving he can be reasonable. Jesus decides they need help from another large survivor community known as the Kingdom. As Rick meets "King" Ezekiel, they are approached by Dwight, who claims to want kill Negan for what he's done to him and his wife Sherry and offers to reveal Negan's secrets.

While preparing to battle the Saviors, Jesus prevents Hilltop patrolman Kal from ratting out the attack plans on the Saviors to prevent anyone else from dying. While Rick and a small group make plans at the Kingdom, Negan comes to Alexandria to collect half of its supplies. He is approached by Douglas' son Spencer who wishes Negan to become Alexandria's leader and kill Rick. Disgusted by Spencer's cowardice, Negan disembowels him, irking Rick. After angrily giving Negan half of Alexandria's supplies, Rick stages an ambush with the Alexandrians and prepares to kill Negan, but Negan reveals he has Savior snipers surrounding them, leaving Rick cornered. Sensing the danger, Jesus and Ezekiel come to the rescue, forcing Negan to flee, as he now plots to battle Alexandria, the Hilltop Colony, and the Kingdom for their desire to kill him.

Rick gathers men from Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom to attack Negan's stronghold, the Sanctuary. After being threatened by Rick, Negan reveals he has taken Gregory hostage. Gregory shakily announces the Hilltop's allegiance is to Negan, and that anyone from the Hilltop in Rick's force must stand down. When only eight men walk away, Negan, disgusted, kicks Gregory off a ledge. A firefight between the two armies attracts numerous walkers, which walk freely into the Sanctuary after its gates are taken down by Holly, Abraham's former lover. While Rick orders a retreat, Negan tells his men to take shelter inside, and captures Holly. When one of his men attempts to rape her, Negan kills him and insists to her that he and his men are not monsters.

Afterwards, Gregory returns to the Hilltop, denouncing Rick and earning Maggie's ire as a result. She rallies the survivors of the Hilltop to support Rick's ongoing war. Meanwhile, Rick and Ezekiel lead separate attacks on Savior outposts. Although successful, Aaron's boyfriend Eric, Ezekiel's pet tiger Shiva, and many of Ezekiel's own men perish, leaving him disheartened. After Rick returns to Alexandria, Negan returns with Holly, who has a hood over her head, and he gives her back to the Alexandrians. However, it turns out Holly was executed and had turned, and as she bites Denise, Negan calls for his men to attack. As Rick kills the undead Holly, Denise's boyfriend Heath gets his leg blown off by a grenade leaving Denise to ultimately decide to help revive him than to have her infected limb amputated to save her own life. While Alexandria succumbs to the grenade fire, Maggie, now the de facto leader of the Hilltop leads most of the Hilltop survivors to attack and repels the Saviors away.

In the aftermath of the Savior attack, Denise succumbs to her bite and dies. Eugene is taken hostage by Negan (who regards him as valuable due to his knowledge of making bullets), and Rick's group moves to the Hilltop after declaring the Safe-Zone a loss. Once the Alexandria and the Kingdom survivors arrive at the Hilltop, they begin to prepare for Negan's inevitable attack. While at the Saviors camp, Dwight confesses to Eugene that he is on Rick's side and realizes that other members of the Saviors would be willing to back him . Negan comes up with a plan to wipe out his enemies by covering the Saviors weapons with walker parts so that the slightest scratch from any weapon would infect the opponent. Rick gets shot by an arrow by Dwight in an unexpected attack by Negan. Negan says that since they covered their weapons in walker guys, Rick is dead. Jesus kills many saviors in the attack and Negan retreats and leaves the group. Meanwhile Rick is wondering why another survivor is running a fever from an injury. One of the survivors finds a walker guts covered knives in the open. He brings it to the doctor and they come to the realization about fever.

List of characters

Main article: List of characters in The Walking Dead

Zombies

Rick's group classifies zombies as either walkers, roamers or lurkers, the former category being more likely to venture toward a loud noise in search of human prey. Zombies follow and mimic each other, which can result in enormous hordes travelling together, "walking nonstop, following a sound they've all forgotten," as Abraham put it.[23]

Artists

  • Tony Moore: #1–6 (2004) (interior), #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).[2]

The Walking Dead Weekly

Due to the popularity of the TV show, in October 2010 Image Comics announced The Walking Dead Weekly. Starting on January 5, 2011, the first 52 issues of the series were reprinted, one issue per week, for a year.[41]

Collected editions

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

Trade paperbacks

The trade paperbacks collect six issues each, but contain only the story and no cover art. Each paperback follows the custom of having a three-word title.

Title ISBN Release Date Collected Material Issues Published
The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye 1-58240-358-9 May 12, 2004 The Walking Dead #1–6 October 2003 – March 2004
The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us 1-58240-413-5 November 24, 2004 The Walking Dead #7–12 April–September 2004
The Walking Dead Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars 1-58240-487-9 May 18, 2005 The Walking Dead #13–18 October 2004 – April 2005
The Walking Dead Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire 1-58240-530-1 November 30, 2005 The Walking Dead #19–24 June–November 2005
The Walking Dead Vol. 5: The Best Defense 1-58240-612-X September 27, 2006 The Walking Dead #25–30 January–August 2006
The Walking Dead Vol. 6: This Sorrowful Life 1-58240-684-7 April 11, 2007 The Walking Dead #31–36 September 2006 – March 2007
The Walking Dead Vol. 7: The Calm Before 1-58240-828-9 September 26, 2007 The Walking Dead #37–42 May–September 2007
The Walking Dead Vol. 8: Made To Suffer 1-58240-883-1 June 25, 2008 The Walking Dead #43–48 October 2007 – April 2008
The Walking Dead Vol. 9: Here We Remain 1-60706-022-1 January 21, 2009 The Walking Dead #49–54 May–November 2008
The Walking Dead Vol. 10: What We Become 1-60706-075-2 August 12, 2009 The Walking Dead #55–60 January–April 2009
The Walking Dead Vol. 11: Fear the Hunters 1-60706-122-8 January 6, 2010 The Walking Dead #61–66 May–October 2009
The Walking Dead Vol. 12: Life Among Them 1-60706-254-2 August 3, 2010 The Walking Dead #67–72 November 2009 – May 2010
The Walking Dead Vol. 13: Too Far Gone 1-60706-329-8 November 23, 2010 The Walking Dead #73–78 June–October 2010
The Walking Dead Vol. 14: No Way Out 1-60706-392-1 June 22, 2011 The Walking Dead #79–84 November 2010 – April 2011
The Walking Dead Survivors' Guide 1-60706-458-8 November 1, 2011 The Walking Dead Survivors' Guide #1–4 April–July 2011
The Walking Dead Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves 1-60706-440-5 December 27, 2011 The Walking Dead #85–90 May–October 2011
The Walking Dead Vol. 16: A Larger World 1-60706-559-2 June 6, 2012 The Walking Dead #91–96 November 2011 – April 2012
The Walking Dead Vol. 17: Something To Fear 1-60706-615-7 November 21, 2012 The Walking Dead #97–102 May–September 2012
The Walking Dead Vol. 18: What Comes After 1-60706-687-4 June 18, 2013 The Walking Dead #103–108 October 2012 – March 2013
The Walking Dead Vol. 19: March To War 1-60706-818-4 November 13, 2013 The Walking Dead #109-114 April–September 2013
The Walking Dead Vol. 20: All Out War (Part One) 1-60706-882-6 March 11, 2014 The Walking Dead #115-120 October 2013 – January 2014
The Walking Dead Vol. 21: All Out War (Part Two) TBA TBA The Walking Dead #121-126 February–April 2014

Hardcovers

All hardcovers contain the contents of the comics, including the covers, and in some cases bonus material. The books' trim size is larger than the paperbacks. Each hardcover contains two story arcs from the series. Signed versions of the books are available, each limited to 310 pieces.

Title ISBN Release Date Collected Material Cover Character
The Walking Dead: Book One 1-58240-619-7 July 19, 2006 The Walking Dead #1–12 Rick
The Walking Dead: Book Two 1-58240-698-7 March 7, 2007 The Walking Dead #13–24 Michonne
The Walking Dead: Book Three 1-58240-825-4 December 19, 2007 The Walking Dead #25–36 The Governor
The Walking Dead: Book Four 1-60706-000-0 October 29, 2008 The Walking Dead #37–48 Lori and Judith
The Walking Dead: Book Five 1-60706-171-6 May 5, 2010 The Walking Dead #49–60 Abraham
The Walking Dead: The Covers 1-60706-002-7 October 6, 2010 The Walking Dead #1–50 (covers) N/A
The Walking Dead: Book Six 1-60706-327-1 October 26, 2010 The Walking Dead #61–72 Carl
The Walking Dead: Book Seven 1-60706-439-1 October 18, 2011 The Walking Dead #73–84 Rick
The Walking Dead: Book Eight 1-60706-593-2 September 26, 2012 The Walking Dead #85–96 Andrea
The Walking Dead: Book Nine 1-60706-798-6 September 17, 2013 The Walking Dead #97–108 Negan
The Walking Dead 100 Project September 25, 2013 N/A N/A
The Walking Dead: The Covers – Volume 2 1-60706-595-9 TBA The Walking Dead #51–100 (covers) N/A

Omnibus editions

Limited omnibus editions collect 24 issues in a slipcase with several extras. The first volume is autographed by Kirkman and Adlard, with 300 pieces available. Subsequent volumes were released with 3000 pieces each. There is also a deluxe limited edition (signed by Kirkman/Adlard) with 300 pieces available.

The Walking Dead Volume 1 Deluxe HC
Title ISBN Release Date Collected Material
The Walking Dead: Volume 1 Deluxe HC 1-58240-511-5 December 14, 2005 Collects #1–24
The Walking Dead: Volume 2 Deluxe HC 1-60706-029-9 February 17, 2009 Collects #25–48
The Walking Dead: Volume 3 Deluxe HC 1-60706-330-1 February 2, 2011 Collects #49–72
The Walking Dead: Volume 4 Deluxe HC 1-60706-616-5 December 12, 2012 Collects #73–96

The Limited Edition Retailer Giveaway is a limited hardcover of the softcover Volume 1, with black faux-leather cover and red foil highlights.

Compendium editions

These are 48-issue softcover editions, also available as limited hardcover editions.[42]

Title ISBN Release Date Collected Material
The Walking Dead: Compendium One 1-60706-076-0 May 6, 2009 Collects #1–48
The Walking Dead: Compendium Two 1-60706-596-7 Oct 3, 2012 Collects #49–96

Novels

Title ISBN Release Date Collected Material
The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor 9780312547738 October 11, 2011 by Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury 9780312547745 October 16, 2012 by Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor 9781250020642 October 8, 2013 by Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor Part Two 9781447266822 March 13, 2014 by Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga

Reception

Co-creator Robert Kirkman signing a copy of the first issue at the 2011 New York Comic Con.

The series received critical acclaim, winning the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series in 2010[43] and prompting Eric Sunde of IGN comics to call it "one of the best monthly comics available".[44] Max Brooks told Kirkman that he read The Walking Dead and liked it.[45]

IGN ranked main protagonist Rick Grimes as the 26th Greatest Comic Book Hero of All Time in 2011, stating that Kirkman "has an endless supply of ringers [sic] to run Rick through."[46] IGN ranked Michonne, another protagonist, as the 86th Greatest Comic Book Hero of All Time the same year.[47] It ranked the Governor as the 86th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time in 2009, describing him as "a sadistic evil that 'The Road Warrior' forgot."[48] Wizard magazine ranked The Governor as the 131st greatest comic book character of all time.[49]

Other media

Television adaptation

Main article: The Walking Dead (TV series)

AMC picked up the rights to produce a show based on the comic in 2009.[50][51] It ordered a pilot episode on January 21, 2010[52] and began filming on May 15, 2010.[53] The series premiered on October 31, 2010 with high ratings.[54] On November 8, 2010, after broadcasting two episodes, AMC renewed The Walking Dead for a second season of 13 episodes,[55] which began on October 16, 2011.[citation needed]

The TV show is loosely inspired by the comic, introducing new characters and deviating from the comic in many plot points. The Walking Dead TV series currently finished its fourth season on March 30, 2014. The fifth season is expected to begin on October 12 2014.

Frank Darabont wrote, directed and served as an executive producer until AMC fired him on July 25, 2011. Kirkman and Charles H. Eglee are currently writers and executive producers.

Animation comic

AMC released an animated film of the first part of Issue #1 of the comic with animation by Juice Films, voice acting by Phil LaMarr and art by Tony Moore.[56]

Novels

A series of novels based on the comics, written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga, were released between 2011 and 2014 focusing on the antagonist "The Governor".[57] Taking place in the initial outbreak, the books chronicle his experiences from surviving in the newly ravaged world, to the establishment of himself as leader of Woodbury, and finally tying up the conclusion to the prison arc storyline in the comics. Kirkman has indicated there will be more novels in the future by Bonansinga based on the Walking Dead series.[58]

The Walking Dead: The Game

Main article: The Walking Dead (video game)

On February 18, 2011, Telltale Games announced plans to create an episodic video game based on the series,[59] which was scheduled to debut in fall 2011 and was released worldwide in April 2012. The Walking Dead: The Game consists of five episodes, released between April and November 2012. Additional downloadable content, 400 Days was released in July 2013. Kirkman has said that, unlike typical zombie games such as Left 4 Dead, "it [focuses] more on characterization and emotion than action".[60]

The first episode of the sequel, The Walking Dead: Season Two, was released in December 2013 with episode 2 being released in March 2014 with episodes 3-5 to be released later in 2014.

The Walking Dead: The Game received widespread critical acclaim, with reviews giving praise for the emotion and characters of the plot. It received many awards, including over 90 Game of the Year awards.

Other products

Taverncraft has produced The Walking Dead pint glasses and steins, and has a license to release lighters for the series as well.[61]

Kirkman's The Walking Dead Board Game from Z-Man Games was scheduled for release late summer 2011.[62]

Action figures resembling the characters in the comic book were manufactured by McFarlane Toys for September 2011 release. In addition, action figures resembling characters from the TV series, including Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon and a dismemberable Walker and Biter, were set for release in November 2011.[63]

References

  1. ^ Sullivan, Michael Patrick. WEEK OF THE DEAD I: Robert Kirkman, Comic Book Resources, May 19, 2008
  2. ^ a b Sullivan, Michael Patrick. WEEK OF THE DEAD II: Charlie Adlard, Comic Book Resources, May 20, 2008
  3. ^ Tony Moore's The Walking Dead Cover Art Gallery
  4. ^ The Walking Dead #1
  5. ^ Lowery, Georgia. "Interesting Facts About The Walking Dead". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. ^ The Walking Dead #2
  7. ^ The Walking Dead #6
  8. ^ The Walking Dead #9
  9. ^ The Walking Dead #11
  10. ^ The Walking Dead #16
  11. ^ The Walking Dead #19
  12. ^ The Walking Dead #27
  13. ^ The Walking Dead #28
  14. ^ The Walking Dead #33
  15. ^ The Walking Dead #39
  16. ^ The Walking Dead #37
  17. ^ The Walking Dead #42
  18. ^ The Walking Dead #44
  19. ^ a b The Walking Dead #45
  20. ^ The Walking Dead #46
  21. ^ a b c The Walking Dead #48
  22. ^ The Walking Dead #52
  23. ^ a b The Walking Dead #54
  24. ^ The Walking Dead #61
  25. ^ The Walking Dead #62
  26. ^ The Walking Dead #64
  27. ^ The Walking Dead #66
  28. ^ The Walking Dead #67
  29. ^ The Walking Dead #73
  30. ^ The Walking Dead #75
  31. ^ The Walking Dead #78
  32. ^ The Walking Dead #79
  33. ^ The Walking Dead #81
  34. ^ The Walking Dead #82
  35. ^ The Walking Dead #83
  36. ^ The Walking Dead #84
  37. ^ The Walking Dead #88
  38. ^ The Walking Dead #90
  39. ^ The Walking Dead #91
  40. ^ The Walking Dead #92
  41. ^ "Image Comics Announces "The Walking Dead Weekly" and New Omnibus". Comic Book Resources. OCtober 26, 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ http://www.skybound.com/skybound/2012/3/27/the-walking-dead-compendium-hardcover-eccc-exclusive.html
  43. ^ "Scott Pilgrim Kicks Off 2010 Eisner Awards", San Diego Comic-Con, accessed April 1, 2011.
  44. ^ Sunde, Eric. "Walking Dead Omnibus Review: It's a slice of fried gold.", IGN, January 10, 2006
  45. ^ Callan, Jonathan (September 28, 2008). "Baltimore: Image Comics Panel". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
  46. ^ "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes. Rick Grimes is number 26". IGN. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  47. ^ "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes, Michonne is number 86". IGN. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  48. ^ "Top 100 Comic Book Villains". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  49. ^ "Wizard's top 200 characters. External link consists of a forum site summing up the top 200 characters of Wizard Magazine since the real site that contains the list is broken". Wizard magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  50. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 12, 2009). "'The Walking Dead Comes to Television'". Geekadelphia. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  51. ^ "'Kirkman Talks "Walking Dead" TV'". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 4 September 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  52. ^ "'Zombies Invade AMC as The Walking Dead Moves to Pilot'". AMC. Retrieved 21 Jan 2010.
  53. ^ Start Date Set for The Walking Dead Pilot
  54. ^ "'Walking Dead Premiere Attracts 5.3 Million Viewers'". AMC. Retrieved 21 Jan 2010.
  55. ^ Moorhouse, Drusilla. "The Zombies Live! AMC Gives The Walking Dead a Second Season", E! Online, November 8, 2010
  56. ^ More Walking Dead Goodness: Robert Kirkman Tours the Set, Motion Comic, and a Contest!, Dread Central
  57. ^ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=rise%20of%20the%20governor&sprefix=rise+of+the+go%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Arise%20of%20the%20governor
  58. ^ http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/20u6xf/im_robert_kirkman_creator_of_the_walking_dead_ama/
  59. ^ Schram, Kevin. "The Walking Dead Video Game Coming From Telltale Games [Adventure Game Makers Announce Zombie Adventure Game, Have Big Day Today In All]", TFTS, February 18, 2011
  60. ^ Robert Kirkman on 'Walking Dead' season two: 'You haven't seen anything yet'
  61. ^ "New 'Walking Dead' Merchandise" ICV2, November 17, 2010
  62. ^ "Official The Walking Dead Board Game website"
  63. ^ Keck, William. "Walking Dead Ready for Action", TV Guide, June 20, 2011, page 14
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