The Walking Dead is an on-going story about a group of people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.
Plot SummaryThe Walking Dead centers around Rick Grimes, a former police officer who was shot in the line of duty and wakes up from a coma after the world has succumbed to the zombie plague. Dazed from months in the hospital, and confused as to why he can't find anyone alive, he makes his way home only to find his wife and son missing. The only survivors are Morgan and Duane who adopted Rick's neighbors house as their new home since the area appeared less infected. After Morgan tells Rick the cities would be safe, Rick packs up supplies from his police station and travels to Atlanta in search of his family.
Arriving in the city on horseback, Rick is overcome by a horde of zombies and narrowly escapes death with the aid of another survivor named Glenn, who has been scavenging the city for supplies. Glenn takes Rick back to a camp just outside of town where Rick's wife Lori and son Carl happen to be living with a small group of survivors, all alive and well. His partner and best friend Shane had taken Lori and Carl to the outskirts of Atlanta where they wait for rescue by the US Government.
Collected EditionsThe Walking Dead TPB
Collecting 6 issues per volume.
Volume 1: Days Gone Bye (#1-6)Volume 2: Miles Behind Us (#7-12)Volume 3: Safety Behind Bars (#13-18)Volume 4: The Heart's Desire (#19-24)Volume 5: The Best Defense (#25-30)Volume 6: This Sorrowful Life (#31-36)Volume 7: The Calm Before (#37-42)Volume 8: Made to Suffer (#43-48)Volume 9: Here We Remain (#49-54)Volume 10: What We Become (#55-60)Volume 11: Fear the Hunters (#61-66)Volume 12: Life Among Them (#67-72)Volume 13: Too Far Gone (#73-78)Volume 14: No Way Out (#79-84)Volume 15: We Find Ourselves (#85-90)Volume 16: A Larger World (#91-96)Volume 17: Something to Fear (#97-102)Volume 18: What Comes After (#103-108)Volume 19: March To War (#109-114)Volume 20: All Out War Part One (#115-120)Volume 21: All Out War Part Two (#121-126)Volume 22: A New Beginning (#127-132)Volume 23: Whispers Into Screams (#133-138)Volume 24: Life and Death (#139-144)Volume 25: No Turning Back (#145-150)Volume 26: Call To Arms (#151-156)Volume 27: The Whisperer War (#157-162)Volume 28: A Certain Doom (#163-168)Volume 29: Lines We Cross (#169-174)Volume 30: New World Order (#175-180)Volume 31: The Rotten Core (#181-186)Volume 32: Rest In Peace (#187-193)The Walking Dead HC
Collecting 12 issues per volume.
Volume 1 (#1-12)Volume 2 (#13-24)Volume 3 (#25-36)Volume 4 (#37-48)Volume 5 (#49-60)Volume 6 (#61-72)Volume 7 (#73-84)Volume 8 (#85-96)Volume 9 (#97-108)Volume 10 (#109-120)Volume 11 (#121-132)Volume 12 (#133-144)Volume 13 (#145-156)Volume 14 (#157-168)Volume 15 (#169-180)Volume 16 (#181-193)The Walking Dead Omnibus Deluxe HC
Collecting 24 issues per volume.
Volume 1 (#1-24)Volume 2 (#25-48)Volume 3 (#49-72)Volume 4 (#73-96)Volume 5 (#97-120)Volume 6 (#121-144)Volume 7 (#145-168)Volume 8 (#169-193)The Walking Dead Compendium
Collecting 48 issues per volume.
Volume 1 (#1-48)Volume 2 (#49-96)Volume 3 (#97-144)Volume 4 (#145-193)Spin-OffsTo date there are several different published formats of The Walking Dead
Monthly publication by Image Comics (#1-193)Weekly publication reprinting issues #1-52, published by Skybound on a weekly schedule (hence the suffix Weekly) throughout 2011Trade paperback volumes collecting 6 issues eachHardcover volumes collecting 12 issues eachHardcover volumes titled The Walking Dead Hardcover (also known as The Walking Dead Omnibus Deluxe HC) collecting 24 issues eachLarge trade paperback volumes titled The Walking Dead Compendium collecting 48 issues eachBi-weekly publication in full color titled The Walking Dead Deluxe published by Image; starting in October 2020. The debut issue had already been reprinted in color before; see The Walking Dead 10th Anniversary Edition #1.Eisner AwardThe Walking Dead received the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series at San Diego Comic-Con International.
The Walking Dead SpecialsTo date there have been six special one-shots; five of them outlining the origin stories of major characters and the most recent one following Negan after his previously last appearance:
Morgan: Image Holiday Special 2005Michonne: The Walking Dead: Michonne SpecialThe Governor: The Walking Dead: The Governor SpecialTyreese: The Walking Dead FCBD 2013 Special (also reprints the first 3 specials)The Walking Dead: Here's Negan! (originally serialized in the Image+ magazine)Negan Lives! #1The Walking Dead DigitalThe Walking Dead: The Alien - Special one-shot written by Brian K. Vaughan, with art by Marcos Martín, and published through Panelsyndicate in exchange for allowing Image to publish the deluxe hardcover The Private Eye: The Cloudburst Edition.The Walking Dead in ColorThe 10th Anniversary Edition reprints issue #1 in full color (by Dave Stewart) for the first time ever. It also includes the original six-page proposal by Robert Kirkman, an in-depth interview between Eric Stephenson (Executive Director of Image Comics) & Robert Kirkman, and more.
MagazineTitan Magazines also publishes a magazine series in the UK titled The Walking Dead: The Official Magazine.
The Walking Dead En Espanol & other languagesIn September 2013, Image Comics/Skybound started publishing a Spanish Language Edition of the trade paperbacks for the North-American market:
The Walking Dead En EspañolThe Walking Dead has also been licensed and published in other markets and languages as follows (in alphabetical order):
Dutch (Silvester Strips)French (Delcourt)German (Cross Cult)Italian (SaldaPress)Japanese (Asukashinsha/Asuka Comics)Portuguese/Brazil (HQM Editora)Spanish/Argentina (Ovni Press)Spanish/Argentina (Ovni Press; collecting 2 original issues per issue)Spanish/Mexico (Editorial Kamite)Spanish/Spain (Planeta DeAgostini Comics)Swedish (Apart Forlag)Vietnamese (unlicensed fan-made translations)Note: Most of the foreign language editions collect 6 issues and many of these also keep the English cover title, The Walking Dead, with the exception of some Spanish publishers (e.g. Planeta Comics) who translated the title into "Los muertos vivientes."
Plot SummaryRick GrimesAfter a series of incidents indicate that staying in the area isn't the best idea, Rick began to take over as leader, insisting that they leave and find a safer place to live. Shane had fallen in love with Lori over the past few months, thinking Rick was dead and dealing with the apocalypse, and they had formed a fledgling relationship. When Rick returned, Shane lost both Lori and leadership of the group. He turned on Rick, believing that killing him was the only way to get back into the position he was in before Rick arrived. He lured Rick out into the forest to kill him, only to be killed by Carl, who had followed the men and seen Shane pull a gun on his father.
With nothing left to keep them in the area, Rick and the group decided to find a safer place to live. With a group of thirteen, (Glenn, Allen, Donna, Ben, Billy, Dale, Carol, Sophia, Andrea, Amy, Rick, Lori, and Carl), they crammed themselves into Dale's RV and head out on the road. While scrounging for food through the winter, clearing cars from the road and checking any establishment for food, they acquired three new members to their group (Tyreese, Julie, Chris) which causes the confines of the vehicle to quickly become more than uncomfortable. They came upon a gated community, and hope that the gates helped keep the area safe. They soon find this to be untrue, and are once again forced out onto the road.
Barely forging the long winter, and on their last cans of food and fumes of gas, the group came upon the remote farm of Hershel Greene, who welcomed the group into his home alongside his family and neighbors, (Lacy, Arnold, Maggie, Billy, Rachel, Susie, Otis, and Patricia). Rick's group eventually discovered that Hershel's family believed the dead to be able to be cured in the future, and were housing the eldest zombified son, Shawn, in their barn. This difference in core beliefs caused the group to again separate, with some staying on the farm and some continuing down the road to look for yet another place to live.
The new rogues weren't on the road long when they came upon what they believed to be a possible paradise. A nearby prison seemed to remain mostly untouched by the plague, save a few downed gates and fences. They quickly set to work, fixing the fencing and clearing out the prison of zombies, and discovered a handful of inmates had been surviving in the cafeteria, (Dexter, Andrew, Axel, and Thomas). They reluctantly let the prisoners roam free amongst them, and invited the rest of the Greene family to come stay at the prison. After a series of murders, Thomas was revealed to be a psychopathic killer and was himself killed. A lone woman later came upon the prison by the name of Michonne, seemingly having survived alone using a katana and two armless, jawless walkers. The group works hard to search and expand the prison, planting a garden, utilizing a generator and trying to make a better life for themselves there.
The GovernorOne day they witnessed a helicopter crash in the surrounding forest, and Rick, Michonne, and Glenn left to investigate and offer help to the passengers. Upon arrival, the people had been taken by others, who left tracks in the opposite direction of the Prison. They decided to investigate further, and came upon the fortified town of Woodbury, where an egomaniacial man by the name of The Governor lorded over the occupants. Friendly at first, the Governor quickly resorted to performing unspeakable torture on the three to learn where they had come from. They eventually escaped, with Michonne taking revenge on him along the way, before making their way back to the prison.
When they returned to the prison, they discovered the fences to have been breached, and began to prepare for the likely coming attack from the citizens of Woodbury. They settled back into their routines, with Glenn and Maggie marrying, and Lori preparing to give birth, when they were finally attacked. The Woodbury citizens kill many of Rick's group in the ensuing bloodbath, and the rest were scattered when they fled.
In a nearby deserted town, Rick took refuge with Carl, devastated by the loss of his wife and new baby. They soon met up with the remaining escapees from the prison, and decided to move on when a new group of survivors (Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene) appeared and informed them that the entire plague could be stopped if they could get to Washington, D.C. A small contingent of the group diverted to Rick's nearby sheriff station for ammo and supplies, picking up his neighbor Morgan on the way back. With Morgan now in tow, the small group discovered that the walkers were beginning to herd together, becoming more dangerous than ever.
MichonneContinuing on their path to the capitol, the group endured many hardships including encountering a tortured minister who had let his people die to save himself (Gabriel), having to deal with one of the children being killed at the hands of another, and being attacked by cannibals who, much like the zombies, were intent on eating their flesh.
Reaching just outside of the capitol, the group was approached by a lone stranger (Aaron), who claimed to had been watching them for awhile and extended an invitation to come live in his safe community. Upon learning the truth about the non-existent cure to the plague, they decide to go with him. They were brought into a small community named Alexandria with impressive walls built around the outside. Inside, they were astonished to find friendly survivors who lived very close to the way things were before the apocalypse. As they settled in, suspicions arose in both groups, and Rick and Carl struggled to return to a 'normal' life.
The story is set to run in perpetuity, following how different groups of people would handle trying to survive in the complicated hell of a world overrun by zombies. Although the book revolves around a zombie apocalypse, the main focus of the book is human survival and character interaction and development. Whether held up in an enclosed town, the middle of the woods, or even a prison the question keeps arising "who can you trust when the world's social structure breaks down?" The readers quickly learn, no character is safe from death or mutilation, even main characters. The story emotionally involves the reader as they experience the horrific events that could occur when people live in a world where the only person they could trust is themselves.
Television SeriesThe Walking Dead is an American television drama series developed by Frank Darabont for AMC. The series stars Andrew Lincoln as sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find the world dominated by flesh-eating "walkers" or zombies. He sets out to find his family and encounters other survivors along the way.
The Walking Dead premiered on October 31, 2010 on the cable television channel AMC in the United States. Due to great reception, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes, which premiered on October 16, 2011. After only two episodes of the second season, AMC announced that the show would return for a third season, airing on October 14, 2012.
The series has been nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series Drama. The series has also attained strong Nielsen ratings, setting a record of 15.5 million viewers for its season three midseason finale to become the most-watched basic cable drama telecast in history.
The series is set to conclude in 2022 after its 11th season.
For more information see The Walking Dead.
Spin-offs:Fear the Walking Dead (2015-present)The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020-present)Video GamesThe Walking Dead (OSX, iOS, PS3, Xbox360, PC)An adaptation set into an episodic video game series produced by Telltale Games. The game follows the story of a convicted murderer named Lee who must protect a young girl as they make their way though the world at the very beginning of the outbreak. The story is tied more closely to the comic series than the television show, but features all new characters with minor cameos from some characters found in the comic series.
Awards2012 "Game of the Year" awards, from USA Today, Wired, Complex, GamesRadar and Official Xbox Magazine"Game of the Year", "Best Adapted Video Game", and "Best Downloadable Game" by Spike Video Game AwardsMelissa Hutchinson's role as Clementine named "Best Performance By a Human Female", Telltale Games named as "Studio of the Year". The game was awarded "Best Downloadable Game" and "Best Character Design" for Lee Everett at the 2012 Inside Gaming Awards2012 "Game of the Year" and "Best Multi-Platform Game" by Destructoid"Best Writing", "Best Digitally Distributed Game", and "Game of the Year" by Digital TrendsYahoo! Games' Flan Dering listed it as his "Game of the Year" and "Best Downloadable Game"The Walking Dead: Season 2 (OSX, iOS, PS3, Xbox360, PC)Due to the success of the first game, Telltale Games released a Second Season with plans for 4 additional chapters in winter 2013.
Survival Instinct (PC, PS3, Xbox360, Wii U)Activision announced a first person shooter based on the television series, and developed by Terminal Reality. It was released March 19, 2013. The game will act as a Prequel to the TV Series, focusing on Daryl and Merle.
NovelsThe Walking Dead: Rise of the GovernorThe first novel written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. The novel is a spin-off of Kirkman's comicbook series and explores the back-story of The Governor.
The Walking Dead: The Road to WoodburyThe second novel written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. This story outlines the back-story of Lilly before arriving at Woodbury.
The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor (Part One & Two)The third installment of the series of the origins of The Governor. As with the previous two installments, it is written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. The novel will end "pretty much the same place as in the comic" but from The Governor's perspective. Because of it's length, Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga made the decision to release it in two parts. The first part released in October 2013 and the second part in March 2014.
Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: DescentThe fourth installment and fifth novel of The Walking Dead; released in October 2014. This is the first novel written by Jay Bonansinga without Robert Kirkman. It is also the first novel after The Governor's demise, focusing on Lilly rebuilding Woodbury.
Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: InvasionThe sixth novel of The Walking Dead; released in October 2015. This is the second novel written by Jay Bonansinga. It focuses on the two opposing camps of survivors after the end of Woodbury.
Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: Search and DestroyThe seventh novel of The Walking Dead; released in October 2016. This is the third novel written by Jay Bonansinga.
Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: Return to WoodburyThe eighth novel of The Walking Dead; released in October 2017. This is the fourth and final novel written by Jay Bonansinga.
