The Walking Dead (comic Book) - Read The Walking Dead Comic Free

The Walking Dead is an ongoing black-and-white American comic book series created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore. 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 is written by Kirkman with art by Moore (issues No. 1 - 6) and Charlie Adlard (issue No. 7 onward). Moore continued to do the covers through issue No. 24.

The Walking Dead received the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series at San Diego Comic-Con International. The series was adapted into the AMC television series The Walking Dead, which premiered in 2010. The television program loosely follows the storyline of the comic book. The franchise has also spawned multiple additional media properties, including video games (e.g., The Walking Dead video game), webisode series (The Walking Dead: Torn Apart, The Walking Dead: Cold Storage, and The Walking Dead: The Oath), and various additional publications, including books (e.g., The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor).

Publication history

The Walking Dead debuted in 2003, published by Image Comics, with art by Tony Moore for the first six issues and Cliff Rathburn shading the art starting with the fifth issue. Charlie Adlard took over as artist starting with issue #7, after being approached by Kirkman. Moore also did the cover art for the first twenty-four issues and the first four trade paperbacks, with the rest of each done by Adlard.

In October 2010, alongside the premiere of the television series, 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.

Story arcs

Volume 1: Days Gone Bye (Issues 1 â€" 6)

Rick Grimes, a sheriff's deputy from Kentucky, is wounded in action and emerges from a coma to find the world plagued by the undead. Upon returning home, he finds his house ransacked and his wife and son gone. Rick travels to a military evacuation zone in Atlanta to find his family and joins a small group of survivors along the way, all the while trying to adapt to life in this new world.

Volume 2: Miles Behind Us (Issues 7 â€" 12)

After the death of Shane Walsh at the hands of Carl Grimes, Rick and the rest of the survivors leave Atlanta and travel across many miles of hostile territory seeking a safer home. The group picks up new members and loses old ones as they attempt to survive the brutal winter. The group eventually finds shelter at a small farm, though it is discovered that Hershel Greene, the owner of the farm, and his family are keeping a dark secret.

Volume 3: Safety Behind Bars (Issues 13 â€" 18)

After being forced to leave the farm, Rick's group stumbles upon what seems to be a permanent sanctuary, an abandoned prison. Soon after clearing one cell block and settling in, the survivors learn that they are not the only residents of this prison and realize for the first time that the greatest threat to their survival in this new world may not be the dead, but the living.

Volume 4: The Heart's Desire (Issues 19 â€" 24)

The group manages to quell Dexter's rebellion and further secure the prison. At the same time, a katana-wielding woman named Michonne arrives at the prison seeking refuge. Her arrival leads to a major schism within the group, and Rick's role as leader is questioned as the others start to fear for his sanity.

Volume 5: The Best Defense (Issues 25 â€" 30)

Rick, Glenn, and Michonne leave the prison after spotting their first sign of other survivors. Their search brings them to a small town called Woodbury where a large, well-armed and well-organized group of survivors have taken refuge, led by a man called The Governor. Rick and his comrades quickly learn, at a terrible cost to themselves, that they have fallen into the hands of the most dangerous group of people they could have imagined.

Volume 6: This Sorrowful Life (Issues 31 â€" 36)

Rick, Glenn, and Michonne manage to escape from Woodbury with the help of some others wishing to be free from The Governor's insane rule. They manage to safely arrive back at the prison, but they are completely unprepared for what they have found.

Volume 7: The Calm Before (Issues 37 â€" 42)

The group attempts to settle down again after their nightmarish experiences at Woodbury. Relationships among the survivors at the prison continue to grow as Lori enters the last stages of her pregnancy. All the while, the group tries to prepare themselves for the sure revenge of The Governor and his town of psychotic survivors.

Volume 8: Made To Suffer (Issues 43 â€" 48)

The Governor has finally found the prison and attacks with amazing force. The group is torn over what action to take. While many choose to stay, others leave to fend for themselves. As the body count rises and more and more damage is done to both sides, things will literally never be the same again for Rick and his fellow survivors.

Volume 9: Here We Remain (Issues 49 â€" 54)

After the prison is destroyed and the group is scattered, Rick and Carl attempt to find shelter in a nearby town and reunite with surviving members of the group. Rick's physical and mental state begin to unravel, while Carl starts to grow more independent and apathetic. They eventually manage to reunite with the other survivors. However, before they can recover fully, three new survivors arrive and present an unbelievable opportunity for the group if they join them.

Volume 10: What We Become (Issues 55 â€" 60)

The group is on the road making its way to Washington, D.C. with a scientist, Eugene Porter, who can apparently end the outbreak. Rick is immediately at odds with Sgt. Abraham Ford over their methods on how to lead. With Carl in tow, the three travel to Rick's hometown for any supplies left at Rick's police station and come across an old friend in the process. Along the way, Rick finally sees just how far he is willing to go to protect the family he has left.

Volume 11: Fear The Hunters (Issues 61 â€" 66)

While Rick and his group continue on their way to Washington D.C., they start to suspect they are being stalked by someone in the woods. Suddenly, Dale is kidnapped in the night and Rick, Abraham, Michonne, and Andrea set out to find this new threat and stop them. But these survivors may finally see their humanity torn to the last shreds with the actions they take to protect their own.

Volume 12: Life Among Them (Issues 67 â€" 72)

Rick and his group run across a seemingly trustworthy man named Aaron who escorts them to a large, walled-off community of survivors called the Alexandria Safe-Zone led by a man named Douglas Monroe. It is a welcome change for the weary survivors, but they soon suspect that it may be too good to be true.

Volume 13: Too Far Gone (Issues 73 â€" 78)

The members of Rick's group settle into their new roles in the Alexandria Safe-Zone, and Rick, as constable, tries to make the place safer by stopping a dangerous man inside the community. But could Rick and his battle-scarred compatriots be too far gone to live a peaceful life again?

Volume 14: No Way Out (Issues 79 â€" 84)

After the murder of Douglas' wife, Rick and his people begin to step up as the leaders of the Alexandria community against the wishes of many residents. But the people of Alexandria have a much bigger problem that they must deal with together when they discover they are surrounded by a massive herd of roamers.

Volume 15: We Find Ourselves (Issues 85 â€" 90)

As the Alexandria Safe-Zone finds itself recuperating from the herd attack, Rick begins making decisions that will lead to the long term sustainability of their community. Carl is still unconscious from his injury and it is unclear whether he will survive. Some people also question the bold choices Rick has made for the community and try to take over Alexandria.

Volume 16: A Larger World (Issues 91 â€" 96)

Rick is hoping to restart a civilized and peaceful life inside the Alexandria Safe-Zone, but his group realizes they're not the only survivors out in the world. They encounter a new survivor in the wastes named Paul Monroe, who says he is a recruiter for a group of 200 or more people nearby called the Hilltop Colony. The colony appears to be even safer than Alexandria, but the group soon learns that the people of the Hilltop Colony have some very dangerous enemies.

Volume 17: Something To Fear (Issues 97 â€" 102)

Rick and his group confront the Hilltop Colony's enemy, The Saviors, a group of brutal people led by a man named Negan. However, Rick severely underestimates The Saviors and does not take them seriously as something to be feared until some of his best friends begin dying in brutally savage ways. In the end, Rick is forced into an ultimatum that puts the lives of everyone in Alexandria on the line.

Volume 18: What Comes After (Issues 103 â€" 108)

While the group learns what living under Negan's rules really mean, Rick devises a new strategy to deal with The Saviors. But before it can be put in motion, a member of the group disappears after The Saviors collect their payment from Alexandria. Rick and Jesus must now call on the help of an exotic man named Ezekiel and his "kingdom" of survivors to have any chance of defeating The Saviors.

Volume 19: March To War (Issues 109 â€" 114)

Rick, Jesus, and Ezekiel decide to trust Dwight and move forward with their attempt to end The Saviors' reign. The three communities come together to formulate a plan, but when Negan shows up early to collect his offering from Alexandria, things get very out of hand.

Volume 20: All Out War â€" Part One (Issues 115 â€" 120)

Rick leads his newly formed "army" with the Hilltop and the Kingdom in an attack against the Sanctuary. Things go smoothly at first as Rick's forces manage to trap Negan inside the Sanctuary, but as they attack Negan's outposts many of Rick's closest friends begin dying and they wonder if their initial victory was just luck. Eventually Negan mounts a counterattack on Alexandria and things go from bad to worse.

Volume 21: All Out War â€" Part Two (Issues 121 â€" 126)

With the war at its peak, Negan attacks Alexandria and the Hilltop, destroying the former's defenses. On the brink of defeat, Rick offers Negan a truce as a trap. Negan falls for it, Rick slashes Negan's throat, and calls for the war between Alexandria, Hilltop, The Kingdom and The Saviors to stop. Negan survives the attack, and is sentenced to life imprisonment by Rick.

Volume 22: A New Beginning (Issues 127 â€" 132)

Two years on after the war with Negan, civilization has been rebuilt and the communities have established a successful trade network. However, when a new group of survivors arrive in Alexandria, they begin to question what the community is hiding.

Volume 23: Whispers Into Screams (Issues 133 â€" 138)

As a new threat to the group emerges, tensions arise within Hilltop after Carl loses his temper. Many start to question both him and the leadership of Maggie. Meanwhile Jesus, having captured a member of the Whisperers, realizes the full scale of the new threat placed on the Hilltop.

List of characters

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 puts it.

Reception

The series received critical acclaim, winning the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series in 2010 and prompting Eric Sunde of IGN comics to call it "one of the best monthly comics available". Among its fans are author Max Brooks. Because of the popularity of the series, which increased considerably when it was adapted into a television series of the same name, artist Tony Moore's original artwork for the series' early issues has gone up in value. On the March 28, 2013 episode of the VH1 reality television series For What It's Worth, Moore's original artwork for Page 7 of issue #1 was professionally appraised to be worth $20,000.

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". IGN ranked Michonne, another protagonist, as the 86th Greatest Comic Book Hero of All Time the same year. 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". Wizard magazine ranked The Governor as the 131st greatest comic book character of all time, saying he "represents your worst nightmare of leadership".

Other media

Television adaptation

AMC picked up the rights to produce a show based on the comic in 2009. It ordered a pilot episode on January 21, 2010 and began filming on May 15, 2010. The series premiered on October 31, 2010 with high ratings. On November 8, 2010, after broadcasting two episodes, AMC renewed The Walking Dead for a second season of 13 episodes, which began on October 16, 2011. The TV show is loosely inspired by the comic, introducing new characters and deviating from the comic in certain plot points.

The fifth season premiered on October 12, 2014, with Scott M. Gimple as the show's third showrunner. Gimple has said that he would stay closer in line to the comic book series events "as much as possible", but ultimately remix stories with certain characters, referencing original characters introduced to the show and deceased characters alive in the comic book as a reason for this. Robert Kirkman himself has mentioned that the series will follow much closer to the comic series with Gimple's run.

Animation comic

AMC released an animated film of the first part of Issue No. 1 of the comic with animation by Juice Films, voice acting by Phil LaMarr and art by Tony Moore.

The Walking Dead: The Game

On February 18, 2011, Telltale Games announced plans to create an episodic video game based on the series, 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".

The first episode of the sequel, The Walking Dead: Season Two, was released in December 2013 with episode 2 being released in March 2014, episode 3 in May 2014, episode 4 in July 2014, and episode 5 in August 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.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is a first-person shooter video game, based on the TV show. It received universal negative reviews due to its poor A.I., bad voice acting (despite the game featuring the TV show's star Norman Reedus), short game-play and bad controls.

Overkill's The Walking Dead

On August 14, 2014, Overkill Software announced plans to create a cooperative first-person shooter based on the series, which is scheduled to release in 2016.

The Walking Deceased

Scott Dow's The Walking Deceased is a comedy horror film that spoofs the TV series. It stars Dave Sheridan in the leading role as Sherrif Lincoln, Ashley Turner as a zombie stripper and Jacqui Holland as Lincoln's wife Isaac.

Other products

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

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

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.

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 none of the original cover art from the comics. Each paperback follows the convention of having a three-word title. The zombies in the cover art for each paperback form part of a larger image if placed end to end.

Standard

Other trade paperbacks

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.

Standard

Other Hardcovers

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 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 (Red Foil Version for Compendium 1 and Gold Foil Version for Compendium 2).

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". 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.

Following the third novel in the series, Bonansinga picked up the reins to continue the Walking Dead novels in Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: Descent.

References

Comic Books

• Kirkman, Robert (w), Moore, Tony (p), Moore, Tony (i), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v1: Days Gone Bye, 1: 1-26 (October 8, 2003), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Moore, Tony (p), Moore, Tony (i), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v1: Days Gone Bye, 2: 1-26 (November 12, 2003), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Moore, Tony (p), Moore, Tony (i), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v1: Days Gone Bye, 3: 1-24 (December 10, 2003), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Moore, Tony (p), Moore, Tony, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones) (i), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v1: Days Gone Bye, 6: 1-23 (March 2004), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones) (i), Moore, Tony (cover) (col), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v2: Miles Behind Us, 7: 1-29 (April 2004), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones) (i), Moore, Tony (cover) (col), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v2: Miles Behind Us, 9: 1-29 (June 2004), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones) (i), Moore, Tony (cover) (col), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v2: Miles Behind Us, 11: 1-31 (August 2004), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones) (i), Moore, Tony (cover) (col), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v2: Miles Behind Us, 12: 1-29 (September 2004), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones) (i), Moore, Tony (cover) (col), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v3: Safety Behind Bars, 16: 1-33 (February 2005), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones) (i), Moore, Tony (cover) (col), Kirkman, Robert (let). The Walking Dead v4: The Heart's Desire, 19: 1-32 (June 2005), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors, back cover) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v5: The Best Defense, 27: 1-30 (April 2006), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors, back cover) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v5: The Best Defense, 29: 1-28 (June 2006), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors, back cover) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v6: This Sorrowful Life, 33: 1-29 (December 2006), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors, back cover) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v7: The Calm Before, 37: 1-25 (May 2007), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors, back cover) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v7: The Calm Before, 39: 1-30 (July 2007), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors, back cover) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v7: The Calm Before, 42: 1-22 (September 2007), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v8: Made To Suffer, 44: 1-31 (November 21, 2007), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v8: Made To Suffer, 45: 1-25 (December 12, 2007), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v8: Made To Suffer, 46: 1-27 (February 13, 2008), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v8: Made To Suffer, 48: 1-26 (April 2, 2008), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics
• Kirkman, Robert (w), Adlard, Charlie (p), Adlard, Charlie, Rathburn, Cliff (gray tones, cover colors) (i), Adlard, Charlie (cover) (col), Wooton, Rus (let). The Walking Dead v9: Here We Remain, 52: 1-24 (September 17, 2008), 1071 N. Batavia St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92867: Image Comics

External links

• Official website
• AMC's official The Walking Dead TV series site
• Telltale Games' official The Walking Dead video game site