The Walking Dead (comic book)

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

The Walking Dead
File:Walkingdead1.jpg Cover art for The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye trade paperback. Art by Tony Moore.
Publication information
Publisher	Image Comics
Zeitplan	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Genre
Publication date	October 2003 - Present
Creative team
Created by	Robert Kirkman Tony Moore
Written by	Robert Kirkman
Artist(s)	Charlie Adlard

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.

Synopsis

The Walking Dead is centered around Rick, 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 sometimes each other — the group searches for a secure location which they can finally call home.

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, Eugene and Father Gabriel Stokes. The current children surviving are Carl and Sophia

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, 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.	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).	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. Both Judith and Lori were killed in the final stages of 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.	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.	Dead	#3-#9
Billy and Ben	Allen and Donna's twin sons. They are unofficially adopted by Dale and Andrea after their parents die. They don't seem to understand what is happening in the world as it is. On the road to D.C., Ben brutally slaughters Billy, convinced that he will come back. The group debates killing Ben to protect themselves, but takes no immediate action. In the night, Carl sneaks into the van where Ben is locked up, and executes him. They are buried side by side.	Dead	#2-#61.
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. However, as of late, Dale has been drifting away from the group as he has sought to find a new home and secure it and get off the road.	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.	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.	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.	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. Shortly after joining the group he began a relationship with Carol, but shifted to Michonne and remained with her till his death. He was a valuable member of the group, generally being Rick's right-hand man in the skirmish clearings of the zombies on the road and in the prison. During the prison war he was captured and brutally executed by the Governor.	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.	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.	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.	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 and is executed by the Governor.	Dead	#10-#48
Lacey Greene	Hershel's oldest daughter. Killed by the zombies that were kept in the family's barn.	Dead	#10-#11
Arnold Greene	Hershel's oldest son. Bitten my his brother, Shawn, who had become a zombie and kept locked inside the family's barn. Was shot by Hershel to prevent turning.	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.	Dead	#10-#48
Rachel and Suzie Greene	Twins, Hershel's youngest daughters, they were the first of Thomas' victims.	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.	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.	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.	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.	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. In 2009, The Governor was ranked as IGN's 86th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.	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. During his run back to Woodbury, he is run down by Rick in the RV and dies. By an apparent proofreading error he is referred to as "Rodriguez" several times.	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. Killed while escaping Woodbury.	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.	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.	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
Father Gabriel Stokes	A preacher who comes across the group after leaving his church, where he had been hiding from the undead.	Living	#61-Present

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).

Collected editions

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

Softcovers

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

#	Titel	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
11			December, 2009

Compendium Edition

The compendium edition, has 48 issues in paperback format.

• Volume 1; collects #1-48; ISBN 1-60706-076-0; Released 5/6/09

Hardcovers

All hardcovers contain the material from the comics including the covers, and in some cases, bonus material. The trim size of the books are larger than the paperbacks. Each hardcover containts two story arcs from the series.

Titel	ISBN	Release Date	Collected Material
BOOK ONE	ISBN 1-58240-619-7	7/19/06	The Walking Dead #1-12
BOOK TWO	ISBN 1-58240-698-7	3/7/07	The Walking Dead #13-24
BOOK THREE	ISBN 1-58240-825-4	12/19/07	The Walking Dead #25-36
BOOK FOUR	ISBN 1-60706-000-0	10/29/08	The Walking Dead #37-48

Other releases

Limited Edition Omnibus editions collect 24 issues in a slipcase with several extras. As limited edition versions, the first volume is autographed by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard with 300 pieces available, while the second had a larger release.

• 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 Covers series collects the covers in hardcover format.

• The Walking Dead: The Covers (Collects the covers for issues #1-50; ISBN 1-60706-002-7; TEMPORARILY CANCELLED

The Limited Edition retailer giveaway is limited Hardcover of the softcover Vol. 1, with black faux leather cover and red foil hilights.

A 2009 calendar, The Walking Dead 2009 Calendar features twelve covers from the series.

Literary significance and reception

Max Brooks, author of World War Z, told Kirkman that he had read The Walking Dead and liked it, but Kirkman said he could not read World War Z until he finished The Walking Dead which would not be "any time soon, so I’m never going to read his book."

External links

• Tony Moore's The Walking Dead Cover Art Gallery
• 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
• The Making of The Walking Dead by: Charlie Adlard
• http://www.twdfanclub.com Walking Dead Fan Club and Interview with The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard