‘The Walking Dead’ comic book — source material for the hit TV series — came to a stunning conclusion with the latest issue…
‘The Walking Dead’ has always been able to surprise its most dedicated readers but the latest twist is one that nobody saw coming.
The latest issue of the comic book series from creator Robert Kirkman, which serves as the foundation for ‘The Walking Dead’ TV series on AMC, has come to an end. The most recent issue No. 193 will serve as the finale to the story Kirkman first started telling in 2003.
The shocking twist of events came one issue after a huge death even by ‘Walking Dead’ standards and the new issue, which hits comic book stores on Wednesday, will be the final one of the series.
“I hate knowing what’s coming,” Kirkman wrote in the final pages of ‘The Walking Dead’ No. 193. “As a fan, I hate it when I realize I’m in the third act of a movie and the story is winding down. I hate that I can count commercial breaks and know I’m nearing the end of a TV show. I hate that you can feel when you’re getting to the end of a book, or a graphic novel. Some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones are when they’re structured in such a way and paced to perfection so your brain can’t tell if it’s been watching for 15 minutes or 50 minutes … and when the end comes … you’re stunned.
“I love long movies for that very reason. You lose track of time because you went in convinced that you’re going to be there for a long time, but the story moves at such an entertaining and engaging pace that by the time the movie’s wrapping up … you can’t believe it’s already over. Surprise, it’s over! All I’ve ever done, all a creator can really do … is tailor-make stories to entertain themselves, and hope the audience feels the same way. That’s all I’ve ever been doing … and it seems to work most of the time.”
What started out as a small initial printing of the first issue ended up as a cultural phenomenon once ‘The Walking Dead’ was picked up to series on AMC. The show is now one of the most watched series on television, which is currently awaiting the start of season 10 in October.
Obviously the end of the comic book doesn’t mean the show is coming to a conclusion any time soon but it appears Kirkman is done navigating the ship that served as the foundation for all of the major stories that took place in the television series.
Kirkman highlighted that he wanted ‘The Walking Dead’ to end just like it started with a huge surprise and there was nothing bigger than ending the book without any kind of notice whatsoever.
“The Walking Dead has always been built on surprise,” Kirkman said. “Not knowing what’s going to happen when you turn the page, who’s going to die, how they’re going to die… it’s been essential to the success of this series. It’s been the lifeblood that’s been keeping it going all these years, keeping people engaged. It just felt wrong and against the very nature of this series not to make the actual end as surprising as all the big deaths … from Shane all the way to Rick.”
‘The Walking Dead’ franchise remains a massive investment for AMC with two ongoing series — the flagship ‘Walking Dead’ and ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ — not to mention plans already in motion for a third TV series. AMC is also developing a series of at least three stand alone movies that will feature Andrew Lincoln in the lead role as Rick Grimes after he asked to leave the TV series last year. ‘The Walking Dead’ will also be losing Danai Gurira during the upcoming season 10 as she prepares to embark on an acting career away from the zombie blockbuster.
‘The Walking Dead’ issue No. 193 will hit stores on Wednesday to finish the story once and for all.
