Movies News Talk
Rick Grimes is shot in the beginning of The Walking Dead while employed as a small town sheriff's deputy. A few weeks later he wakes up to find the planet has gone to hell. The shambling zombies now rule the planet after killing billions of humanity. Rick acclimatizes to this harsh new reality over the 193 issues of the comic, guiding a group of survivors through a sequence of tragic events and ultimately helping to re-establish human civilization—this time on a far more equitable basis.
The last problem of the series is a flashforward to an adult Carl in the future, raising his kid in a world where zombies are no more a daily worry (though some still exist.) Rick dies in issue #192, gunned down by privileged Sebastian Milton, who opposes his family's loss of authority following Rick's release from their hold over the Commonwealth. His death reflects the first issue since he was shot dead only to rise once, this time as a zombie, at last resting under Carl.
Kirkman said in The Walking Dead Deluxe #84 that he first intended for a somewhat dismal finale. The last problem would have been unexpected (something that was finally the case), and would have concluded with Rick exhorting the survivors in a passionate speech. The moment would then shift to the future, when Rick would be shown in the same posture as a massive monument implying that not only did the survivors win the day but also reconstructed civilization for long enough to remember Rick as a folk hero.
With a further zoom-out to depict a barren, post-apocalyptic civilization where just the zombies remain, implying that mankind still lost in the end, a zombie would then have stumbled by the monument. "So, we would leave readers with the knowledge that the zombies prevail regardless of what individuals did," says Kirkman. I know, just as you said. Given how much viewers had invested in all the characters and their journey, a downer finale may leave them feeling rather deceived. Indeed, Kirkman said, his originally intended Ending was "bleak, sad... possibly terrible." The fact that Kirkman's deployment of this conclusion was flexible in terms of timing shielded viewers from this finale. The intended time leap meant he could stop the narrative whenever he wanted, just needing to put Rick in a scenario whereby he was compelled to deliver a climax speech during a pitched fight. Remembering, Kirkman says, "Eh... I could do that any time."
Although The Walking Dead Deluxe's major concept is to publish the series in color, any die-hard fan of the show is far more intrigued in the page of notes Kirkman adds on how the tale was formed and altered over time. Fans have so discovered that there were many events in the series that nearly turned things around permanently. For example, Kirkman originally wanted Shane to kill Rick in The Walking Dead #7; Carl was observing the struggle and bearing the horrible secret of his father's murder.
Other important characters were also intended to be killed by Kirkman; Andrea was originally supposed to die in The Walking Dead #5 but turned out to be one of the longest-running heroes in the series, dying in The Walking Dead #167 finally. Likewise, Kirkman not only meant for Maggie to kill the wicked Negan, but he penned the whole storyline for the issue with just artist Charlie Adlard's input altering his mind. Rather, Negan proves Rick's idea of a compassionate human society is feasible by not only living but rather genuinely reforming.
With many household-name TV adaptations and a library of games set in the world run over by Walkers, The Walking Dead is today a cultural powerhouse. Looking back at the show and realizing how many of its most iconic events were nearly entirely different surprises me. Walking Dead underwent some significant planning phase adjustments that changed the narrative from the very beginning to the conclusive finish. One concept, meanwhile, was never taken into account, and writer Robert Kirkman seems a bit angry that fans even thought it was in contention.
In The Walking Dead Deluxe #89 (from Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Dave McCaig), Kirkman reveals the issue's plan, his own creator notes from today, and reproduced letters from the original run, which often have fresh resonance in light of where the series concluded. A fan remarks in this issue, "I have pals who are confident the series will finish with Rick in a ******-up coma dream the whole time. Please do not make them right. Kirkman answers emphatically, "Seriously, that is not the finale; I would never do it. DE-bunked."
Having learnt significant lessons from the zombie epidemic (which is now known as 'the Trials,' Rick's leadership and heroism helped mankind rise once more, therefore providing the satisfactory finale it deserved, a bittersweet reflection of its themes. The last issue lets readers discover where all their beloved characters ended up and observe the objectives and conflicts defining the now-ascendant humanity. Walking Dead viewers should relax knowing that Rick merely getting up in bed was never Kirkman's intended Ending for the series, unlike his original vision to time-jump to a zombie victory.
A bleak and brutal tale of survival, The Walking Dead reflects humanity's resiliency against insurmount challenges. For almost ten years, it has enthralled and delighted readers. With its nuanced characters and provocative ideas, Kirkman's vision of a world overrun by zombies keeps being a potent and relevant narrative. The Walking Dead universe is expanding with spin-offs, adaptations, and Rick Grimes's continuing impact even as the comic book series closes. The Walking Dead series is evidence of the ability of narrative to captivate viewers and readers all around by means of imagination.