The Walking Dead comics have officially come to an end following creator Robert Kirkman’s release of Issue 193. The final installment concludes the stories of Rick and Carl Grimes, but AMC has made it clear that the series will not suffer or end even with the source material’s closure. During The Walking Dead Hall H panel at Comic-Con, Kirkman said that while the comics were “Rick Grimes’ story and Carl Grimes’ story,” the series “is about the world.” The longevity of the franchise is all but assured with the successful spinoff Fear the Walking Dead, the upcoming Rick Grimes movie making its way to the big screen, and more spinoffs currently in the works. As the TWD universe continues to thrive as the graphic novels say goodbye, we gathered six of the best moments of The Walking Dead comics that failed to make their way to the small screen. Spoiler warning!
Photo: Image Comics
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Walking Dead Comics
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The Governor Cuts Off Rick's Hand
The series is known for subverting huge comic book moments, and Rick losing his hand thanks to the Governor was a big one. In the series, they took Merle's hand instead and seasons later, Aaron -- who coincidentally looks a bit like the comic version of Rick -- loses his arm after suffering a serious injury.
Photo: Image Comics
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Carl Kills Human Shane
In the TV show, Rick is forced to take an increasingly unstable and murderous Shane out and his son, Carl, shoots the zombie version of Rick's old friend and partner. In the comics, the roles are reversed as Carl murders Shane by shooting him in the neck to protect his dad. Rick follows up the act by killing the reanimated Shane when he comes back from the dead.
Photo: Image Comics
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Michonne Tortures the Governor
In the comics, the Governor horrifically assaults Michonne and later, she exacts her revenge in a bloody and brutal display of vengeance. While we're glad the shocking violations against Michonne were not depicted in the series, it's hard not to enjoy her torture of the man who violated her in the source material, no matter how sadistic or shocking.
Photo: Image Comics
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Carol's Shocking Death
Melissa McBride and the writers developed Carol into one of the most beloved characters of The Walking Dead series. In the comics, Carol's character is unrecognizable compared to her small screen counterpart and ultimately meets an end we hope TV Carol never faces. In the graphic novels, Carol sadly commits suicide by allowing a zombie to bite out her throat after becoming unhinged, finding love in all the wrong places.
Photo: Image Comics
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Sophia's Relationship With Carl
In the comics, Carol's daughter never winds up dead or reanimated as a zombie in Hershel's barn. In fact, Sophia has a sweet little relationship with Carl when they're kids, one that is alive and well by the end of the final issue. The characters are happily married with a daughter of their own, but with both of them having perished in the series, that happy ending is impossible for Mr. and Mrs. Grimes.
Photo: Image Comics
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Negan vs. Alpha and The Whisperers
We know the series has diverted from the comics plenty of times throughout its run, and we haven't quite reached the point in time where Negan joins the Whisperer community. In the comics, his brief stay with the flesh-wearing group results in Negan beheading Alpha and taking her head as a gift of trust back to Rick. A version of this could still come to pass in the series as Negan remains his unpredictable self, toeing the line of subjective good and evil. But, perhaps other characters have earned the chance to take out the Whisperer leader. Namely, Carol, who owes Alpha after the death of her adopted son, Henry.
Photo: Image Comics
