The Walking Dead

It’s not easy being surprised by anything in the world of comic books.  Every month, sites like Comic Book Resources, Newsrama and Bleeding Cooling post the advance solicitations from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse and other publishers. We know that 3 months from now, what new comics will be coming, what continuing comics will get new creative teams and which comics will come to their final issue. 

 

When I was but a wee Dave-El back in the ancient times of the 1970s, I lacked any foreknowledge of any of this sort of thing. Look! There’s a new book I did not expect. Hey, someone different is drawing my favorite title. What the heck? This is the final issue of this comic book series I really liked?

 

It’s hard to imagine getting that kind of surprise today.   

 

Robert Kirkman has nearly pulled off such a surprise. 

 

Among today’s releases is The Walking Dead#193. It will be the last issue of this title.

 

Which is weird because the solicitations for Image for August and September includes info on issue #s 194 and #195.

 

What’s up with that?

 

The rumors started flitting around the internet on Monday, that a long running comic book was coming to an end and soon.

 

By the end of Monday, the rumor mill landed on The Walking Dead#193 and it was confirmed by series writer and creator Robert Kirkman and Image’s Eric Stephenson. 

 

With only 2 days warning, a series published for 15 years would be coming to an end. 

 

The Walking Dead#193 will still have a list price of $3.99 but will be a square bound issue containing a 71 page story wrapping up Kirkman’s seminal saga of the undead. 

 

I don’t read The Walking Dead but for 4 bucks for 71 pages of story, I might pick this one up.  I’m genre savvy enough about The Walking Dead to be curious to see how Kirkman brings this in for a landing.

 

This is a daring approach, eschewing the usual hype this sort of event brings. “Only 5 issues to the final issue!” “Image announces 75 variant covers for the final issue!” Stuff like that.

 

Amazing that in this modern world, we can still be surprised.