With the eleventh season on the horizon for The Walking Dead, the end is near for this long-running horror TV series. For a long time, the show had adapted nearly identical plotlines to the comics, before changing quite a lot and only adapting the core outlines.
Since the conclusion is almost here, fans should become aware of what to expect. These are the issues that largely follow the storylines that the show will likely feature. Alongside these are the issues that deserve a reading since they offer a different angle to things the TV series has featured. To be clear, these aren’t necessarily the best comics, but those that will most interest fans of the TV show due to the plotlines they cover.
10 Issue 175 — Debut Of The Commonwealth
This is the natural starting point for those who’ve left things off in Season 10, with the Commonwealth making its debut in this issue. Although the entire community isn’t shown, enough is portrayed of the Commonwealth for readers to get a general idea.
The revelation of Michonne finding out her daughter is in the community is the biggest twist, ushering her final arc in the series. The issue also plants the seeds of the vanity that the members of the Commonwealth display which is a vital point for the future.
9 Issue 186 - Dwight Fears Pamela Will Become The Next Negan
In this issue, Dwight becomes delusional that Pamela Milton will grow in her lust for power and become what Negan once was. Meanwhile, Rick and Michonne attempt to calm the situation but find that Dwight has no plans to let Pamela live.
The TV series will have to substitute all the characters shown here since they’ve all exited the show, but this story will be very interesting to see if it is adapted. The issue is fraught with tension as the Commonwealth’s truth slowly keeps surfacing.
8 Here's Negan — Delving Into The Antagonist's Backstory
More than a few fans are convinced that Negan was the real good guy in the series. In order to humanize him to an extent, this volume was released that provides Negan’s backstory. The TV series will also be diving into this, so checking out the comic is a good way to prepare for it.
Here’s Negan doesn’t shy away from showing Negan’s corruption into the Saviors’ leader, although there are genuine moments where he comes across as more human than one might have expected him to be.
7 Issue 166 — Aftermath Of Whisperer Attacks
There’s no doubt that Negan is considered the best villain, but there are other alternatives as well. Sherry, Negan’s former wife, took over the Saviors and began plotting against Rick, to the point where she grew to despise him for some reason.
This issue deals with the fallout from the Whisperers’ attacks, with Sherry moving the Saviors in to take over the weakened community. It features a memorable encounter between Rick and Sherry, which will be cathartic for the ones that had invested in the Saviors storyline.
6 Issue 167 — The End Of Rick & Andrea's Relationship
Those who follow the comics will find out just how worse Rick’s life kept getting. In this issue, his longtime romantic interest Andrea suffered her fate. After having been bitten by a walker, the story here deals with Rick and Andrea coming to terms with her incoming demise.
There’s no action to be found, rather an introspective look into what love is like during the apocalypse and how Rick and Andrea had managed to make their relationship work. The ending is a definite tearjerker to which the issue builds towards.
5 Issue 192 — Rick Meets His Definitive End
The penultimate issue from the comics, this one deals with the impact of Rick’s demise at the hands of Sebastian Milton. The opening itself is a heart-thumping affair, as Rick’s fate is left ambiguous until Carl comes across his father reanimated as a walker.
It’s less likely that the TV series will go this route since the major characters aren’t around anymore, but fans should check out how the protagonist of the franchise met his definitive end and how Carl was forced to grow up by way of putting down his own father.
4 Issue 162 — Beta's Attack On Alexandra
The adaptation of this story was shown in Season 10 of The Walking Dead, but the execution was far blander compared to the comics. Beta was a much smarter character in the source material, so it’s worth taking a look at his attack on Alexandra in this issue.
The stakes are far higher as well, with some major characters meeting their ends at the hands of the walkers and the Whisperers. It doesn’t end on a definitive resolution, but that’s what leaves a lasting impression once the story ends.
3 Issue 176 - The Commonwealth's True Nature Is Revealed
The Commonwealth is shown in full in this issue, with Pamela Milton’s first appearance showing how the community thrived in the apocalypse. It’s not all good news, though, as the corruption that runs through the Commonwealth is clear to see as well.
The issue does present a heartwarming conclusion, as Michonne is reunited with her now-grown-up daughter in what is one of the few pure happy moments The Walking Dead has delivered. The TV series will likely be adapting the Commonwealth’s negative attributes from this story.
2 Issue 126 — The Final Clash Of Rick & Negan
Although the end of the Saviors war has played out in the TV series for years by now, the darker version of the comics is certainly worth a read. The show toned down on a lot of aspects of this story, which has the effect of making the comic book feel something new.
It’s also the moment that comic book fans had been waiting for years by this point, meaning the final clash between Rick and Negan carried a lot of hype that was delivered in high octane fashion.
1 Issue 193 — 25-Year Flash Forward From Carl's POV
With the announcement of spin-offs to follow the conclusion of The Walking Dead, the core TV series has a very slim chance of following through with what happened in the comics. This makes the ending its separate story, one that leaves out just enough material for fans to interpret their own conclusions.
The final issue shows the far future of the series, skipping as ahead to 25 years from where the original chronology was. With the adult Carl being the point of view character, every major survivor’s fate is shown and how Rick Grimes helped shape the future to what it ended up becoming.
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