MAJOR Spoilers.
The Walking Dead comic book series has been lauded for depicting such a fantastical concept as a zombie apocalypse, with an unparalleled sense of realism. The comic pushes each character to their moral limit, with many lose-lose situations peppering the Rick and the gang’s path. This is why the AMC version works so well. The show is less about the undead, and more about humanity — if it can exist when the confines of civilization deteriorate.
With the midseason premiere of TWD on its way, the folks over at Uproxx gave a run down of the many comic characters that are or should be coming to the series soon.
Paul “Jesus” Monroe
Paul Monroe has been cast (being played Tom Payne) and will appear sometime during the second half of season six. Paul’s nickname is Jesus due to his long flowing hair and grizzly beard, and he plays the role of Rick’s right-hand in the comic series to the same effect of Daryl is in the show. Paul who’s a gay, zombie-killing, hand-to-hand specialist — sometimes even foot-to-hand such as the time in the comic book he successfully fought a horde of zombies with his hands behind his back to win Rick’s trust. Via THR:
The character was first introduced in issue 91 of the comics. He is a resident at the Alexandria Safe-Zone who moved to the community from another group called the Hilltop Colony. The character is a rare logical man and skilled adviser with a strong sense of morals and values who is well-adapted to the new world.
Negan
If you thought The Governor (as portrayed by David Morrissey) was a sick twisted S.O.B., then you’re in for a surprise. Negan has been cast (portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and is widely known by fans of the comic as the most sinister and ferocious of all the characters in the series, and leader of the sadistic group The Saviors. Andrew Lincoln who plays Rick spoke about him to TVInsider :
The Governor was magnificent and David did a beautiful job playing him but Negan is horrific … He is this incredible tyrant and this very charismatic, funny, brutal beyond words sociopath. I’m interested in the relationship between Negan and Carl and Carl and Rick. There’s a very complicated, extraordinary psychology between those characters. I’m just thrilled that we are getting to a place where it feels very deep, dark, thrilling and dangerous.
Dwight
Remember that trio, two women and a dude, that Daryl runs into during the “Always Accountable” episode? Well the dude that ultimately took Daryl’s beloved crossbow and motorcycle was Dwight — one of Negan’s top enforcers. He’s also responsible for killing Abraham in the comic. That’s not necessarily a cause of concern as he different looks (he has a burned face in print) and behaves different from his comic book counterpart. Also, his partner Honey (one of the two women) doesn’t appear in the comic at all. So worry not, for now.
Ezekiel & Shiva
Ezekiel is the leader of a community called “The Kingdom”. Ezekiel is treated like royalty by his followers, who actually ride horses and wear makeshit suits of armor. His goal is to destroy Negan and The Saviors. According to Inquisitr:
In the comics, Ezekiel is the leader of a group called The Kingdom and he lives to see the day in which Negan and the Saviors are destroyed. The two survivor communities are already at war before Rick’s group enters the scene, but Ezekiel allies with Rick in order to bring Negan down.
Ezekiel is also frequently flanked by a companion. That companion is a tiger named Shiva. Ezekiel was a zookeeper before the zombie apocalypse and saved Shiva creating an unwavering bond between the two. Now we know what you’re thinking, “AMC is not going add a zombie-eating-tiger to the series.” Well….(via ComicBook):
It’s not something I really think about. I just want to do something cool comic-wise. I’m like, ‘It would be awesome if there was a guy that had a pet tiger.’ Seeing a tiger eating zombies and stuff. But I think we can do a tiger on the show. Game of Thrones has people fighting bears in arenas, so I think we can do some tiger stuff.
The Walking Dead midseason premiere airs on Valentine’s Day, February 14 on AMC.
