There are millions of people waiting to find out what happens in The Walking Dead Season 4, but the storyline in the comic book series is years ahead of the TV show and we're excited to see what's in store for Rick and his group of survivors in the coming months. In a recent interview, Robert Kirkman talked about the new characters we've met over the last year and teases what's coming up next.
Here's what Robert Kirkman had to say about introducing major characters like Negan and Ezekiel:
[via CBR] "I think as the timeline progresses in "The Walking Dead," it hits a point after a while where you kind of go, "I've seen Rick and his group survive and how they survive, so that makes sense. But now that they're encountering new groups or characters that have been living in this world for two or three years in the timeline, how have they survived?" The answer to that is, some unique individuals like Ezekiel and Negan and the Jesus character on the hilltop seem to have adapted to this world. You're going to see more and more characters that are bizarre and a lot stranger. These are characters that have been so affected by this world they're living in, they're vastly different from people we've met thus far.
The book has been around long enough now that we've seen a lot of normal people -- and normal people who have grown into crazy individuals or hardened individuals. Now it's kind of fun to come to characters at that point. We can just assume they've come to that point -- not having seen the growth to that point but just coming at them in this really bizarre light. In Ezekiel's case, you introduce this guy, and people go, "Wait. Who is this guy, and where does he come from, and how did he get that tiger?" [Laughs] It's just completely strange to me and way more far-fetched than anything we've seen in this book. But over time, I can start to peel back the layers and show how things exist or how tigers are still around in this world or how he caught it and taught it. It's stuff that makes sense after a while. I do like the idea of pushing the envelope and further exploring how this world is now, through characters who are pretty unique."
Here's what he had to say about the story moving away from a small group of survivors to larger communities:
"The thought behind all these pockets of civilization existing in the book is that people in this kind of a situation have realized that surviving on your own, long-term, is pretty much an impossibility. In order to survive, these people would have to group together and form communities just so they can continue to exist. That's why we're starting to see all these little pockets of civilization, and every one will have a leader or a group of leaders who are holding them together. That's what we're exploring right now."
When asked about these communities evolving "straight into armies," he teased a reveal at Image Expo in July:
"Well, maybe we'll get there. I don't know. [Laughs] Maybe you should pay attention to the news coming out of Image Expo."
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Look for more details on the future of The Walking Dead comic book series when we cover Comic-Con 2013 live from San Diego. In the meantime, catch up on our recent coverage by visiting the following links:
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