A Major Walking Dead Death Was a Last-Minute Change
The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman reveals alternate plans for Abraham's death.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Deluxe #98. Whether it's an arrow through the eye or a baseball bat to the skull, death often blindsides the characters of The Walking Dead. On the television show, it was Denise (Merritt Wever) who took the crossbow-fired bolt that Dwight (Austin Amelio) intended for Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), and Abe was first at bat before Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) gave Glenn (Steven Yeun) the same fate as his comic counterpart. And like Glenn, who narrowly escaped death issues earlier at the whim of creator Robert Kirkman, Abraham almost made it out of his death issue alive. Almost.
The Walking Dead issue #98, originally published in 2012, sees Abraham and Eugene embark on a mission together to find equipment to manufacture ammunition amid a brewing conflict with Negan and the Saviors. After Rick's group of Carl, Andrea, Michonne, and Glenn are attacked on the road, Abraham and Eugene are ambushed by Dwight (in his first appearance).
As Abraham gives Eugene his blessing to pursue a romantic relationship with his ex, Rosita, he's suddenly shot by an arrow through the brain, and his corpse is gnawed on by walkers before Rick and Andrea retrieve Abraham's body. It's a shocking end for Abraham, and one that happened at the last minute. Despite the final page of issue #97 showing Abe and Eugene being stalked by Saviors, Kirkman had "zero plans" to have Abraham die in issue #98 before plotting the second issue of the six-part "Something to Fear" storyline.
Abraham Ford's death is printed in color for the first time in The Walking Dead Deluxe #98.
- Image Comics)"Abraham's death might be my favorite death of the series. Maybe," Kirkman writes in the "Cutting Room Floor" column in this week's Walking Dead Deluxe #98. Kirkman goes on to explain that he would often write himself into a corner, even while having general plans for arcing out the issues ahead.
"I like having as much track laid ahead of me as possible. So I'm always plotting IFs," Kirkman notes. "'If I get to issue No. 30, maybe this,' and 'if I get to issue No. 50, maybe this.' I leave myself options, so I always have some plans I can build to... but I'm careful to always leave myself room to just shoot from the hip and do whatever I want month to month, no matter how crazy the issue. This was one of those issues."
"I had ZERO plans to kill Abraham prior to writing this issue," Kirkman continues. "I wrote the final scene of issue No. 97 without any idea what would happen on page 2 of this issue. But when I sat down to do my plot breakdown ... I thought, 'Dang, this issue is kind of boring.'"
Kirkman originally plotted "a harrowing action sequence where Abraham and Eugene race back to the safety of Alexandria, and then they help fend off Dwight and his crew," he writes. "BORING. I knew I had a lot of plans for Eugene, but I started working it out and I really didn't have any big plans for Abraham, nothing far reaching, and luckily he wasn't on any already-drawn upcoming covers... so killing him seemed like the right option at the time."
Not only was Abraham killable, but his death in issue #98 "did interesting things for Holly, Rosita, Eugene, Rick, and really just led to a bunch of different story developments, always a good sign," Kirkman adds. "I loved the character, he really was one of my favorites... but you gotta break eggs to make a comic interesting."
The Walking Dead Deluxe #98, reprinting the original issue in full color for the first time, is on sale now from Image Comics. Stay tuned to ComicBook/TWD and ComicBook TWD on Facebook for more Walking Dead Universe coverage.
