The Walking Dead: Who Is Spoiler?

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead #127, in stores today.

After months of asking "Who is the mystery woman on the cover of The Walking Dead #127?", we can finally start to ask "Who is Spoiler?" The character, introduced in today's issue of Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard's long-running survival horror series, seems to be a new point-of-view character; someone who is more or less on the same level as the readers and so, through whom we can learn about the new, post-"All-Out War" status quo.

When Rick Grimes woke up in the hospital all the way back in The Walking Dead #1, the world he found when he woke up was very different from the one readers know in the real world. Establishing the ground rules of that world and setting up its major conflicts fell to Grimes, our lead character, and then once the readers and Rick discovered the nature of the world together, the bonds of that relationship was formed and following him even once we were acclimated to a world where zombies roaming the earth made sense. So, too, is Spoiler starting today's issue on the same level as the readers: she knows the world of The Walking Dead, the ground rules and the way the walkers function. Update: Background details on what the mysterious new woman does in the comics removed at request of Image Comics. The comic is available in comic book shops now. It's an issue not to be missed, as this new character is introduced. Ultimately, who is Spoiler? Whether she's the new lead character or not (it's unlikely since Kirkman has always said this is a story about Rick and Carl), she appears to be the "new Rick" in that she's a reluctant leader, a thoughtful survivor and somebody who will provide readers with a point-of-view character into a jarring new world.