The Walking Dead: Why Michael Cudlitz Claims Abraham's TV Death Is Better Than The Comic

08/07/2017 12:05 pm EDT

Actors on The Walking Dead often take pride in their character's deaths, but Abraham actor Michael Cudlitz is so happy with his sendoff that he's touting it above the character's comic book counterpart.

In issue #97 of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic, an arrow slices through the back of Abraham's head and bursts through his eye. The death was handed down to Denise on the television series, providing Abraham the opportunity to meet Negan and become a part of the unforgettable cliffhanger of "Who did Negan kill?" only to be revealed as the first victim.

At Walker Stalker Con in Tulsa, Cudlitz offered his opinion that Abraham's death was "a way better death than in the comic."

"I'm cool with it," Cudlitz said. "I knew when I came on the show that they were making a very strong effort to go back to the narrative of the comic. So, that's why when Abraham and Rosita and Eugene come on screen and it's pretty much the duplication of the cover of the comic when they arrive, that's sort of a signal to the comic book and that we're going back a little closer to it than we had. We still have to deal with all the things that we're done prior with characters that had been taken out that hadn't been taken out in the comics so there's only a certain amount we can stick to it."

"Based on how the show was going through the comics in connection with the show, I knew I had probably about two years on the show before we came to where Abraham's death was in the graphic novels," Cudlitz continued. "I wound up getting almost a full three. Half of Season 4, all of 5, all of 6, and bookend with 7. I was good with it. I like the way they took him out. I like how it launches the next bits of story and how his death affected everyone there and the impact that it had. I think it's a way better death than in the comic."

Fear the Walking Dead returns September 10th. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season on October 22, 2017. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

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