“Negan Lives!” …to Save Comic Book Stores

When I saw Robert Kirkman at his solo panel during Comic-Con last year, he talked about the very slight chance that he’d return to the world of “The Walking Dead.”  He was quick to mention that it would be after everything else in his professional life had gone wrong, leaving him desperate for a comeback as a result.  If he did, however, that return would involve showing us what happened to his favorite character in the series:  The charismatically sweary and psychopathic (former) leader of the Saviors, Negan.  So when I came across a headline today stating that there would be a new “The Walking Dead” comic featuring the character, my first thought was, “Boy, that was quick!”

As it turns out, this is just going to be a one-time return for Kirkman and regular artist Charlie Adlard.  “Negan Lives!” is their way of helping out comic stores as they reopen and try to regain business after closing during the ongoing pandemic.  Not only are the creators waiving shipping fees for the comic, but they’re only making it available in comic stores.  No digital release (yet) for this comic.  So if you want it, then you’re going to have to get up and go into a comic shop to get it.  Which is something that I can see myself doing, since I honestly thought we’d seen the last of this series until now, and I’d really like to know what Negan got up to after Maggie let him live.

Why stop here, though?  What about having other creative teams get back together to deliver new issues of series that have concluded, or are just on permanent hiatus?  Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie could show us what would’ve happened if Lucifer had run away with the end of “The Wicked + The Divine.”  Tim Seely and Mike Norton would be able to fill us in on what the Amish special forces woman and her daughter were up to before they showed up in “Revival.”  Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra will give us just one.  more.  issue. of “The Manhattan Projects.”  Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera deliver an extra final issue of “Black Science” with a real mega-happy ending — Okay, I’ll stop now…