Spoilers for The Walking Dead: Deluxe #48!The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman admits that one of the biggest moments from the series, the shocking prison massacre, truly made the comic book series a mega-hit. Kirkman admitted that unexpectedly killing several characters in the issue, including Lori and Judith, was meant to catch readers off guard. The writer's goal was accomplished as the shocking moment was a total surprise and led to increased sales in the series.
The Walking Dead is one of the most popular comic books and television series of all time, as Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard expertly crafted a story about surviving in a zombie apocalypse where the undead weren't always the biggest threats in the world. Currently, Skybound and Image Comics are re-releasing The Walking Dead in a deluxe format, with each issue printed in color for the first time. The issues also feature Kirkman discussing some of the comic book's most iconic moments ever, including the prison massacre from The Walking Dead #48, which the writer admits was one of the biggest moments for the success of the series.
In The Walking Dead: Deluxe #48 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Dave McCaig, and Rus Wooton from Image and Skybound Comics, Kirkman discussed the prison massacre in the issue that featured multiple deaths. In the firefight/zombie attack, Patricia, Billy, Alice, Hershel, the Governor, and Lori and Judith Grimes are all killed in the chaos and calamity at the prison. Kirkman admitted that he knew he admitted to "spice things up" and keep people guessing with one of the biggest moments in the series - leading to a ton of people dying in the single issue.
The Big Prison Massacre Made The Walking Dead An Even Bigger Hit
Kirkman shared that the deadly issue was one of The Walking Dead's biggest moments, as the prison massacre led to sales of the comic jumping and "really cemented this book as something special." As Kirkman pointed out, zigging when readers expected the story to zag ended up leading to The Walking Dead's bloodiest and most shocking issue, as the deaths, especially Lori and Judith's, were something readers never would have guessed.
Lori Grimes' death at the hands of the Governor's forces during The Walking Dead's prison massacre remains an incredibly dark scene and one of the biggest moments in the entire series. Robert Kirkman decided to shake things up in a big way, resulting in an issue of The Walking Dead that confirmed the series could be not just a well-read comic but a mega-hit. The massacre made the comic even more unpredictable and proved The Walking Dead had plenty of huge moments and storylines still to tell. The prison massacre arc was a bold move that paid off big time.