Some fans of The Walking Dead have speculated that Michonne's son could somehow still be alive, however, this isn't the case, as his death has been confirmed by the creator of the comic book and TV series, Robert Kirkman. Rumors of his survival were fueled by the fact that Michonne's daughter recently emerged in the comic book version of the story.

In the season 4 episode, "After", we meet Michonne's husband, Mike, and their three-year-old son, Andre, in a dream sequence. The three lived together in an apartment before the apocalypse. Michonne later explains to Carl that Andre was killed by zombies. Apparently, she was out on a supply run and Mike was too high on drugs to properly look after his son. His death, of course, had a tremendous impact on Michonne, and was an important factor in her mental state when she first joined the series. At one point, Michonne was seen crying about him while holding Rick's infant daughter, Judith.

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In answer to a fan question, Robert Kirkman confirmed in the letters section of Walking Dead #177 that Andre is indeed dead. There was some speculation from fans over the character's fate due to the fact that Michonne's daughter, Elodie, was revealed to be alive in the comic book series' current arc, "New World Order." However, Kirkman points out that the comics and the TV series aren't the same:

TV show Michonne had one son, confirmed to be dead. Comic book Michonne had two daughters THOUGHT to be dead.

Kirkman goes on to say that Elodie is already becoming a fan-favorite character. Elodie is a member of the latest community to be introduced in the comic, the Commonwealth. Unlike Andre, Elodie was separated from Michonne during the outbreak. It's unclear at this point how she survived, or how she made it to the Commonwealth. News of her survival instantly made fans wonder if the TV series could pull something similar with Andre. Kirkman's comments confirm that such a reveal is not in the cards.

This news isn't too surprising considering that Michonne's explanation of Andre's death didn't leave much room for doubt, which would make it difficult to write him back into the story. It's also become increasingly clear that the TV series isn't trying to be a perfectly faithful adaptation of the comic book. The TV version hasn't hesitated to kill off major characters like Carl, who is still alive in the comics. The TV series has also been known to take different directions with character development, such as Eugene's decision to join up with Negan instead of remaining with Rick.

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Season 8 of The Walking Dead continues Sunday, March 11 on AMC.

Source: Walking Dead #177 [via Comic Book]