The Walking Dead comic, source for long-running show, ends abruptly

All good things must come to an end, but who knew that this ending would come via such a screeching halt? That is nonetheless what is happening this week with The Walking Dead comic, an institution that inspired the hit AMC show and all of its various offshoots. This is the most stunning entertainment-related news of the week, especially since issue #193 of the comic was so close to 200 and there was no advance warning that the work was winding down.

So why conclude at such a weird number, and without allowing some of your diehard fans to prepare for the end? As you can probably imagine, this is all based on what Kirkman wanted and what he thought was best for his work. In this final pages of this issue (via THR), he related his decision to end the story to what happens when you reach the end of a movie or TV show:

“I hate knowing what’s coming … As a fan, I hate it when I realize I’m in the third act of a movie and the story is winding down. I hate that I can count commercial breaks and know I’m nearing the end of a TV show. I hate that you can feel when you’re getting to the end of a book, or a graphic novel. Some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones are when they’re structured in such a way and paced to perfection so your brain can’t tell if it’s been watching for 15 minutes or 50 minutes … and when the end comes … you’re stunned.”

For more video discussion on Fear the Walking Dead, check out what we have in the video below! Once you do that, be sure to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube and also view our official playlist.

Is Kirkman right to think this way?

Here’s the thing — The Walking Dead is his own creation and he can do with it whatever he wants. Meanwhile, we’re still allowed to feel however we’re going to feel, and that includes feeling as though ending the comics this way is a major bummer to all who loved them and would prefer a little more time to say goodbye. These are great characters and an iconic world and this is going to make viewers immediately concerned for the future of the show. Could The Walking Dead conclude in as similar a fashion? While it’s rare for a TV show to have a previously-unannounced series finale, it happened with Penny Dreadful and the AMC show may now think that it’s somehow needed to stay true to the original vision.

What’s next for this TV franchise?

The Rick Grimes movies are the top story still in our mind, especially given what we learned about the helicopter on this past Fear the Walking Dead. You can read more about that over here.

What do you think about The Walking Dead ending, and what do you think this means in terms of the TV show? Be sure to share below. (Photo: AMC.)

This article was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.