NEGAN LIVES in Special WALKING DEAD Issue

It’s no secret that comic book shops have had a rough go of it during the COVID crisis. From distribution being temporarily shut down, to people sheltering in place, to figuring out curb-side pick up or delivery, it hasn’t been easy. Well, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard wanted to see if they could do something for the shops. Turns out there’s this character named Negan and there might be some story left to tell there…

We’re very proud to announce that NEGAN LIVES #1, a special one-shot that catches us up with everyone’s favorite villain, will be hitting your local comic shops (and ONLY your local comic shops) this July 1st! “While Charlie Adlard and I had laid the series to rest, this felt like something special we could do for the store owners who made our series a success to begin with,” says Robert (more from him below).

July 1st is also the release day of the FIRE POWER Prelude OGN and the promotional version of the subsequent first issue! It’s going to be a very Skybound day. Please, please call your local comic book shop TODAY to ask about these titles. Keep reading for more info from Image Comics.

THE WALKING DEAD WILL RISE AGAIN IN SPECIAL NEGAN LIVES #1 STORY THIS JULY

The surprise one-shot from Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard aims at generating new excitement for comic shops recovering from the COVID-19 crisis

PORTLAND, Ore. [6.18.2020] — The New York Times bestselling, award winning creative team behind The Walking Dead phenomenon—Robert Kirkman (Fire Power, Oblivion Song) and Charlie Adlard (Vampire State Building)—returns to the beloved series for a surprise one-shot story, Negan Lives #1, which will arrive in stores this July.

This shipment arriving in July will be without financial burden to receiving retailers—with no freight cost for them to worry about. “I’ve been inspired by Steve Geppi and Diamond’s efforts to shine a light on how essential the Direct Market is to our beloved industry with their #backthecomeback campaign,” said Kirkman. “While Charlie Adlard and I had laid the series to rest, this felt like something special we could do for the store owners who made our series a success to begin with. To that end, I’m happy to report that 100% of the revenue generated from this book will go to the stores selling it. The retailer community does backbreaking work to get comics into the hands of our loving fans, we should all be doing more in these trying times to show them how appreciated they are.”

Negan Lives #1 will not be available digitally and will be available exclusively at comic book shops. Fans interested in ordering a copy can find the comics store closest to them on Local Comic Shop locator. Many comic book shops are fulfilling orders online and via curbside pickup.

Spurned by a slowly rebuilding society, Negan lives a life of desperate isolation… or does he? In the tradition of Here’s Negan, this all-new story in Negan Lives #1 gives readers a glimpse into what has happened to one The Walking Dead‘s most popular characters in the time since his last appearance in The Walking Dead #174.

As long-time readers of the post-apocalyptic survival series will recall, The Walking Dead #174 proved to be a pivotal point for Negan, as he was tracked down and confronted by a vengeful Maggie, still heartbroken and furious over the murder of her husband, Glenn, in The Walking Dead #100.

Negan Lives #1 (Diamond Code MAR208199) is a 36-page, black and white comic book, available exclusively at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 1. There are extremely rare Gold (Diamond Code MAR208201) and Silver (Diamond Code MAR208200) foil variants of Negan Lives #1 in limited quantities, inquire with your local comic shop for availability and further details.

Negan Lives #1 hits comic book shops on the same day as the Fire Power, Vol. 1: Prelude original graphic novel and the FCBD Fire Power #1 free promotional comic, both by Kirkman and co-creator/artist Chris Samnee.