The Graveyard Shtick is not only a clever play on words, but also a column on all things “The Walking Dead,” covering both the AMC television series and the comic book. This column will often have spoilers and theories about the current and future issues and episodes so take this as a formal warning, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Typically I’d compare some comic character to their TV counterpart, point out some differences and basically exploring that butterfly effect throughout the story, but this week is different.
This week you’ll all have the pleasure about learning about arguably the most angry and volatile character in the whole Walking Dead franchise. That means a lot, as The Governor was no slouch in the violence department.
But the main difference about this character is the group he rolls around with, that group which is known as The Saviors and they are just like the Wu-Tang Clan in the way that they are nothing to… well, you know.
But enough hype, the man that all this applies to is the new big bad bully on the block for Rick Grimes to deal with, and that person goes by one name alone. Or, at least, we only know one part of it right now. Either way, it’s Negan.
Negan was one of only two characters to be mentioned by name before they were introduced in the whole series (serious brownie points for anyone who can name the other,) but the name Negan has literally been “something to fear” since about issue #98 when The Saviors first stated that who they work for is Negan, and that they all are Negan and that he flows through all of them.
When in the subsequent issues The Saviors’ demeanor has certainly calmed down from the first cult-like tension, the violence has not. Negan and The Saviors are responsible for two major character deaths. While you might sitting there saying, “Ah, big deal The Governor killed a baby,” keep in mind that The Governor was not nearly this deadly within his first appearances.
Also, Negan has killed two of the most beloved and impactful characters in the series, and the way he killed Glenn is easily one of the most brutal moments in the comic book’s almost decade-long history. Then, he even had the audacity to make fun of the situation as he was doing it. Now, that’s pure evil.
Negan has also done something no other villain has done in Walking Dead history. Negan has made Rick appear to lose control. Not in the mental sense of losing his mind but, rather, literally. Rick Grimes is no longer completely in control of his group of survivors.
But the most interesting thing about Negan is that he seems like he may have staying power within the series, in the way that he can be around for a very, very, very, very long time. Or can end at the next issue’s first page. He just has that sense of extreme tension. Even if Negan were to die, The Saviors seem like a much too organized group to just crumble without a leader. They have their own economy for crying out loud!
This next issue may bring the end of Negan, but I’m half hoping it doesn’t. In any case, all these questions will be answered in just a few days when Walking Dead 107 comes out just in time for Valentines Day on February 13th.