Summary
Spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead comic book & TV seriesWhen one of the most devastating scenes fromThe Walking Deadcomic was adapted for television, AMC’s series delivered a double gutpunch to fans – an idea that originated with franchise creator Robert Kirkman. The brutal death of Glennat the hands of Neganwas also the exit for the TV version of Abraham, in one of the show’s most dramatic divergences from the comic book source material.
The Walking Dead Deluxe#91 – written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Charlie Adlard – contains a new letters page to go along with the full-color reprint of the issue. Among the stand-out bits of information from his responses is confirmation that he suggested killing of Abraham at the same time as Glenn inWalking Dead’sTV adaptation. With this change, Abraham served his greatest purpose as a character – across both mediums – while the show wasable to momentarily misdirect Glenn fans into thinking he could survive, before following through on his fate.
Walking Dead’s Ending Makes Glenn’s Death Even More Tragic
While Glenn’s death is a horrifying moment in The Walking Dead comics, the deeper tragedy is that he isn’t around to help raise his son Hershel.
Abraham’s TV Death Was Meant To Make Glenn Seem Safe –For A Moment
Abraham’s death onThe Walking Dead– while unquestionably horrific – offered a dark glimmer of hope for fans who wanted Glenn to have a different arc on the show.
Robert Kirkman has described theInvincibleanimated series as being a form of second draft, a chance at revising his original story in a new medium. In a way, the pivotal introduction of Negan toThe Walking Deadon the TV incarnation of the story offered the same opportunity, which Kirkman recognized at the time. Having Negan dispatch Abraham, along with Glenn, was a decision that amplified the emotional impact of the scene –while also serving as a brief sleight of hand, in order to make Glenn fans think he could make it out alive, before the inevitable happened.
This was a rare moment in which an adaptation proved able to preserve a key moment from its source material, while also elaborating on it in a substantial way. This is a more impressive creative feat than it might appear at first.Glenn’s comic book death inThe Walking Dead#100was a major shock, and a significant turning point for the series. In the lead up to Negan’s introduction on the AMC TV series, there was a great deal of anticipation in regard to how the show would handle the scene.
To what could have been a potential problem, Robert Kirkman offered an elegant – if gruesome – solution. As he wrote in the letters section ofThe Walking Dead Deluxe#91:
Is it okay to say that was my pitch? I wanted to give the audience a sense of safety. I wanted Glenn fans to have a moment of, “Oh, whew! They’re not killing Glenn!” Only to be shocked very soon after. The goal was to make a death you should be expecting if you’re a comic book fan, still surprising. For better or for worse…it succeeded in that!
In this sense, Abraham’s death onThe Walking Dead– while unquestionably horrific – offered a dark glimmer of hope for fans who wanted Glenn tohave a different arc on the show. Then, mere moments later, the tragedy of his death essentially felt like the first time all over again.
The TV version of Negan, played by Jeffery Dean Morgan, first appeared in “Last Day on Earth,” the Season Six finale ofThe Walking Dead. The episode ended with the “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” scene and Negan swinging his bat, but left the identity of his victim as a cliffhanger. The Season Seven premiere, chillingly entitled “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be,” included the deaths of both Abraham and Glenn.
It Served A Greater Narrative Purpose
When Negan “randomly” selected Abraham to die, it was a shock, but it also represented a logical revised endpoint for the character.
Though it is overshadowed by Glenn’s death inThe Walking Dead#100, Abraham’s comic book demise was shocking in its own right. Occurring just a few issues before Glenn’s own violent end, Abraham exited the series after the character was shot through the eye with an arrow by the Savior Dwight, bringing an abrupt end to the Abraham-Rosita-Eugene love triangle. As a result, when the AMC’s TV adaptation of the series began to introduce the Saviors as an escalating threat, comic readers were on edge waiting forAbraham’s death nearly as much as Glenn’s.
That is to say,this was just another level of anticipation that the series expertly played into with its adaptation of Glenn’s death.When Abraham made it as far as Negan’s introductory scene, fans might have believedhis character trajectory had been alteredenough to ensure his survival – while, accordingly, he also made the most natural, most fitting choice for a substitute if the series was going to keep Glenn alive. When Negan “randomly” selected Abraham to die, it was a shock, but it also represented a logical revised endpoint for the character.
A Powerful Revision
While the series could have opted to spare Glenn at this moment, an exceptional adaptation choice such as this one is a rare achievement, and was with little doubt the right decision forThe Walking Dead.
Abraham’s death was violent enough, and would have been a suitable substitute for Glenn’s death in the comic. The true brutality of the TV version of the scene – and that is, the brutality of the series' creator, including Robert Kirkman, who helped craft the adaptation of the pivotal moment – came when the show extended it. In another shrewd creative choice, TV-only character Daryl attacked Negan, and in turn the villain’s retaliation was the comic-accurate murder of Glenn. For Glenn fans,this represented an immeasurable compounding of their grief at the loss of the character.
While the series could have opted to spare Glenn at this moment, an exceptional adaptation choice such as this one is a rare achievement, and was with little doubt theright decision forThe Walking Dead. It elevated Abraham’s death to a level of greater prominence, while managing to preserve the shock of the moment, and in fact extending it on multiple levels.Robert Kirkman should certainly not be shyabout taking credit for the idea for the scene, as it is one of his most astute creative choices.
At The Cost Of Abraham’s Life
Glenn and Abraham’s death scene fromThe Walking Deadoffers a blueprint for how to retain the integrity of the original’s purpose, intent, and effect, while still making changes that are relevant to the story in its new medium.
American popular culture in general – and in particular, the film, television, and comic book industries – are built on a foundation of iterative, adaptive work. That is, Adaptations, remakes, and sequels are essential to the perpetuation of pop culture. The success ofThe Walking Deadon the page, and then its massive appeal on television, are culturally relevant for a number of reasons, but on a creative level, the exchange between mediums is the franchise’s most fascinating aspect, one that continues to be scrutinized by legions of fans.
The death of Glenn is one of the most important moments in the comic, and it was transposed to the TV screen in one of the most dynamic, exciting ways that a comic book adaptation has produced. The final result was the result of something like a creative high-wire act, as Robert Kirkman,Walking Deadshowrunner Scott Gimple, and their creative collaboratorssought to preserve more than just the plot details of the original story, but also its feeling and the emotional impact.
As Robert Kirkman wroteinThe Walking Dead Deluxe#93, “it succeeded in that.” Just as it was in its original comic book form, the TV version of the scene remains among the most emotionally charged, narratively rewarding moments inThe Walking Dead. For anyone seeking to adapt a piece of fiction across mediums, Glenn and Abraham’s death scene fromThe Walking Deadoffers a blueprint for how to retain the integrity of the original’s purpose, intent, and effect, while still making changes that are relevant to the story in its new medium.
The Walking Dead
Cast
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on August 04, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
