The Walking Dead #98
The Walking Dead #98 is the pivot point that transforms the 'Something to Fear' arc from a slow build into a genuine gut-punch. By delivering the sudden, crossbow-bolt death of Abraham Ford — a fan-favorite who had been with the series for years — Robert Kirkman demonstrated, once again, that no character was truly safe, and that the Saviors were not just another obstacle but an existential force. The issue also marks the first appearance of Dwight, a Savior lieutenant who would become one of the most morally complex supporting characters in the entire run, eventually defecting to Rick's side and reshaping the war against Negan. Together, these two narrative beats — a shocking, irreversible loss and a crucial new introduction — made #98 essential connective tissue on the road to the landmark hundredth issue.
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Written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Charlie Adlard — with gray-tone work by Cliff Rathburn, lettering by Rus Wooton, and editing by Sina Grace — the issue shipped to retailers on May 30, 2012, the same month as #97, part of an accelerated release schedule Image used to build momentum toward #100. Kirkman has since revealed in his 'Cutting Room Floor' annotations (reprinted in The Walking Dead Deluxe #98, October 2024) that Abraham's death was entirely unplanned: his original plot called for a firefight in which Abraham and Eugene simply retreated to Alexandria unharmed, but while writing the issue he decided that outcome was too uneventful, had no long-term story use for Abraham, and — crucially — confirmed Abraham did not appear on any already-drawn upcoming covers, making him 'killable' on the spot. The second printing of the issue featured a new Charlie Adlard cover whose design connects with the second-print covers of issues #99–103 to form a single panoramic image of Negan holding Lucille.
Trivia · 9 facts
- First appearance of Dwight, a scarred Savior lieutenant who kills Abraham with a crossbow bolt and later becomes a pivotal ally of Rick Grimes in the war against Negan.
- Death of Abraham Ford: shot through the right eye with a crossbow bolt on only the second page of the issue — an abrupt, unannounced end to one of the series' longest-running supporting characters.
- Part 2 of the six-chapter 'Something to Fear' story arc (Volume 17), written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Charlie Adlard.
- Published May 30, 2012, by Image Comics/Skybound; the issue shipped in the same calendar month as #97 as part of an accelerated publishing push toward the milestone #100.
- Abraham's death was a last-minute, in-process decision by Kirkman — he had zero prior plans to kill the character and made the call while plotting the issue itself, as confirmed in his own published annotations.
- The issue received a second printing featuring a new Charlie Adlard cover that, when lined up with the second-print covers of issues #99 through #103, forms a single connecting image of Negan holding Lucille.
- The events of this issue were loosely adapted in the AMC television series Season 6 episode 'Twice as Far,' with the key difference that Denise Cloyd — not Abraham — is the character killed by the arrow.
- Reprinted in full color for the first time in The Walking Dead Deluxe #98 (October 2, 2024), which also includes new creator commentary and 'Cutting Room Floor' production notes by Kirkman.
- For the Walking Dead 15th Anniversary in 2018, Image issued blind-bag reprint variants of #98 with new cover art by Wes Craig, including a rare 1-in-100 'secret' variant.
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Reprints
Reprinted in The Walking Dead #17 (2012), Walking Dead #17 (2013), The Walking Dead #9 (2013), The Walking Dead #98 15th Anniversary #98 (2018), The Walking Dead Deluxe #98 (2024), The Walking Dead Deluxe #98 (2024)
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