The Walking Dead Returns In Just 3 Months With The Major New Release Fans Have Been Waiting For

Published Aug 31, 2026, 10:03 PM EDT Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows. As The Walking Dead: Dead City continues to expand the franchise's live-action legacy, the original The Walking Dead series gets a new breath of life later this year. The television universe of The Walking Dead is currently thriving with a highly active slate of sequel series following the conclusion of the main show in 2022. Recently, The Walking Dead: Dead City premiered its highly anticipated third season on AMC and AMC+. Meanwhile, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has officially wrapped up its European travels through France and Spain, with AMC recently greenlighting a fourth and final season slated for a 2027 premiere. Other The Walking Dead sequels and spinoffs have contributed to their expansion of the franchise. Fear the Walking Dead explored the initial societal collapse in Los Angeles and the American Southwest, and the two-season limited series The Walking Dead: World Beyond delivered crucial lore details regarding the mysterious Civic Republic Military and the first generation of children raised in the post-apocalypse. Tales of the Walking Dead aired a standalone six-episode season that showcased isolated horror focused on brand-new survivors. And more recently, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live concluded with a seemingly definitive closure to Rick and Michonne's story. Although The Walking Dead franchise reached the peak of its popularity as a TV show and remains known primarily as live-action television, its true origins come from Robert Kirkman's acclaimed comic books, which still provide an entirely different experience. The Walking Dead Deluxe's Next Issues Arrive This November The Walking Dead Deluxe #148 & 149; Written By Robert Kirkman; Art By Charlie Adlard And Stefano Gaudiano; Colors By Dave McCaig Over on the comic book side of the The Walking Dead franchise, the legacy of Robert Kirkman's original black-and-white masterpiece continues after the July 2019 release of the main comic series' final chapter, issue #193. Image Comics has revisited the original story through its ongoing, bi-weekly full-color re-release series The Walking Dead Deluxe, featuring stunning colors by artist Dave McCaig and rare behind-the-scenes insights via the "Cutting Room Floor" creator commentary installments. The upcoming publication schedule for late 2026 is fully locked in, with The Walking Dead Deluxe #148 confirmed to release on November 4 and issue #149 set for release on November 18. The Walking Dead Deluxe #148 revisits the tail end of the "No Turning Back" arc, specifically the Pikes massacre. In Alexandria, Rick Grimes faces severe pushback for favoring reconnaissance over retaliation against the Whisperers, which leads him to seek reluctant guidance from Negan. Reeling from Alpha's horrific border display, the citizens of Alexandria find themselves trapped in a state of panic. The Walking Dead Deluxe #148 comes with three available covers, illustrated by David Finch, Charlie Adlard, and Scott Morse, respectively, each providing a very different take on the events surrounding this arc of the original series. The Walking Dead Deluxe Might Be A Break Before A Bigger Comic Release The Walking Dead May Not Be Slowing Down Anytime Soon The ongoing publication of The Walking Dead Deluxe could serve as a prelude to a much larger comic book release, possibly in the form of an official continuation or a direct sequel series to Robert Kirkman's original series. The full-color revival keeps the franchise alive and visually modern in the public consciousness and maintains a highly engaged comic readership while the television universe continues to dominate global audiences. Once The Walking Dead Deluxe concludes, a new bi-weekly re-release could pick up right after the original comics left off, or start a brand-new story with the same format and artists. A new comic series could continue the legacy of The Walking Dead's apocalypse with an immense wave of momentum and a smooth transition from the final pages of the deluxe edition into a new, full-color title. After all, The Walking Dead shows no signs of slowing down two decades after it began, and focusing exclusively on TV shows would mean missing out on the very comic book medium that birthed the franchise. Not to mention, a new full-color comic series could also serve as the eventual source material for a future live-action adaptation. Which arc of the original The Walking Dead series is your favorite? The Walking Dead Deluxe #146 is available October 7 from Image Comics. Issue #147 is available October 21. Issue #148 is available November 4. Issue #149 is available November 18. Created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard TV Show(s) The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Tales of the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe Cast Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lennie James Video Game(s) The Walking Dead The Game, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, OVERKILL'S The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, The Walking Dead: Destinies First TV Show The Walking Dead Latest TV Show The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live