Yes, you read that right. Despite the conclusion of The Walking Dead comic series and Rick Grimes’ death in its penultimate issue, the beloved character is returning in a new book from creator Robert Kirkman and this time, he’ll be battling extraterrestrials alongside the undead. I promise you, this is a real thing.
Skybound XÂ is an upcoming anthology comic from Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment. It’ll feature various stories every issue, but the highlight has to be Rick Grimes 2000. TWDÂ fans will remember the wild non-canon back-up strip in issue #75, which saw Rick wake up from his coma to find himself facing a planet-wide alien invasion. This one-off joke is now being fleshed out in Rick Grimes 2000, which explores what happened next.
The storyline will unfold across all five issues of Skybound X and the cover for the opening outing promises something unmissable, as it showcases a bloody, fierce-looking Rick ready to take on some space invaders with the aid of a lightsaber – well, a lightsaber in all but name. And you thought Negan with Lucille was tough.
Rick Grimes 2000 won’t be the only TWD treat available in the comic, though, as there’ll also be some canonical content to come, too. One strip will star Clementine, the fan favorite heroine from Telltale’s Walking Dead video game. Other segments, meanwhile, will spotlight characters from elsewhere in Skybound’s extensive catalog, including Science Dog and Murder Falcon.
Kirkman brought the series to a surprise close with its 193rd issue back in summer 2019, but last year he returned to the universe to pen one-off special Negan Lives. The stories set to feature in Skybound X appear to promise that we can expect him to return to the well every now and then, which is great news for fans.
Skybound X #1 is all set to be released on July 7th. The Walking Dead heads back to TV, meanwhile, for its eleventh and final season this fall.
