Renowned comic book writer Robert Kirkman, co-creator of The Walking Dead, reveals that there may be a prequel in the works in the form of a graphic novel focused on none other than Shane.
According to ScreenRant, Kirkman admits that he occasionally toys with the idea of creating a spin-off following Shane Walsh, Lori Grimes, and her son Carl.
“There is an original graphic novel I actually started writing that would be The Walking Dead, Volume 0. It would take place before volume one and be about Lori, Shane, and Carl getting to Atlanta […] There are some interesting moments in that time that I thought might be good to show.”
In the annals of apocalyptic narratives, few have captured the collective imagination as tenaciously as The Walking Dead. Shane played a significant part in the enticing nature of the story in the early going. His underhanded mate-poaching treachery is a defining part of his complex character. He repeatedly back-stabbed his best friend Rick Grimes by selfishly engaging in an affair with his wife, Lori. When Rick becomes comatose, Shane seizes the opportunity to cruelly abandon him and steal away to Atlanta with his wife and son. However, Rick recovers from certain doom and catches up with the trio.
There’s no doubt that exploring Shane’s background and motives in a prequel would be compelling for any fan of The Walking Dead franchise. His aggression toward Rick was striking. It may have been overshadowed by the nail-biting zombie carnage, but the question of why he turned on his best friend so ruthlessly has been left unanswered for too long.
Kirkman was quick to underscore that he is not currently developing the prequel, although he did hint that it is something he might do so at a future date.