The Battle Lines Are Drawn In New Images For The Walking Dead Season 8

The zombie apocalypse has never looked so good.

Five weeks out from the show’s long-anticipated return and IGN and EW have blown the lid off The Walking Dead season 8, unveiling 31 – count ’em, 31! – high-res action shots designed to spotlight Michonne, Negan, and everyone in between.

Those characters will seemingly be put through the wringer come October, after series showrunner Scott Gimple previously warned fans that The Walking Dead‘s eighth season is poised to zip along at a brisk clip, beginning with the “explosive” premiere on October 22nd – for the record, that same episode will also go down as the show’s 100th instalment. From there, the “all-out war” involving the Kingdom, Alexandria, and the Hilltop going up against Negan and his demented Saviors will really take hold, and it’ll seemingly yield a high body count. Eek!

Here’s that gallery of all-new photos, courtesy of IGN and EW:

And though they look as though they’ve been passed through an Instagram filter, these brand new action shots are a sight to behold. Also of note, Rick and Michonne are seen fighting back-to-back in one particularly striking image, which may well explain Gimple’s promise of “really satisfying” pairings beginning to take shape in The Walking Dead‘s latest (and greatest?) stint.

As for the brewing conflict, this extract from season 8’s official synopsis really paints the picture for Rick and the gang:

Feeling powerless under Negan’s rules and demands, Rick advocated the group play along. But seeing that Negan couldn’t be reasoned with, Rick began rallying together other communities affected by the Saviors. And with the support of the Hilltop and Kingdom, they finally have enough firepower to contest the Saviors.

Clear the schedule, folks; The Walking Dead season 8 premieres via AMC on Sunday, October 22nd at 9 pm ET/PT, and it’s about to knock us all off our feet.