The Walking Dead writer and co-creator Robert Kirkman has confirmed a sneaky connection 15 years in the making between the Image Comics series' first collected edition from 2004 -- Days Gone Bye -- and its final one from 2019 -- Rest In Peace.
The covers of the various collected volumes of The Walking Dead all feature a group of zombies walking towards the viewer in the foreground, with each cover connecting to the last to create one massive horde of the undead -- as one fan pointed out in a Twitter thread discussing connecting covers in comics. This prompted another fan to look at their copy of The Walking Dead Vol. 32 to see if it connected back to Vol. 1 to bring the piece full circle. Sure enough, it did, creating what the fan describes as "an endless zombie loop spanning 15 years of art."
The Walking Dead's creator himself commented on the discovery, quote-tweeting the post. "You may actually be the first to notice this," Kirkman wrote. "I was always wondering when someone would. Nice work!"
Created by Kirkman alongside artist Tony Moore, The Walking Dead released its very first issue in October of 2003. The first trade paperback, Days Gone Bye -- which collects the series' first six issues -- hit shelves several months later in May of 2004. The Walking Dead officially came to an end in July of 2019 with the release of issue #193 by Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. The final TPB, Rest In Peace -- collecting the series' last seven issues -- arrived one month later in August.
Of course, Kirkman, Moore and Adlard's The Walking Dead inspired the television series of the same name, which premiered on AMC in 2010. AMC's The Walking Dead is currently in the midst of a hiatus brought about by the current real-life global health crisis, with the series officially set to return for its Season 10 finale in October, followed by bonus Season 10 episodes next year. TWD has already been renewed for Season 11.