CREDIT: AMC STUDIOS
Which comic favourites will make appearance in The Walking Dead's upcoming season?

Major comic spoilers/minor show speculation

For over 10 years, The Walking Dead has been at the forefront of the zombie genre’s catapult to mainstream success. The landmark 150th issue of the comic book printed last week and the final episodes of the sixth season are airing in a month.

The story is quickly approaching some incredible climaxes, revelations and new characters that will keep the post-apocalyptic epic going for a further decade.

When the show returns in February, there will be just eight episodes remaining in this season. There have been a number of significant casting announcements that are still due to appear before they come to a conclusion. These four have been driving the comics for the last five years, and, if their television counterparts play out similarly, will follow suit in the years to come.

Dwight (Austin Amelio)

Ok I’ll admit, I’m cheating a little bit on this one because Dwight has already appeared on the show, in season six episode six. Austin Amelio plays him, though the appearance was in a form that comic readers had never seen before.

In the original story, Dwight appeared on scene by putting a crossbow bolt through the eye of Sgt. Abraham Ford, representing the Saviors and their mysterious leader Negan. The crossbow marksman with the half burned face would be a significant player in the major conflicts to come, with his often horrid acts masking his equally sympathetic motives.

His introduction in the show was hugely different, though might have planted some seeds of the character readers are familiar with. Capturing an isolated Daryl while fleeing an unnamed group, he was accompanied by his wife Honey and a sister. He would eventually steal his crossbow, thus gaining his signature weapon, and robbing Daryl of his. His marital status and whole face are two of the major changes from the source material, and it remains to be seen if he ends Abraham’s life on the show as well.

Paul ‘Jesus’ Monroe (Tom Payne)

One of my favourite characters from the comics, Paul ‘Jesus’ Monroe is the closest thing that the comic series has to Superman. An expert hand to hand combatant and, when necessary, escape artist, he earned his nickname due to his heroism and uncanny resemblance to the traditional depiction of the biblical figure.

The man that will eventually unite the Alexandria colony with other settlements of survivors, in the comics he has been a key player and close ally to Rick Grimes and company.

Recently confirmed to appear this season, British actor Tom Payne seems to have nailed the look of his first comic book appearance in leaked set photos. Fans will have to wait and see if the television portrayal can reach the fan-favourite status that his comic book counterpart has carved him over the last half-decade.

Gregory (Xander Berkley)

Nobody likes Gregory. When introduced in the comics, he is the leader of the Hilltop community, and quickly shows his true colours. Gregory is pompous, cowardly and if certain lines from the comics are interpreted correctly, kind of a creep toward the settlement’s women. He would eventually try to sell out Rick’s alliance to Negan, after letting his people live under the dictator’s thumb for months.

Though he may not come across as such a pompous ass in the show, largely due to the severe look of Xander Berkley, it is likely that he will remain in his semi-antagonistic role. The shorter life expectancy of television characters may see his story sped up from his relatively lengthy life in the comics.

Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)

The big bad, the best villain and easily the most entertaining character to grace the pages of The Walking Dead, Negan is the leader of the Saviors, and will become a greater threat to Rick’s group than anything they’ve faced yet.

Originally considered a sort of ‘boogeyman’ used by the group to intimidate the various survivor colonies, he confirmed his existence in the most brutal fashion imaginable, capturing Rick and company and graphically beating long lasting character Glenn to death in front of his wife and friends. This would lead to a costly war between Rick’s alliance and his Saviors, one that would see heavy losses on either side.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s selection to play the villain is a spot on piece of casting, with the former Watchmen actor possessing the right amount of intelligence, charisma and physical intimidation needed to bring this over the top killer to life.

This will be especially important with the character likely to be robbed of one of his most beloved character traits due to AMC’s cable status, his joyful, flagrant use of the word ‘fuck’, which he has uttered in some variation over 450 times in his 48 issue lifespan thus far.