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The Walking Dead (Single Issues)
The Walking Dead #49
Rick Grimes and his young son, Carl Grimes, deal with the events that occurred last issue and try to survive in a world full of zombies.
32 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
15 people are currently reading
589 people want to read
About the author
Robert Kirkman
2,778 books6,964 followersRobert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 8, 2020
Being a huge fan of the show, I wanted to see how the original writing started and how the show writers followed and deviated from the comics. My dislikes were that the comics are much more crude, crass, and unnecessarily violent. I did like the change in relationships and how people worked together differently, and the comics have a different creepiness feel than you get watching it on TV. Overall, I prefer the show, and probably will not finish out the comic book series.
February 12, 2025
Poor Carl. 😬
November 19, 2020
This is a review of the entire series.
Rick Grimes is a strong-willed deputy who missed the end of the world because he was in a coma for a month after getting shot in the line of duty. Shaken, starving and confused, Rick escapes the horror of the abandoned hospital only to be met with something far more terrible. Not only has the world ended, but the dead have learned to walk and to kill without mercy. After learning that his wife and son have fled to Atlanta from a single survivor and his son, Rick goes on a journey to reunite with his family and search for more survivors.
Rick quickly has to come to terms with the fact that the world has ended and only a select few survived. The dead have risen from their graves and they prey on the living. In a world where every minute feels like hours, where there's no such thing as law and order, where finding a small meal is a tremendous task, the walking dead are quite possibly the least threatening thing for the survivors to have on their breaking minds. Humanity is pushed to the brink of destruction, forcing them to embrace their cruel and primal nature in order to survive. Sometimes you have to be more concerned about who you let into your community so they don't kill you in your sleep and steal everything you once cared about. Rick has no choice but to abandon the ways of law and order that he's upheld as an officer for so long in order to protect the few loved ones he has left. He has to become a monster to protect his crew or risk being devoured by those who became more monstrous than him and even the walking dead.
Despite zombies running the world and having the series named after them, what really sets this series apart from the average zombie apocalypse tale is the focus on realism and the daily struggles, flaws and depth of the characters. There's plenty of badass zombie killing action, but the action often takes a back seat to give the characters plenty of times to share their extremely tragic yet endearing stories, grow through mutual suffering and learn to adapt to a world that has left them to die. Even after the world has ended, many people still can't see eye to eye. They turn on each other and kill each other when they should come together. Others form alliances in spite of their differences and try to rebuild over the corpse of everything that was lost. The daily human drama and conflict is more intense than any monster apocalypse could hope to be.
We watch Rick struggle to balance his old moral code with the many necessary evils he has to commit in order to survive and make the world a better place for the ones he holds close. We watch people like Glen, Dale and Maggie attempt to find love in spite of having every reason to be filled with fear, hate and self-loathing. Characters like Michonne have to learn how to forgive themselves and convince themselves they deserve to be loved despite all the blood on their hands. We watch the weak like Carl and Andrea become strong and sometimes the strong become evil like The Governor. Even monsters like the wicked yet oddly lovable Negan are given the chance to find new ways of redeeming themselves by struggling alongside the other survivors that have all been changed by the horrors of the fallen world.
The pacing is extremely slow and I can understand why that may be a turnoff for a lot of people, but I eventually learned to enjoy watching the characters grow, overcome their trauma, find meaning in life and learn to love again. The characters are forced to do many terrible things to survive and it haunts them every waking moment. The ways they overcome these regrets is very realistic, human and hopeful. The slow pacing really gives the feeling that we're living beside these people. The way every tiny detail of their lives and who they are is explored makes them feel very real and believable.
When I first started reading the series, I wasn't expecting it to have such an uplifting ending. It seemed so bleak and nihilistic for a long time and things would go horribly wrong even when they seemed to be going so well, but the finale channels all the pain, suffering and betrayal of the previous volumes and tops it off with a very touching and inspiring finish. This was never a story about hopelessness. It's about learning to appreciate the little things, learning to forgive yourself and learning to move on even when it's hard. When everything seems lost there's always more to be found, even when we believe otherwise because we convince ourselves that we don't deserve to be happy ever again. Instead of dwelling on what was lost, strive to try and make things better than they were before.
I've never been a huge fan of zombie apocalypse stories, but The Walking Dead had enough heart and strong social commentary to make me stick by the characters until the end and I enjoyed every moment of their long trial.
***
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Rick Grimes is a strong-willed deputy who missed the end of the world because he was in a coma for a month after getting shot in the line of duty. Shaken, starving and confused, Rick escapes the horror of the abandoned hospital only to be met with something far more terrible. Not only has the world ended, but the dead have learned to walk and to kill without mercy. After learning that his wife and son have fled to Atlanta from a single survivor and his son, Rick goes on a journey to reunite with his family and search for more survivors.
Rick quickly has to come to terms with the fact that the world has ended and only a select few survived. The dead have risen from their graves and they prey on the living. In a world where every minute feels like hours, where there's no such thing as law and order, where finding a small meal is a tremendous task, the walking dead are quite possibly the least threatening thing for the survivors to have on their breaking minds. Humanity is pushed to the brink of destruction, forcing them to embrace their cruel and primal nature in order to survive. Sometimes you have to be more concerned about who you let into your community so they don't kill you in your sleep and steal everything you once cared about. Rick has no choice but to abandon the ways of law and order that he's upheld as an officer for so long in order to protect the few loved ones he has left. He has to become a monster to protect his crew or risk being devoured by those who became more monstrous than him and even the walking dead.
Despite zombies running the world and having the series named after them, what really sets this series apart from the average zombie apocalypse tale is the focus on realism and the daily struggles, flaws and depth of the characters. There's plenty of badass zombie killing action, but the action often takes a back seat to give the characters plenty of times to share their extremely tragic yet endearing stories, grow through mutual suffering and learn to adapt to a world that has left them to die. Even after the world has ended, many people still can't see eye to eye. They turn on each other and kill each other when they should come together. Others form alliances in spite of their differences and try to rebuild over the corpse of everything that was lost. The daily human drama and conflict is more intense than any monster apocalypse could hope to be.
We watch Rick struggle to balance his old moral code with the many necessary evils he has to commit in order to survive and make the world a better place for the ones he holds close. We watch people like Glen, Dale and Maggie attempt to find love in spite of having every reason to be filled with fear, hate and self-loathing. Characters like Michonne have to learn how to forgive themselves and convince themselves they deserve to be loved despite all the blood on their hands. We watch the weak like Carl and Andrea become strong and sometimes the strong become evil like The Governor. Even monsters like the wicked yet oddly lovable Negan are given the chance to find new ways of redeeming themselves by struggling alongside the other survivors that have all been changed by the horrors of the fallen world.
The pacing is extremely slow and I can understand why that may be a turnoff for a lot of people, but I eventually learned to enjoy watching the characters grow, overcome their trauma, find meaning in life and learn to love again. The characters are forced to do many terrible things to survive and it haunts them every waking moment. The ways they overcome these regrets is very realistic, human and hopeful. The slow pacing really gives the feeling that we're living beside these people. The way every tiny detail of their lives and who they are is explored makes them feel very real and believable.
When I first started reading the series, I wasn't expecting it to have such an uplifting ending. It seemed so bleak and nihilistic for a long time and things would go horribly wrong even when they seemed to be going so well, but the finale channels all the pain, suffering and betrayal of the previous volumes and tops it off with a very touching and inspiring finish. This was never a story about hopelessness. It's about learning to appreciate the little things, learning to forgive yourself and learning to move on even when it's hard. When everything seems lost there's always more to be found, even when we believe otherwise because we convince ourselves that we don't deserve to be happy ever again. Instead of dwelling on what was lost, strive to try and make things better than they were before.
I've never been a huge fan of zombie apocalypse stories, but The Walking Dead had enough heart and strong social commentary to make me stick by the characters until the end and I enjoyed every moment of their long trial.
***
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My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
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October 26, 2024
After the brutal losses and the raw devastation of the previous issue, Issue #49 offers no comfort. The story picks up the shattered pieces, following Rick and Carl as they stumble away from the horrors of the prison. This issue plunges deeply into grief, stripping down to the bleak, vulnerable reality of survival. With only Rick and Carl left, it’s unclear if any semblance of safety or stability will ever be theirs again.
The issue opens with Michonne’s return to the prison—a ghostly, haunting setting that has lost any last vestige of sanctuary. Upon finding the decapitated head of Tyreese, reanimated and suffering even in death, Michonne silently grieves, driving her sword through it to finally put her fallen friend to rest. This moment is a somber, private farewell that highlights Michonne’s silent strength and the respect she held for her friend.
As she surveys the wreckage of Dale's RV, Michonne realizes that no one is left and that the battle she missed has wiped out almost everyone she cared about. Her discovery of footprints in the dirt offers the only clue that perhaps not everyone perished, fueling her determination to track them. But the emptiness of the prison, devoid of the family it once held, is a tragic reminder of everything that’s been lost.
Meanwhile, Rick and Carl, weary and barely standing, seek shelter in a forest. The emotional weight of their loss, especially Carl's, is palpable. Still processing the murder of his mother and sister, Carl follows Rick’s instructions, dutifully handing him food though he has no appetite. Every interaction between them is heavy with unspoken grief, and Rick’s words of reassurance feel hollow, spoken more to keep Carl from succumbing to despair than from any real conviction that they’ll make it.
The pair soon find themselves in an abandoned town, hoping for supplies and a safe place to sleep. Here, Kirkman’s storytelling shines in its chilling realism. Rick is visibly weakened, struggling with a pain he brushes off to avoid worrying Carl. When they find an empty store, they’re immediately ambushed by a zombie, but in a heart-wrenching moment, Rick finds himself unable to kill it with his hatchet. He’s simply too weak. It’s Carl who ultimately saves him, firing his gun despite the risk of attracting more zombies. Although Rick initially scolds Carl, the look on his face betrays a mix of shame and worry—he’s failing his son in his time of need, dependent on Carl’s growing self-sufficiency.
By nightfall, Rick is visibly unwell. As they take refuge in a house, Rick finally succumbs to his exhaustion and illness. Desperate to stave off infection, he pours alcohol over his previous gunshot wound and gulps down a hefty dose of antibiotics. It’s a bleak, unsettling scene that forces readers to confront the hopelessness of survival in this world—there are no doctors, no hospitals, and only the most basic medicines available to fight off potentially fatal injuries.
Carl and Rick decide to sleep beside the fireplace, but even this moment of relative calm is fraught with grief. Carl finally lets his emotions bubble over, expressing his deep sorrow over Lori’s death. He says he misses his mother, hoping for a comforting word or a hug from his father. But when he turns to Rick, he finds only silence. Rick has fallen unconscious, his eyes unfocused, his breathing shallow. Carl’s face registers pure fear and panic as he realizes he may be entirely alone in this fight. In this world, every vulnerable moment is a potential death sentence, and Carl’s terror feels incredibly raw and real.
This issue left me feeling hollow—sucked into the emotional abyss that Rick and Carl are spiraling through. I can’t even begin to imagine how Carl is coping. He’s a child, robbed of his innocence and thrown into a life where death is a daily reality. Witnessing Lori’s death alone would have broken most adults, and yet Carl soldiers on. The pain of his grief, coupled with the realization that his father might not survive either, is almost too much to bear.
Rick, meanwhile, is an echo of his former self. The weight of his own mistakes and the loss of everyone he’s tried to protect is crushing him physically and emotionally. It’s painful to watch him struggle, knowing he’s teetering on the edge of death, leaving Carl with only his own resilience to rely on.
Issue #49 offers no reprieve, no hope of a better tomorrow. It’s a stark reminder of the brutal world Kirkman has built, where survival is a fight against both the undead and the crushing weight of grief. The only flicker of strength is in Carl, a child forced to carry burdens far beyond his years. This issue isn’t about finding peace or hope; it’s about clinging to whatever shreds of life remain, even as despair threatens to consume everything.
The issue opens with Michonne’s return to the prison—a ghostly, haunting setting that has lost any last vestige of sanctuary. Upon finding the decapitated head of Tyreese, reanimated and suffering even in death, Michonne silently grieves, driving her sword through it to finally put her fallen friend to rest. This moment is a somber, private farewell that highlights Michonne’s silent strength and the respect she held for her friend.
As she surveys the wreckage of Dale's RV, Michonne realizes that no one is left and that the battle she missed has wiped out almost everyone she cared about. Her discovery of footprints in the dirt offers the only clue that perhaps not everyone perished, fueling her determination to track them. But the emptiness of the prison, devoid of the family it once held, is a tragic reminder of everything that’s been lost.
Meanwhile, Rick and Carl, weary and barely standing, seek shelter in a forest. The emotional weight of their loss, especially Carl's, is palpable. Still processing the murder of his mother and sister, Carl follows Rick’s instructions, dutifully handing him food though he has no appetite. Every interaction between them is heavy with unspoken grief, and Rick’s words of reassurance feel hollow, spoken more to keep Carl from succumbing to despair than from any real conviction that they’ll make it.
The pair soon find themselves in an abandoned town, hoping for supplies and a safe place to sleep. Here, Kirkman’s storytelling shines in its chilling realism. Rick is visibly weakened, struggling with a pain he brushes off to avoid worrying Carl. When they find an empty store, they’re immediately ambushed by a zombie, but in a heart-wrenching moment, Rick finds himself unable to kill it with his hatchet. He’s simply too weak. It’s Carl who ultimately saves him, firing his gun despite the risk of attracting more zombies. Although Rick initially scolds Carl, the look on his face betrays a mix of shame and worry—he’s failing his son in his time of need, dependent on Carl’s growing self-sufficiency.
By nightfall, Rick is visibly unwell. As they take refuge in a house, Rick finally succumbs to his exhaustion and illness. Desperate to stave off infection, he pours alcohol over his previous gunshot wound and gulps down a hefty dose of antibiotics. It’s a bleak, unsettling scene that forces readers to confront the hopelessness of survival in this world—there are no doctors, no hospitals, and only the most basic medicines available to fight off potentially fatal injuries.
Carl and Rick decide to sleep beside the fireplace, but even this moment of relative calm is fraught with grief. Carl finally lets his emotions bubble over, expressing his deep sorrow over Lori’s death. He says he misses his mother, hoping for a comforting word or a hug from his father. But when he turns to Rick, he finds only silence. Rick has fallen unconscious, his eyes unfocused, his breathing shallow. Carl’s face registers pure fear and panic as he realizes he may be entirely alone in this fight. In this world, every vulnerable moment is a potential death sentence, and Carl’s terror feels incredibly raw and real.
This issue left me feeling hollow—sucked into the emotional abyss that Rick and Carl are spiraling through. I can’t even begin to imagine how Carl is coping. He’s a child, robbed of his innocence and thrown into a life where death is a daily reality. Witnessing Lori’s death alone would have broken most adults, and yet Carl soldiers on. The pain of his grief, coupled with the realization that his father might not survive either, is almost too much to bear.
Rick, meanwhile, is an echo of his former self. The weight of his own mistakes and the loss of everyone he’s tried to protect is crushing him physically and emotionally. It’s painful to watch him struggle, knowing he’s teetering on the edge of death, leaving Carl with only his own resilience to rely on.
Issue #49 offers no reprieve, no hope of a better tomorrow. It’s a stark reminder of the brutal world Kirkman has built, where survival is a fight against both the undead and the crushing weight of grief. The only flicker of strength is in Carl, a child forced to carry burdens far beyond his years. This issue isn’t about finding peace or hope; it’s about clinging to whatever shreds of life remain, even as despair threatens to consume everything.
October 19, 2019
Trying to get back into reading TWD comics, it's been a while. Truth be told, I forgot what happened to them all.
I think basically everyone died in the last issue at the prison, so now we are following a very ill Rick and a mourning Carl. The members that survived all got spilt up so Rick and Carl are essentially on their own looking for a safe place to lay low whilst he recovers from his numerous injuries both physically and mentally, although seeing Michonne at the start of the issue gives me hope they'll reunite again. Overall, not much actually happened in this issue.
x
I think basically everyone died in the last issue at the prison, so now we are following a very ill Rick and a mourning Carl. The members that survived all got spilt up so Rick and Carl are essentially on their own looking for a safe place to lay low whilst he recovers from his numerous injuries both physically and mentally, although seeing Michonne at the start of the issue gives me hope they'll reunite again. Overall, not much actually happened in this issue.
x
September 14, 2018
Solo quiero decir que quiero abrazar a mi Rick y a su hijo Carl.
June 7, 2019
This was a bit slow moving, but you have to have this after a huge event as what close issue 48 with the destruction of the prison.
December 26, 2021
I was hooked the first couple pages, love the art and especially the zombies and the post apocalyptic setting 😻🤩🧟♂️🔥🔫
August 22, 2019
This is a great book. Effective writing skills. Just love it
August 22, 2019
Excellent book of writing advice. I love Writer’s style. Highly recommend for other.
August 22, 2019
I am sure I could have finished it, but, I want to read books that I actually enjoy so DNF
January 1, 2017
carl and rick bond over beans
May 11, 2016
Aww, it's so sad that Michonne was the one to make sure that Tyreese stays dead. I don't think it's a good idea for Michonne to be walking around in the open by herself. Sure, she has her sword, but she doesn't have any other form of protection.
Carl refusing to eat or drink anything makes me sad. I know he's mourning the loss of his mother and little sister, but I kinda feel like he needs to learn how to mourn on the go.
They can't stop and mourn every single time someone dies. That probably sounds careless, but I don't mean for it to. They need to keep moving, make sure they find a safe place to stay.
I know that Rick's trying to be strong for Carl, but I don't think it's a good idea for him to lie to Carl. What if something happens to Rick? Carl needs to know what his Dad's thinking and what to do if he's left alone.
Good thinking, Rick. You definitely don't want to be swarmed, especially in an unfamiliar place. You and Carl would be stuck trying to run and not knowing where to go.
Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting Carl to call the cereal crappy. I mean, him saying crap is the least of their worries, but I just wasn't expecting it. I kinda expected Rick to tell him not to say that again.
Oh damn, Rick should have kept hitting that zombie with the axe. Carl shooting it, is only going to draw more attention to the two of them. I have a feeling Rick and Carl are gonna be surrounded by zombies soon.
I get that Rick feels guilty, but there's really no time for his guilt right now. He and Carl need to rest up and then figure out what their next move is going to be. Where they're going to go.
Oh shit! I knew that something bad was gonna happen with Rick and Carl being alone. Now we don't know if Rick's dead, sleeping, or just unconscious.
That sucks for Carl. The kid's already been through so much as it is. He better not lose his Dad, right after losing his Mom and sister. That would just be way too much.
Carl refusing to eat or drink anything makes me sad. I know he's mourning the loss of his mother and little sister, but I kinda feel like he needs to learn how to mourn on the go.
They can't stop and mourn every single time someone dies. That probably sounds careless, but I don't mean for it to. They need to keep moving, make sure they find a safe place to stay.
I know that Rick's trying to be strong for Carl, but I don't think it's a good idea for him to lie to Carl. What if something happens to Rick? Carl needs to know what his Dad's thinking and what to do if he's left alone.
Good thinking, Rick. You definitely don't want to be swarmed, especially in an unfamiliar place. You and Carl would be stuck trying to run and not knowing where to go.
Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting Carl to call the cereal crappy. I mean, him saying crap is the least of their worries, but I just wasn't expecting it. I kinda expected Rick to tell him not to say that again.
Oh damn, Rick should have kept hitting that zombie with the axe. Carl shooting it, is only going to draw more attention to the two of them. I have a feeling Rick and Carl are gonna be surrounded by zombies soon.
I get that Rick feels guilty, but there's really no time for his guilt right now. He and Carl need to rest up and then figure out what their next move is going to be. Where they're going to go.
Oh shit! I knew that something bad was gonna happen with Rick and Carl being alone. Now we don't know if Rick's dead, sleeping, or just unconscious.
That sucks for Carl. The kid's already been through so much as it is. He better not lose his Dad, right after losing his Mom and sister. That would just be way too much.
August 1, 2014
The first few panels were heartbreaking. The first half of the issue was very effective, with using drawings, as opposed to a lot of dialogue. The second half moves the story along. This was a good breather issue.
September 17, 2013
Great cliff hanger.
December 3, 2013
Nevím jak vy, ale já do února nečekám.
April 3, 2015
Rick and Carl chose to move on. This issue made me emotional.
December 10, 2015
Great! Really enjoy seeing the differences between the show and the comics.
October 22, 2022
Love a quick and sparse issue
November 1, 2022
Father and son activities.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews