The Walking Dead now has fans across many mediums, whether it be television or comic books. Fans of Telltale's The Walking Dead adventure game, however, are unique in many regards. That's because The Walking Dead adventure games aren't an adaptation. They tell the story of Clementine, as well as those she meets as part of her adventures. Up until now, Clementine's been limited to just Telltale's The Walking Dead adventure games, but that's about to change. A new The Walking Dead original graphic novel has just been announced.
The book is named Clementine and is being published by Skybound as part of a new Young Adult-focused imprint of OGNs named Skybound Comet. Further, Clementine is going to be made by award-winning writer/artist Tillie Walden, best known for her previous works Are You Listening, On a Sunbeam, and Spinning. Clementine will be officially released in July 2022, so it's going to be a bit of a wait.
According to a description provided by Skybound, Clementine will offer a typical The Walking Dead story. Clementine will encounter another teenager named Amos, who is also Amish, and will join a budding settlement made up of other teenagers. They'll work together to survive, growing closer in the process, but ultimately the largest threat isn't from the zombie walkers, it's the tensions and paranoia that exist within the group.
Walden describes her decision to create Clementine as a "huge responsibility and joy." She describes Clementine as someone who carries adventure with her and is excited to bring Clementine out of the Telltale Games and take her somewhere new. Walden even goes so far as saying that making Clementine has been "one of the best experiences in [her] cartooning life." Needless to say, it's going to be exciting to see how Walden's talents lend themselves to bringing the mature story of Telltale's The Walking Dead to a graphic novel for young adults.
One further detail worth mentioning is that the full name of this new story is Clementine Book One. While not explicitly stated, the insinuation is clearly that Skybound plans to continue releasing Clementine books as part of a series. In fact, there are already plans for a prelude, too, with a Clementine story appearing in a special series of Skybound X comics. The first issue of Skybound X releases July 7.
It's undoubtedly an exciting announcement for fans of Telltale's The Walking Dead. Many believed, and were entirely fine with, the series and Clementine's story ending in the games. That it's being brought back, and by such a well-regarded graphic novel writer and artist, is a special event. Hopefully, it lives up to Telltale's The Walking Dead's legacy.
The Walking Dead's Clementine Book One releases July 2022.