- "No, dammit! We're staying right here! We're safe here! Yesterday is one of very few isolated incidents. This is the safest place to be."
- ―Shane
| "Days Gone Bye" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Walking Dead | |
| Title: | "Days Gone Bye" |
| Storyline: | "Days Gone Bye" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 4 |
| Cover price: | $2.95 |
| Cover date: | January, 2004 |
| Publisher: | Image Comics |
| Credits | |
| Writers: | Robert Kirkman |
| Pencilers: | Tony Moore |
| Inkers: | Tony Moore |
| Cover artists: | Tony Moore |
| Cover inker: | Tony Moore |
| Cover colorist: | Tony Moore [1] |
| Colorists: | Tony Moore [2] |
| Letterers: | Robert Kirkman |
| Editors: | Robert Kirkman [3] |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | The Walking Dead #3 |
| Next: | The Walking Dead #5 |
The Walking Dead #4 is the untitled fourth issue of The Walking Dead comic book series, published by Image Comics. It is the fourth chapter in the "Days Gone Bye" storyline. The story was written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Tony Moore. It was published with a January, 2004 cover date and carries a cover price of $2.95 per copy. It is decided that in order to survive... every person at the camp should have guns. As it is, they don't have enough to go around and the only place to get more guns is the city, but it means certain death to go into the city. Is Rick crazy enough to risk his life for the good of the camp?
Synopsis[]
Shane is keeping watch over the camp at night. Rick Grimes comes upon him and spooks him a bit. Shane is on edge. Rick tells him that he thinks they should move the camp in light of recent events, but Shane thinks he's crazy. He believes its better to remain closer to the city for when the government eventually begins cleaning up this mess. Rick presses the issue, but Shane is adamant about staying where they are. Rick adds that for everybody's protection, everyone is going to need to carry a gun. Shane asks where he thinks they're going to get enough guns for everybody. As they talk, Dale shouts out for them to keep it down, because some people are trying to sleep.
Ricks tests out his theory.
The following morning, Rick approaches Glenn and asks him if he has ever seen a gun store during his supply runs to the city. Glenn never ventured that far into the city himself, but he asks Jim who laconically tells him that there is one on the corner of Pleasant and 38th Street. While Glenn rummages through his car for a map, Lori asks Rick why he has to be the one to go into the city again. Carl asks him not to go. He tells Carl that he'll teach him how to shoot a gun when he gets back - a notion that Lori takes great exception to. Rick says he'll have that particular argument withe her when he gets back. Glenn finds the map and the two are ready to go.
Rick asks Glenn why Jim is acting so strange. He tells him that Jim actually lived in Atlanta and watched his entire family being torn apart by roamers. As they walk, Glenn looks at the map and finds that the location Jim gave them is five blocks north of the farthest point he has ever gone in the city.
Rick Grimes: So far, so good.
Rick gets an idea. Glenn and he go farther into the woods until they find a dead roamer. Rick theorizes that the zombies never attack each other, and he attributes this to their sense of smell. Using a hatchet, Rick chops off the hand from the corpse and hands it to Glenn. He tells him to pour the blood all over his clothes and then stick the hand in his pocket. His hope that the smell of zombie guts will mask their "living" odor. Glenn immediately vomits. After he composes himself, he warns Rick not to get any zombie blood too close to his face. Rick agrees and begins coating his jacket with blood. Rick comments that he is going to feel really stupid if they did all of this for nothing. Glenn pukes again.
They make their way into the city, and find a zombie leaning against a wall. Rick approaches it to test his theory. The zombie slaps Rick's hand away, but otherwise doesn't attack him. Glenn is not convinced the plan is going to work though.
The two turn a corner and find a major intersection. The entire area is littered with hordes of the undead, as well as the corpses of various military personnel. There is a large tank in the middle of the intersection. Rick and Glenn grab a discarded shopping cart and make their way to the gun shop. Rick kicks down the door.
They load a bunch of rifles and ammunition into the cart and venture outside. By now however, it is starting to rain, which threatens to wash away their protective zombie blood covering. The undead begin to take notice, and Rick whacks one in the eye with a hatchet. The rain thunders down heavier, washing away the blood, and now all of the roamers know that there are two living targets among them. They begin running through the herd with their shopping cart.
The cart topples over, and Rick orders Glenn to scoop up as many weapons as he can, while he provides cover fire. One of the roamers bites Rick on the shoulder, and he freaks out. He swing about and cleaves his hatchet into its head, while also firing his gun. Fortunately, the roamer's teeth didn't puncture the material of his coat. They continue to fight their way through the horde until they finally push the cart outside the city. Once they are safely clear of the herd, they take a moment to catch their breath. Rick asks Glenn not to tell Lori about how close he came to being bitten.
Back at the camp, Lori Grimes keeps a steady vigil waiting for Rick to return. Shane comes up to comfort her, and tries beckoning her back into the tent. Lori knows what Shane wants, and brushes him off. He brings up the subject of when the two had sex with each other down by the road. Lori says that it was all a big mistake. Shane retreats into the background leaving Lori to continue waiting.
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
Races
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Miscellaneous
Notes & Trivia[]
- This issue ranked #154 in estimated sales, with a total of 7,019. [4]
- This is the first issue of the series published in 2004.
- The events of this issue were adapted into the "Guts" episode of The Walking Dead television series.
- This issue establishes that Jim is an actual survivor of Atlanta. He had a wife and five children who were all killed by roamers.
Reprints[]
The story from this issue has been reprinted in the following volumes:
Recommended Reading[]
See also[]
The World of The Walking Dead
Images
Miscellaneous
External Links[]
- The Walking Dead #4 at Comics.org
- The Walking Dead #4 at Comic Vine
- The Walking Dead #4 at Amazon.com
- The Walking Dead #4 at the Image Comics Wiki
- The Walking Dead #4 at The Walking Dead Wiki
References[]
- ↑ Gray tone highlights only.
- ↑ Gray tone highlights only.
- ↑ Unconfirmed editing credit; taken from issue profile at Comics.org
- ↑ Comichron.com