Walking Dead: most expensive comics and key issues to know

The Walking Dead launched in October 2003 from Image Comics, written by Robert Kirkman with art by Tony Moore (issues #1–6). Charlie Adlard took over the pencils from issue #7 and remained until the series concluded at issue #193 in 2019. The series follows Rick Grimes, a sheriff's deputy who wakes into a zombie-ravaged world, and quickly established itself as one of the most important comic works of the 21st century. The AMC television adaptation (2010–2022, 11 seasons) brought the franchise global recognition and drove sustained collector demand for original comics.

This guide sticks to the verifiable: eBay medians from our estimator (eBay.fr + eBay.com, June 2026) and records documented by Heritage Auctions and specialist sources. One methodological note: any eBay median based on fewer than 15 listings is not cited as a price reference — Walking Dead key issues are thinly represented on the secondary market and raw figures would be misleading. Walking Dead is a 2003 creation: there are no key issues in the Golden Age, Silver Age, or Bronze Age.

Walking Dead key issue ranking (documented records and eBay data, June 2026)

Walking Dead key issues are very thinly represented on eBay — and the flagship #1 is massively distorted by reprints. Auction records are the primary price reference for high-grade copies of every issue in this table.

Record sources: Heritage Auctions, CGC Comics News, Clicktibles, sellmycomicbooks.com, eBay August 2024.

The Walking Dead #1 (2003): the Modern Age grail — and the reprint trap

Published in October 2003, The Walking Dead #1 is the defining key of the series. It introduces Rick Grimes, a police officer who wakes to find civilization has collapsed, and sets the foundation for the world Kirkman would build across 193 issues. Tony Moore illustrated this debut. Image Comics had no indication of the phenomenon to come, which kept the initial print run modest and makes high-grade first-print copies genuinely scarce.

The first print is identified by the absence of any "Second Printing" (or later) notation, a $2.95 cover price, slightly cream-tinted paper stock (which yellows gently after twenty-plus years), and a dark red logo. Our eBay estimator returns a median of €12 across 101 listings — but that figure is entirely distorted by second, third, and fourth printings plus the 2010s reprint editions, which circulate for a few euros. It must never be read as the value of the first print. That original is a five-figure piece even in mid-grade: in high condition, a CGC 9.8 exceeded $32,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2024, and a CGC 9.9 sold for $23,459 on eBay in August 2024. The premium between first and second print in CGC 9.8 is estimated at a factor of 25 to 40.

The Walking Dead #19 (2005): first appearance of Michonne

Issue #19, published in 2005, introduces Michonne — a lone warrior armed with a katana, keeping two jawless, chained walkers as camouflage. She becomes one of the series' most enduring characters, a fixture of the television adaptation, and eventually the subject of her own spin-off series (The Ones Who Live, 2024, with Danai Gurira). She represents the most significant new character introduction after the first arc.

Our estimator returns only 3 active listings for this issue: the volume is too low for a reliable median. Specialist sources document high-grade sales around $775 for a CGC-graded copy, with decent ungraded copies trading in the $100–$200 range. The market is thin but steady, sustained by the character's lasting cultural footprint from the TV series.

The Walking Dead #100 (2012): first appearance of Negan and the death of Glenn

The centenary issue, published in July 2012, is the best-selling issue of the entire run and one of the defining comics of the modern era. It introduces Negan — a charismatic, brutal warlord who wields a barbed-wire-wrapped baseball bat he has named Lucille — and ends with the shocking on-panel death of Glenn, one of the series' most beloved characters. Kirkman had warned readers it would be the goriest issue yet; pre-orders broke records. Fifteen variant covers were produced, including chromium, foil, and retailer exclusives.

Our estimator returns only 5 listings for this issue: insufficient for a reliable median. Documented market data shows recent CGC 9.8 sales for the standard Charlie Adlard cover around $100, with a peak of $2,600 for a CGC 10.0 copy. Price variance across variants is wide; the standard cover is the baseline reference. Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrayed Negan in the AMC series from Season 6 (2016) onward, cementing the character's mainstream recognition.

Supporting keys: #27 (the Governor) and #92 (Jesus)

The Walking Dead #27 (2006) introduces the Governor, the central antagonist of the early arcs and ruler of the fortified community of Woodbury. Documented high-grade sales reach approximately $860 in CGC 9.9; recent CGC 9.8 copies have sold around $135. Our estimator returns only 4 listings: no eBay median is cited. Issue #92 (2011) introduces Paul Monroe, known as Jesus — a key figure in the "All Out War" arc. Our estimator returns just 1 listing; documented CGC 9.8 sales sit around $180. Both issues remain approachable compared to the headline grails but warrant attention as the run's secondary keys.