Dear Geekiary: Who is the new gay character on Walking Dead?

WARNINGS:
The following article contains spoilers regarding the character Aaron who recently appeared in AMC’s The Walking Dead (Season 5, Episode 10, entitled “Them”). Because of the nature of the question asked, the spoilers included extend through Issue #132 (Volume #22) of The Walking Dead comics.

Dear Geekiary! Very excited to see The Walking Dead TV show introducing a gay character. I know they have Tara but I’ve been told she’s an ‘original’ creation and isn’t in the comics, that’s why I always dread seeing her die when she appears. Is the new gay character from the comics? If he is, then who is he? Is he still alive in the comics? Which issues should I start reading to know more about him? Is he the only gay guy still alive? I can’t help but feel happy!

We Are The Walking Dead

Greetings, ‘We Are The Walking Dead’!

I know what you mean, it’s definitely exciting that the show is finally introducing some more diverse characters! You are correct, the character of Tara was created specifically for the show. (Though unlike, for instance, Daryl, she was attached to a character – her sister Lily – who was loosely based on a comic book character. But I digress.)

Aaron is from the comics, and he first appears in Issue #67. Now, that’s not to say that the television version is going to be exactly like the comic book character – Michonne may be a pretty darn similar in both, but Andrea, for instance, was totally different. With that said, to understand a bit more about the differences between the comic story line and the TV show story line (and there are a lot), my first suggestion would be to just start from the beginning: The Walking Dead Issue/Volume/Compendium #1.

But if that seems a bit daunting, my second suggestion would be to start with Issue #49. This is the first issue after the comic version of the prison battle, and starting here gives you a bit of time to acquaint yourself with the comic book versions of characters you know and love. I believe you’ll also better understand how Aaron ends up being a part of the story.

Additionally, for ease of purchase, Compendium Two of The Walking Dead starts with Issue #49 and ends with Issue #96. Of course, the Compendiums are, physically, a bit bulky, so you can also begin with Volume #9.

Or I suppose if you really just want to jump right in with Aaron’s arrival, you can start with Volume #12 (Issue #67 is the first in that volume).

As much as I hate to spoil people, you specifically asked if Aaron is still alive, so I’ll answer as best I can. I am actually about 10 issues behind on the comics (I prefer to buy them in Volumes; easier to store) but I will tell you that as of Volume #22 (ending with Issue #132), he was alive. And no, he’s not the only gay character alive in the comics… but I’ll stop spoiling things, and leave the rest of that for you to discover in your readings 🙂

Author: Tara Lynne

Tara Lynne is an author, fandom and geek culture expert, and public speaker. She founded Ice & Fire Con, the first ever Game of Thrones convention in the US, and now runs its parent company Saga Event Planning.

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