BELOW: Rick sees a deeply religious family (with Bibles) who committed suicide rather than be reanimated as mindless zombies.
Source: The Walking Dead #2 (Oct. 2003): "Days Gone Bye, Part 2", pg. 4, panel 7. Written by Robert Kirkman. Art by Tony Moore. See also: cross; suicide; Bible; family; Rick Grimes; unnamed Georgia family
BELOW: "Oh, thank God.": Against all odds, Rick Grimes travels from Kentucky and finds his family safe and well living in a camp on the outskirts of Atlanta. Rick woke up in a coma in a hospital in the previous issue, only to find himself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Within only a day or two, he has found his family: his wife Lori and his son Carl. Yet nearly everybody else in the country is apparently dead or has been turned into a zombie. Given the situation, Rick's quiet expression after finding his family - "Oh, thank God" - may be an actual expression of thanks to deity, rather than simply a routine profane utterance. Given the seeming improbability of Rick finding his family well and alive so quickly, one might wonder if this is an actual miracle, a sign of divine Providence, perhaps in answer to Rick's prayer on page 11 in the previous issue. The events depicted in this series are extraordinary and present genuine philosophical questions. Depending on one's perspective, one might see these events as anything from a divine miracle to evidence of God's non-existence or non-involvement with humanity.
Source: The Walking Dead #2 (Oct. 2003): "Days Gone Bye, Part 2", pg. 22, panel 3. Written by Robert Kirkman. Art by Tony Moore. See also: gratitude to God; miracles; family; Rick Grimes; Lori Grimes; Carl Grimes
BELOW: Jim wants to be be with his family again, even if it as a zombie: Jim has been bitten by zombies and can feel the sickness coming on which he knows will kill him and turn him into a zombie. He is distraught after having seen his entire family killed by zombies approximately months ago. After explaining to Carol what he wants done, Carol protests, saying that to leave him to die would be "murder."
Carol: No... We can't do that do you. You could start getting better. This would be murder.
Jim: Donna... You don't understand I can feel it coming. This-- You gotta do this. I-- *COUGH! COUGH! Please... They have to do this for me. T-talk them into it. It's the only way I'll ever be with my family again...
Source: The Walking Dead #6 (Mar. 2004): "Days Gone Bye, Part 6", pg. 9, panels 1-2. Written by Robert Kirkman. Art by Tony Moore. See also: murder; suicide; family; Jim; Carol Peletier
BELOW: Dying after begin bitten by zombies, Jim wants to "be together again" with his family, which was killed by zombies: Jim was bitten by zombies and feels the sickness which will turn him into a zombie overtaking his body. Jim has been absolutely distraught after seeing zombies kill his wife, children, sister, mom, nieces and nephews about two months ago. He now asks his friends to leave him near Atlanta, where his family was killed by zombies, in the hope that he himself will revive a zombie after dying and be able to be "together again" with his family. To this others, this seems like a questionable, somewhat desperate and probably tenuous plan, but Jim's desire to do this demonstrates how much he wants to be with his family.
Rick Grimes: Jim... Are you absolutely sure about this?
Jim: L--leave me. When I come back... maybe I'll find-- find my family... ... Maybe they c-- came back, too. Maybe we can be together again.
Source: The Walking Dead #6 (Mar. 2004): "Days Gone Bye, Part 6", pg. 10. Written by Robert Kirkman. Art by Tony Moore. See also: family; Jim