The Walking Dead #2 (Oct. 2003):
“Days Gone Bye, Part 2”
by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore

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