The Walking Dead comic saved its biggest plot twist for last in 2019, as The Walking Dead #193 turned out to be an un-publicized series finale. But as luck would have it, creator Robert Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard aren't quite done with this long-running zombie universe. Today Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment revealed Negan Lives #1, a new standalone, 36-page special focused on the fan-favorite villain. This one-shot issue will explore what happens to Negan after his final appearance in 2017's The Walking Dead #174, with the story taking place some time during or after the time gap introduced in issue #193. Kirkman and Adlard are motivated by more than mere nostalgia for their long-running series. Negan Lives #1 is part of an industry-wide initiative to support struggling comic shops as they reopen and recover from the economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic (which included distributor Diamond Comics halting shipments for several weeks). Accordingly, Image and Skybound are making the issue entirely free to retailers, including waiving the shipping cost. “I've been inspired by Steve Geppi and Diamond's efforts to shine a light on how essential the Direct Market is to our beloved industry with their #backthecomeback campaign,” said Kirkman in Skybound's press release. “While Charlie Adlard and I had laid the series to rest, this felt like something special we could do for the store owners who made our series a success to begin with. To that end, I'm happy to report that 100% of the revenue generated from this book will go to the stores selling it. The retailer community does backbreaking work to get comics into the hands of our loving fans, we should all be doing more in these trying times to show them how appreciated they are.” Warning: The following paragraph contains spoilers for The Walking Dead #193! [poilib element="accentDivider"] When readers last saw Negan, a vengeful Maggie tracked down her husband Glenn's killer, only to discover Negan had indeed been reformed by his time as Rick's prisoner. No doubt the new issue will reveal whether Negan remains on a righteous path, how he reacts to Rick's assassination and whether he ultimately finds happiness in a world recovering from the zombie apocalypse. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-walking-dead-which-major-characters-survived-the-final-issue&captions=true"] Negan Lives #1 is priced at $4.99 and is scheduled for release on Wednesday, July 1. The release is timed alongside the debut of Kirkman and Chris Samnee's new creator-owned series Fire Power, with both the Fire Power prequel graphic novel and the delayed Free Comic Book Day 2020: Fire Power #1 also releasing that day. For more on The Walking Dead's series finale, check out IGN's The Walking Dead #193 review and learn how the series almost had a very different ending. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/25/why-the-walking-dead-season-10-finale-is-delayed-ign-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

The Walking Dead comic saved its biggest plot twist for last in 2019, as The Walking Dead #193 turned out to be an un-publicized series finale. But as luck would have it, creator Robert Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard aren't quite done with this long-running zombie universe. Today Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment revealed Negan Lives #1, a new standalone, 36-page special focused on the fan-favorite villain. This one-shot issue will explore what happens to Negan after his final appearance in 2017's The Walking Dead #174, with the story taking place some time during or after the time gap introduced in issue #193. Kirkman and Adlard are motivated by more than mere nostalgia for their long-running series. Negan Lives #1 is part of an industry-wide initiative to support struggling comic shops as they reopen and recover from the economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic (which included distributor Diamond Comics halting shipments for several weeks). Accordingly, Image and Skybound are making the issue entirely free to retailers, including waiving the shipping cost. “I've been inspired by Steve Geppi and Diamond's efforts to shine a light on how essential the Direct Market is to our beloved industry with their #backthecomeback campaign,” said Kirkman in Skybound's press release. “While Charlie Adlard and I had laid the series to rest, this felt like something special we could do for the store owners who made our series a success to begin with. To that end, I'm happy to report that 100% of the revenue generated from this book will go to the stores selling it. The retailer community does backbreaking work to get comics into the hands of our loving fans, we should all be doing more in these trying times to show them how appreciated they are.” Warning: The following paragraph contains spoilers for The Walking Dead #193! [poilib element="accentDivider"] When readers last saw Negan, a vengeful Maggie tracked down her husband Glenn's killer, only to discover Negan had indeed been reformed by his time as Rick's prisoner. No doubt the new issue will reveal whether Negan remains on a righteous path, how he reacts to Rick's assassination and whether he ultimately finds happiness in a world recovering from the zombie apocalypse. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-walking-dead-which-major-characters-survived-the-final-issue&captions=true"] Negan Lives #1 is priced at $4.99 and is scheduled for release on Wednesday, July 1. The release is timed alongside the debut of Kirkman and Chris Samnee's new creator-owned series Fire Power, with both the Fire Power prequel graphic novel and the delayed Free Comic Book Day 2020: Fire Power #1 also releasing that day. For more on The Walking Dead's series finale, check out IGN's The Walking Dead #193 review and learn how the series almost had a very different ending. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/25/why-the-walking-dead-season-10-finale-is-delayed-ign-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

HBO will offer all nine episodes of Watchmen for free this weekend, starting from Friday, June 19 through to Sunday, June 21, so you'll have to add them to your watch list quick. The acclaimed series will be available to stream on HBO.com and free on-demand services, as "an extension of the network's content offering highlighting Black experiences, voices and storytellers." There will also be a nine-hour marathon of the series on HBO and HBO Latino beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, June 19. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/17/watchmen-explaining-the-confusing-ozymandias-timeline"] "HBO is proud to offer all nine episodes for free of this timely, poignant series that explores the legacy of systemic racism in America," the network said Thursday. June 19 is a significant date for this promotion, as it coincides with Juneteenth, an unofficial American holiday, observed annually, to commemorate the 1865 proclamation of freedom for all enslaved people in the U.S. state of Texas. Watchmen takes place decades after the events of the landmark comic series of the same name, in a time of growing civil unrest where new costumed vigilantes are emerging. A domestic terrorist group inspired by Rorschach and known as the Seventh Cavalry wages war on the police, impelling officers to don their own masks and retaliate. In this alternate universe, Robert Redford has been President since 1992 and Americans are obsessed with vanished heroes like Dr. Manhattan and the original Minutemen. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=watchmen-all-the-comic-book-references-in-the-hbo-series&captions=true"] In our review of Watchmen, we praised the series for "capturing our fractured political moment in the form of a twisted superhero saga" and turning its "eye towards black history and its emotional intimacy," resulting in "another success from showrunner Damon Lindelof." IGN named Watchmen the best TV show of 2019, an accolade that Lindelof called "an incredible gift." We also cited Watchmen as one of the best TV shows of the past decade, so we're happy to report that the door hasn't completely closed on a possible second season. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

HBO will offer all nine episodes of Watchmen for free this weekend, starting from Friday, June 19 through to Sunday, June 21, so you'll have to add them to your watch list quick. The acclaimed series will be available to stream on HBO.com and free on-demand services, as "an extension of the network's content offering highlighting Black experiences, voices and storytellers." There will also be a nine-hour marathon of the series on HBO and HBO Latino beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, June 19. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/17/watchmen-explaining-the-confusing-ozymandias-timeline"] "HBO is proud to offer all nine episodes for free of this timely, poignant series that explores the legacy of systemic racism in America," the network said Thursday. June 19 is a significant date for this promotion, as it coincides with Juneteenth, an unofficial American holiday, observed annually, to commemorate the 1865 proclamation of freedom for all enslaved people in the U.S. state of Texas. Watchmen takes place decades after the events of the landmark comic series of the same name, in a time of growing civil unrest where new costumed vigilantes are emerging. A domestic terrorist group inspired by Rorschach and known as the Seventh Cavalry wages war on the police, impelling officers to don their own masks and retaliate. In this alternate universe, Robert Redford has been President since 1992 and Americans are obsessed with vanished heroes like Dr. Manhattan and the original Minutemen. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=watchmen-all-the-comic-book-references-in-the-hbo-series&captions=true"] In our review of Watchmen, we praised the series for "capturing our fractured political moment in the form of a twisted superhero saga" and turning its "eye towards black history and its emotional intimacy," resulting in "another success from showrunner Damon Lindelof." IGN named Watchmen the best TV show of 2019, an accolade that Lindelof called "an incredible gift." We also cited Watchmen as one of the best TV shows of the past decade, so we're happy to report that the door hasn't completely closed on a possible second season. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

HBO will offer all nine episodes of Watchmen for free this weekend, starting from Friday, June 19 through to Sunday, June 21, so you'll have to add them to your watch list quick. The acclaimed series will be available to stream on HBO.com and free on-demand services, as "an extension of the network's content offering highlighting Black experiences, voices and storytellers." There will also be a nine-hour marathon of the series on HBO and HBO Latino beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, June 19. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/17/watchmen-explaining-the-confusing-ozymandias-timeline"] "HBO is proud to offer all nine episodes for free of this timely, poignant series that explores the legacy of systemic racism in America," the network said Thursday. June 19 is a significant date for this promotion, as it coincides with Juneteenth, an unofficial American holiday, observed annually, to commemorate the 1865 proclamation of freedom for all enslaved people in the U.S. state of Texas. Watchmen takes place decades after the events of the landmark comic series of the same name, in a time of growing civil unrest where new costumed vigilantes are emerging. A domestic terrorist group inspired by Rorschach and known as the Seventh Cavalry wages war on the police, impelling officers to don their own masks and retaliate. In this alternate universe, Robert Redford has been President since 1992 and Americans are obsessed with vanished heroes like Dr. Manhattan and the original Minutemen. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=watchmen-all-the-comic-book-references-in-the-hbo-series&captions=true"] In our review of Watchmen, we praised the series for "capturing our fractured political moment in the form of a twisted superhero saga" and turning its "eye towards black history and its emotional intimacy," resulting in "another success from showrunner Damon Lindelof." IGN named Watchmen the best TV show of 2019, an accolade that Lindelof called "an incredible gift." We also cited Watchmen as one of the best TV shows of the past decade, so we're happy to report that the door hasn't completely closed on a possible second season. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Fantasy's Flight's A Game of Thrones: The Board Game is coming to PC (via Steam) in Q3 2020. The board game, originally released in 2003, was updated in 2011 around the start of HBO's Game of Thrones show and now, years later, the board game is making the jump to video games, as reported by Dicebreaker. The video game version of this board game is simply called A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-game-of-thrones-review-so-far%26captions&captions=true"] The digital version of the board game is essentially just the physical board game translated to a digital format. It seems to play exactly the same in rules and mechanics. The game takes place after King Robert Baratheon's death — which as fans of the books and HBO series know, is the event that sets the rest of the series in motion — and sees up to six players control different territories of Westeros as the series' main houses. This includes the Lannisters, the Starks, the Greyjoys, the Martells, the Tyrells, and of course, the Baratheon's. The physical board game received a Mother of Dragons expansion that adds both the Arryn and Targaryen houses but it's unknown at this time if those two houses will be in the PC version. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/17/the-best-deaths-on-game-of-thrones"] The PC version will include the option to play with up to five AI opponents and will feature scenarios not originally found in the board game. A Game of Thrones: The Board Game — Digital Version will launch in the third quarter of 2020 according to the Steam listing for the game. The game is being developed by Dire Wolf and published by Asmodee Digital. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Fantasy's Flight's A Game of Thrones: The Board Game is coming to PC (via Steam) in Q3 2020. The board game, originally released in 2003, was updated in 2011 around the start of HBO's Game of Thrones show and now, years later, the board game is making the jump to video games, as reported by Dicebreaker. The video game version of this board game is simply called A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-game-of-thrones-review-so-far%26captions&captions=true"] The digital version of the board game is essentially just the physical board game translated to a digital format. It seems to play exactly the same in rules and mechanics. The game takes place after King Robert Baratheon's death — which as fans of the books and HBO series know, is the event that sets the rest of the series in motion — and sees up to six players control different territories of Westeros as the series' main houses. This includes the Lannisters, the Starks, the Greyjoys, the Martells, the Tyrells, and of course, the Baratheon's. The physical board game received a Mother of Dragons expansion that adds both the Arryn and Targaryen houses but it's unknown at this time if those two houses will be in the PC version. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/17/the-best-deaths-on-game-of-thrones"] The PC version will include the option to play with up to five AI opponents and will feature scenarios not originally found in the board game. A Game of Thrones: The Board Game — Digital Version will launch in the third quarter of 2020 according to the Steam listing for the game. The game is being developed by Dire Wolf and published by Asmodee Digital. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Fantasy's Flight's A Game of Thrones: The Board Game is coming to PC (via Steam) in Q3 2020. The board game, originally released in 2003, was updated in 2011 around the start of HBO's Game of Thrones show and now, years later, the board game is making the jump to video games, as reported by Dicebreaker. The video game version of this board game is simply called A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-game-of-thrones-review-so-far%26captions&captions=true"] The digital version of the board game is essentially just the physical board game translated to a digital format. It seems to play exactly the same in rules and mechanics. The game takes place after King Robert Baratheon's death — which as fans of the books and HBO series know, is the event that sets the rest of the series in motion — and sees up to six players control different territories of Westeros as the series' main houses. This includes the Lannisters, the Starks, the Greyjoys, the Martells, the Tyrells, and of course, the Baratheon's. The physical board game received a Mother of Dragons expansion that adds both the Arryn and Targaryen houses but it's unknown at this time if those two houses will be in the PC version. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/17/the-best-deaths-on-game-of-thrones"] The PC version will include the option to play with up to five AI opponents and will feature scenarios not originally found in the board game. A Game of Thrones: The Board Game — Digital Version will launch in the third quarter of 2020 according to the Steam listing for the game. The game is being developed by Dire Wolf and published by Asmodee Digital. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Insomniac has revealed plot details for the upcoming Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS5, and revealed that the studio will continue to tell the story of its Peter Parker in future. Described by creative director Brian Horton on the PlayStation Blog, Miles Morales is set a year after the events of Marvel's Spider-Man. The standalone follow-up kicks off just before Christmas, as a street war kicks off between "an energy corporation and a high-tech criminal army". Harlem, where Miles now lives, is in the middle of that war, and he sets out to put a stop to it. Insomniac says the new game will include "a new story, with new set-pieces, fresh villains, and unique quests across Marvel’s New York City." Along the way, Miles will discover new powers that set him apart from Peter Parker's Spider-man (and we've already seen both his venom strike and invisibility powers shown off in the reveal trailer). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/18/marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-official-trailer-recap"] Per a new trailer recap video from Insomniac, Miles is being designed to feel distinct from Peter Parker in the first game. Aside from his differing powers, Miles' combat and traversal animations will be brand new – perhaps most interestingly, Miles' lower confidence in being a superhero will be reflected in how he web-swings, with hero animator James Ham pointing out that he flails around more while swinging. Insomniac makes clear that this game is entirely about Miles Morales, who is "a critical part of our Spider-Man universe" - but the studio also hints that the original Spider-Man will return, saying, "we still have much of Peter’s story left to tell." Horton also explains that the first game's director, Brian Intihar "continues to imagine big things for the Marvel’s Spider-Man universe." It's certainly not a confirmation of a Peter Parker-centric Spider-Man 2, but it definitely feels like a hint at one. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/spider-man-miles-morales-is-ps5s-biggest-sell-next-gen-console-watch"] Horton also briefly discusses the PS5 tech being used to bring the new game to life, which will include "near-instant loading, ray-tracing, 3D audio and the DualSense controller." Character models should look more realistic, and even the returning New York City has apparently been "updated" for its PS5 debut. Horton doesn't cover the size of the game, however. After some confusion, Insomniac confirmed that the game would be a standalone release, but reports have said that it will be a smaller game than the first, similar in scope to other "expandalones" like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is due for release on PS5 this Holiday. Here are the six comic stories we think could inspire it. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=spider-man-miles-morales-playstation-5-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Insomniac has revealed plot details for the upcoming Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS5, and revealed that the studio will continue to tell the story of its Peter Parker in future. Described by creative director Brian Horton on the PlayStation Blog, Miles Morales is set a year after the events of Marvel's Spider-Man. The standalone follow-up kicks off just before Christmas, as a street war kicks off between "an energy corporation and a high-tech criminal army". Harlem, where Miles now lives, is in the middle of that war, and he sets out to put a stop to it. Insomniac says the new game will include "a new story, with new set-pieces, fresh villains, and unique quests across Marvel’s New York City." Along the way, Miles will discover new powers that set him apart from Peter Parker's Spider-man (and we've already seen both his venom strike and invisibility powers shown off in the reveal trailer). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/18/marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-official-trailer-recap"] Per a new trailer recap video from Insomniac, Miles is being designed to feel distinct from Peter Parker in the first game. Aside from his differing powers, Miles' combat and traversal animations will be brand new – perhaps most interestingly, Miles' lower confidence in being a superhero will be reflected in how he web-swings, with hero animator James Ham pointing out that he flails around more while swinging. Insomniac makes clear that this game is entirely about Miles Morales, who is "a critical part of our Spider-Man universe" - but the studio also hints that the original Spider-Man will return, saying, "we still have much of Peter’s story left to tell." Horton also explains that the first game's director, Brian Intihar "continues to imagine big things for the Marvel’s Spider-Man universe." It's certainly not a confirmation of a Peter Parker-centric Spider-Man 2, but it definitely feels like a hint at one. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/spider-man-miles-morales-is-ps5s-biggest-sell-next-gen-console-watch"] Horton also briefly discusses the PS5 tech being used to bring the new game to life, which will include "near-instant loading, ray-tracing, 3D audio and the DualSense controller." Character models should look more realistic, and even the returning New York City has apparently been "updated" for its PS5 debut. Horton doesn't cover the size of the game, however. After some confusion, Insomniac confirmed that the game would be a standalone release, but reports have said that it will be a smaller game than the first, similar in scope to other "expandalones" like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is due for release on PS5 this Holiday. Here are the six comic stories we think could inspire it. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=spider-man-miles-morales-playstation-5-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.