Issue 44

Issue 44 is the forty-fourth issue of Image Comics' The Walking Dead and part two of Volume 8: Made to Suffer.

Plot Synopsis
The Governor and the Woodbury soldiers are assembled in front of The Prison's gates. The Governor commands his group to start shooting at zombies, and then the Prison survivors. Rick yells to the others to get down, but Andrea goes to kill some soldiers with her rifle atop one of the prison guard towers. Dale tries in vain to stop her.

Inside the Prison, Rick yells for Lori. Rick tells her to gather up some food and supplies for one or two weeks, find the children and Patricia, and lock themselves in a downstairs bathroom, where they will have water. He says that the Woodbury people don't know how many people they have, and that they know who Rick is and will be looking for him. Outside, The Governor talks into a megaphone and gives the Prison survivors another chance: if they let him and his people in, gather up all of their guns, knives, the riot gear, and whatever else they have and to pile it in front of the gate and wait while his men clear out the zombies. He assures them that nobody will have to die if they listen to him. The Governor waits a couple of minutes, and realizes that they will not listen to him. He swears and yells at his men to resume firing. Andrea takes advantage of the situation and tries to shoot him, but misfires because of her riot helmet. She then removes the helmet to get a better aim. The Governor falls down from the tank he has been standing on and hides behind it. A couple of soldiers get shot and The Governor realizes that they're shooting them from the tower. The Governor discovers Andrea, orders some of his men to aim up there and kill her, and she gets shot in the head, almost fatally.

Gabe notes to The Governor that they don't have many bullets left and suggests driving over the fences with the tank. The Governor says that it's useless, and that the Prison is useless without the fences. They stop shooting and the others think that it has ended. Rick tells them all to stay where they are. Michonne suggests she go out of the prison, where she could do some real damage to The Governor's men. Rick and Tyreese disagree and convince her that that would be suicide. Rick tries to calm everyone down, but then they see the oncoming tank.

The Woodbury people are planning to shoot the Prison survivors over the fence. First, Axel gets shot in his arm. Rick forces the people to get inside, Glenn is up in the tower and asks himself why he's up there, because Billy is a better shot than he is. Michonne knocks Tyreese over, saving his life, and takes his gun, and starts to shoot at the soldiers. Axel notes that he didn't remember that getting shot hurts so much.

The Governor hides behind the cars, and Andrea keeps shooting, having survived the gunshot to the head. She's wearing her riot helmet again and kills many soldiers, but doesn't hit The Governor. Rick tells Dale that Andrea's alive and Maggie is happy to see Glenn alive as well. The Governor realizes that they need to regroup and hits Gabe for no reason. Gabe asks why The Governor just yelled at them to gather up to the trucks, and they leave.

Axel thinks that they won, but Tyreese notes that they'll be back to shoot the towers with the tank. Michonne volunteers to go after them with the RV, but Hershel disagrees, and says if they do that, they're done. Michonne says that the tank was just for show and Tyreese agrees. Alice shows up and asks if everyone is alright. Dale helps Andrea to walk because of her head injury but Andrea says that she's fine. Andrea falls on ground and pulls Dale with her. Everyone, except Axel, goes to help Andrea. Shortly after, Rick staggers outside, falls down, and Tyreese yells that Rick has been shot.

Credits

 * Rick Grimes
 * Lori Grimes
 * Glenn
 * Andrea
 * Dale
 * Tyreese
 * Michonne
 * Hershel Greene
 * Maggie Greene
 * Billy Greene
 * Axel
 * Alice
 * Brian Blake
 * Gabriel Harris
 * Lilly Caul
 * Jared
 * Woodbury soldiers

Deaths

 * Several unnamed Woodbury soldiers

Trivia

 * Creator Robert Kirkman wrote: "[Issue 44] kicks off the whole "NO ONE IS SAFE" arc of the book that'll be bringing us through Issue 48."
 * This is one of the few issues that has a cover that accurately depicts the events of the issue.