The Hunters

The Hunters are the main antagonists of Volume 11, and in fact the storyline is named after them (Volume 11: Fear The Hunters).

Members include Chris (leader), Theresa, Albert , David , Greg and Charlie.

The first indication of their existence is in Issue 61, where Greg and Charlie observe the protagonists' group from a distance.

In Issue 62 the group captures Dale while he is away from the others, unaware that he had been bitten by a zombie.

Issue 63 introduces the four remaining Hunters and has the survivors realize that they are being watched by a hostile group of humans. We also find out that the Hunters have turned to cannibalism and have cut and eaten Dale's remaining leg (after he lost one to a zombie bite followed by intentional amputation many issues ago).

In Issue 64 Dale reveals that he has been bitten, scaring the Hunters who have tasted his meat. The group reacts in various ways - Albert considers cutting his own tongue out until Chris reminds him that it is probably useless to do so, while David is more level-headed and comments that it is possible that the meat may not be dangerous, since it comes from an as yet unturned person and has been cooked to boot.

The Hunters eventually decide to leave the still living Dale at the front of Father Gabriel 's Church as bait for the survivors to come out in the open. The plot works well enough for Glenn to be wounded (by Albert, as revealed in Issue 65).

Also in Issue 65, the Hunters attempt to keep vigil at the outside of the Church where the survivors went for refuge, but end up being surprised by the arrival of Rick at their own camp.

Chris and Rick have a tense conversation where we learn that the Hunters claim to be simply out of options for obtaining food; they have a hard time hunting game and resorted to eating their own children some time ago. After crossing that line, it was a short step for them to become manhunters and continue to engage in cannibalism.

The confrontation ends when they learn that Abraham and Andrea are hidden providing cover for Rick and suffer a couple of minor mutilations due to warning shots. The Hunters are all captured and Rick teases them with the possibility of having a bite out of them.

Ultimately, the whole group is killed in Issue 66 by Rick's group by the use of blade weapons, and the bodies are then burned. It is unrevealed if any of them were eaten in the meantime. The execution of the Hunters was one of the most violent actions of the Survivors up until that point, and brought considerable unease and some internal conflict among them.