Summary
The Walking Deadcontains two important characters who share a surname, but are not related – something that series' creator was a “goof” on his part. Though Kirkman invoked the legendary Stan Lee to suggest how he could have patched over his “mistake,” the author noted that it was ultimately not important to him at the time, and likely wouldn’t be for readers either.
The Walking Dead Deluxe#92 – written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Charlie Adlard –introduced Paul “Jesus” Monroe, who was of no relation to the former leader of the Alexandria community Douglas Monroe, a character that had been dispatched just nine issues earlier.
“There’s a lot of Monroes in the Washington area,” Kirkman joked in his annotations to the Deluxe reprint of the issue, acknowledging that the coincidence was not a big deal, and in fact, was far from the biggest inconsistency,or “plot hole” in the series.
The Walking Dead Deluxeis an ongoing reissue of the iconic zombie series, featuring fully-colorized reprints of the black-and-white original comic; additionally, each issue features annotations from creator Robert Kirkman, as he revisits the series five years after its conclusion, and over twenty years after it first debuted.
The Walking Dead’s Most Brutal Scene Isn’t Violent At All
As much as Walking Dead is known for its gory violence & grotesque zombies, its most intense scene came down to a man sitting alone in a room.
The repeated use of the last name “Monroe” was just a creative accident, one that didn’t lead anywhere.
The leader of Alexandria up until his death, Douglas Monroe had a relatively brief, but incredibly important, tenure inThe Walking Deadcomic series. Of course, he is most infamous for his dying act,shooting Carl Grimes through the eye. Upon the introduction of “Jesus” Monroe inThe Walking Dead#92, astute readers might have expected a connection between the two characters, but that never proved to be the case. Nor was it intended to be, as Kirkman explained:
Paul “Jesus” Monroe…Now, after introducing Alexandria and Douglas, Regina, and Spencer Monroe, you’d think I must have had some plan. Was Paul a long-lost Monroe brother? No…
Instead, the repeated use of the last name “Monroe” was just a creative accident, one that didn’t lead anywhere.
Kirkman elaborated further in his notes toThe Walking Dead Deluxe#92, admitting:
Monroe was just a last name that was on my mind, I suppose…so I accidentally just…used it again. I mean, it’s a common last name, so in the end I just figured, it’s fine.
As the author points out, unrelated people all over the world share surnames – and in the end, Jesus Monroe and Douglas Monroe did not have to coexist in the story together, making it even more of a moot point. Further,as Jesus became integral toThe Walking Deadcomic series, he was referred to almost exclusively by his nickname, with his full name being largely unimportant moving forward.
Jesus first appeared as a mysterious, masked figure on the final page ofThe Walking Dead#91, as one ofRobert Kirkman’s notorious cliffhanger endings. The character would go on to be one of the few who survived until the end of the series, making it through just over one-hundred issues, with his final appearance coming inThe Walking Dead#193.
Kirkman Cited Stan Lee’s Famous Hulk Fix As One Potential Solution
Ultimately, An Unnecessary “Correction”
[Robert] Kirkman admitted that he could have “fixed” Jesus' surname inThe Walking Dead– except that it didn’t strike him as a problem, or at least an urgent one.
In his explanation of the “Monroe” double-up,Robert Kirkman notedwhat is perhaps the most classic example of a naming-mishap in comic book history. He cited Marvel legend Stan Lee and the early history of the Hulk, writing:
Stan Lee, when writing the early issues ofThe Incredible Hulk, referred to Bruce Banner one issue, and then ROBERT Banner the following issue. So, in a later issue, he established Hulk’s alter ego was actually Robert Bruce Banner. Clever, right? Good way to cover up a flub.
With that in mind, however, Kirkman admitted that he could have “fixed” Jesus' surname inThe Walking Dead– except thatit didn’t strike him as a problem, or at least an urgent one.Indeed, few fans have ever faulted the author for the repeated use of Monroe, and even fewer noticed it at all.
Notably, the AMC television adaptation ofThe Walking Deaddid change Jesus' surname to avoid confusion, rechristening him as Paul “Jesus” Rovias.
Kirkman noted:
I could have pulled a Stan Lee and called him Paul “Jesus” Monroe Jones a few issues later but…well…it wasn’t that important to me. I mean, I goofed. Oh well.
As it stands, the Jesus Monroe/Paul Monroe non-connection is the definition of “no harm, no foul” – it had no impact on the plot, and is only worth mentioning in retrospect, as Robert Kirkman returns to his iconic zombie series with fresh eyes, to elaborate on thebehind-the-scenes creative process of the seriesforThe Walking Dead Deluxe. It can be said however, that just given its double use alone, “Monroe” is one of the most prominent surnames inThe Walking Dead, secondperhaps only to Grimes.
The Walking Dead
Cast
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on August 06, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
