The Walking Dead comic book volume 4, The Heart's Desire The Walking Dead centers around Rick Grimes, a former police officer who was shot in the line of duty and wakes up from a coma after the world has succumbed to the zombie plague. Dazed from months in the hospital, and confused as to why he can't find anyone alive, he makes his way home only to find his wife and son missing. He packs up supplies from his station and travels to Atlanta in search of his family after hearing the cities would be safe (heard from Morgan and Duane Jones, his previous neighbors). Arriving in the city on horseback, Rick is overcome by a horde of zombies and narrowly escapes death with the aid of another survivor named Glenn, who has been scavenging the city for supplies. Glenn takes Rick back to his camp just outside of town where Rick's wife Lori and son Carl happen to be living, alive and well. His partner and best friend Shane had taken Lori and Carl to the outskirts of Atlanta to wait for rescue by the US Government. There they found a small group of survivors.