Nerdgasm!  Ever since we first saw that mysterious hooded figure saving Andrea with a deft stroke of her sword in season 2 finale "Beside the Dying Fire," fans of AMC's 'The Walking Dead' have been dying for a real look at the zombie-chaining hero.  Comic fans know the identity of the sword-swinging stranger, but how would you like to see what's under the hood?

Entertainment Weekly has provided our first look at actress Danai Gurira in the role of Michonne, the samurai sword-wielding stranger first glimpsed in the climax of 'The Walking Dead's second season finale.  Fans of the comics know Michonne to be an incredibly bad-ass figure who becomes a major ally to the group, though not without keeping a few secrets of her own.

However, some minor changes, like the rest of the series in its transition from page to screen, will be afoot.  Says comic creator and TV series executive producer Robert Kirkman:

The essence of the character — her personality, her motives, everything that makes Michonne Michonne — remains intact from the comic. But like a lot of things on the show, there will be little tweaks and differences here and there.

We saw that her introduction is slightly different from how it was in the comic, and her interaction with Andrea is really going to be a really cool addition to the character that I think will get television viewers up to speed, and they’ll get to know her a lot faster than comic book readers did.

Further beyond that, Kirkman also described the look of the third season's prison setting (which we caught a bit of in the last set video), saying it looks "absolutely stunning," "really creepy, really moody," and I think when people start seeing trailers and stuff for this season, I think people are just gonna be like, “Wait, what? This is what? I can’t believe this is a TV show!”

Check out the first look at Michonne in the picture below, and tell us what you think!  We like that the show keeps Michonne's comic hairstyle, unlike the usual images we've seen of Danai Gurira maintaining a really close crop.  What else would you like to see from 'The Walking Dead' season 3 when it debuts this fall?

The Walking Dead Season 3 Michonne
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