AMC announced Wednesday that Robert Kirkman is adapting his newest graphic novel series, Thief of Thieves for the cable television network.

The Walking Dead writer/executive producer is working with Chic Eglee (Dexter, The Shield) and David Alpert (The Walking Dead) to develop the new show.

Kirkman, who still writes monthly issues of The Walking Dead, has released two issues of Thief of Thieves, each of which sold out on its respective release date.

The third issue was released on April 11th from Skybound/Image Comics.

Though The Walking Dead continues to break viewership records with its portrayal of the zombie apocalypse (the season two finale drew 9 million total viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter), viewers of Kirkman’s new show will notice a distinct lack of “walkers.”

Thief of Thieves, as its title suggests, is instead a heist story. The series is about Conrad Paulson, “the world’s greatest thief,” according to skybound.com.

He vows to steal only what’s already been stolen, in an effort to right the great wrongs of his life. But he may be too late for redemption.”

Kirkman said he hopes his adaptation will bring something new to television, just as The Walking Dead did.

Much like The Walking Dead brought horror to television in a unique and groundbreaking way, I feel Thief of Thieves can do the same thing for heist stories, showing the humanity of all the characters, including the criminals,” Kirkman said in an AMC release.

While the announcement has evoked much excitement from Kirkman’s fans, one question seems prevalent.

Will starting the show so early in the comic series compromise the quality or direction of the story?

Not much of the story will have been fleshed out, so characters and arcs could have to develop simultaneously. For most writers, this would seem a daunting task, but Kirkman’s track record suggests there is no need to worry.

Kirkman said he feels his work is in good hands at AMC, which adds to the success of his projects.

AMC recognizes the limitless ideas generated by the comic industry,” Kirkman said in a release. “Their dedication to bringing The Walking Dead to life as a TV show has been key to its success and I’m excited about the potential of Thief of Thieves to reach similar levels of success.”