Review – DCeased #6: Ends of the Earth

DCeased #6 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Trevor Hairsine, Neil Edwards, Pencillers; Stefano Gaudiano, Inker; Rain Beredo, Colorist

Ratings:

Ray – 9/10

Corrina: Got Pulled Back IN

Ray: Tom Taylor’s sci-fi zombie thriller ends with a bang – or several – in DCeased #6, as the surviving heroes make their last stand against the twisted beings created from the Anti-Life Equation. Last issue saw Superman fall after a heroic sacrifice to stop Flash, and the rise of a destructive, inhuman Superman has changed the resistance to a hasty evacuation. As the heroes scramble to get as many people as they can on the Arks, a little of Taylor’s trademark humor creeps in even among the darkness. Green Arrow and Black Canary get the best lines of the issue, especially Ollie once he finds out about Batman’s secret contingency plans.

With Superman lurking overhead, the first part of DCeased #6 is almost surprisingly low-key, with the focus on the heroes rallying at Themyscira and the Green before it’s too late. But when the big action gets going, it provides the best visuals and most shocking moments of the series – including a stunning splash page involving Aquaman controlling a zombie kraken.

Having Lois Lane narrate this series was a great touch, giving the story a human connection that wouldn’t be there if we were just watching zombie heroes fight each other. It’s also one of the best depictions of Lois in the aftermath of tragedy – she grieves for Clark, sure, but that just steels her will and she fights harder to preserve what she and the world have left. This furthers my opinion that regardless of the Injustice status quo, Taylor is one of the best Superman writers in the last few years. Jon and Damian get a great starring role here, especially the former as he wages a near-hopeless fight to delay his father’s attack. Then there’s a fascinating last segment with Cyborg up against the monster behind the carnage, implying that the threat is far bigger than we thought. The series ends on almost a hopeful note, but this can’t be the end. There’s a lot of unanswered questions, and given that this was one of the biggest new hits for DC in years, I’d be shocked if we didn’t get a volume two.

Corrina: I have a thing against zombies. They give me nightmares even if I’m not scared when I’m reading or watching, I’m also not big on grim and apocalyptic superhero stories. And yet there’s something about this book that keeps me interested.

It’s undoubtably the character work and how Taylor never loses the human emotions during the horrifici tragedies. I also believe he writes most of these characters as defaulting to their best selves, even in the face of the world literally ending. The sacrifices made by various characters, hurt, as a visceral level.

This isn’t the characters descending into darkness, like the Year of the Villan or the Tales of the Dark Multiverse stories.

DCeased #6 is about the world descending into darkness with the survivors still holding light in their hearts.

To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.

Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.