DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #5 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Trevor Hairsine/Andy Lanning, Neil Edwards, Artists; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Tom Taylor’s zombie thriller was large-scale from the start, but we’ve never seen anything like this. As characters from around the cosmic world enter the fray, even Gods are starting to choose their sides. Last issue we saw the Guardians of the Universe side against the heroes, choosing to liquidate the infected rather than try to save them. Meanwhile, Ares and now Mr. Mxyzptlk are siding with the heroes. As more figures enter the battle, it becomes clear the scope of the anti-life infection—with the agents of the equation targeting the most populated planet in the world, Bolovax Vix. Kilowog’s homeworld raises the emotional stakes, as the veteran Green Lantern chooses to disobey Guardian orders and head for home—leaving Oa more vulnerable as the villains bear down on the central power battery. This has always been a war comic, but this is one of the best issues when it comes to conveying the sheer scope of the battle.
The battle this issue has so many great moments, including the first face-off between Superman and Supergirl—who in this world, have never met and are now bitter enemies. The parting between Clark and Jon, who have only recently been reunited, packs some real emotional punch—no surprise, given that Taylor is pretty much Jon’s defining writer by now. It’s interesting that he began writing the character as the survivor of the Super-family long before he wrote Jon’s main series, and you can see the two versions growing closer in personality. Of course, what we’re really here for is epic cosmic action, and this issue does not disappoint at all—with a crazy, action-packed finale that kills off several major heroes, threatens a whole group more, and creates the most powerful anti-life zombie yet—before pulling possibly the most powerful hero in the DCU off the sidelines at long last. Taylor does not disappoint.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
