DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #6 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Trevor Hairsine, Penciller; Andy Lanning, Inker; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: As we reach the last act of Tom Taylor’s high-intensity zombie thriller, the stakes are higher than ever. The New Gods have been corrupted, the mysterious villain who has turned even Darkseid into a thrall has been making itself known, and the battle is coming to Earth once again. As the issue opens, the Green Lanterns mourn another lost planet and prepare for their next move. Even cosmic beings aren’t safe, as Mr. Mxyzptlk has been turned in the last issue. With the ant-life zombies close to gaining cosmic power to spread their plague, only one being stands in the way—the Spectre. When Jim Corrigan shows up, it’s usually a curb-stomp battle, but in this case we have a rare battle of equals—and one that ends only when an unexpected hero enters the fray, giving the Spectre a chance to strike the killing blow at great personal cost, leaving one of the most powerful beings in the universe unmoored.
But this series wouldn’t work nearly as well if it didn’t have a personal touch. These are people who have been through hell and back. Some have literally been dead for years. Some have lost almost everyone. So when the zombies come to Earth once again, and one more civilian falls, it sets into motion a chain of events that took me by surprise. We have Jon and Damian making a last desperate stand together, while President Lane does her best to preserve what life is left. And then we have an unexpected character undergo a transformation that dropped my jaw when I saw where this was going. It’s thrilling, and all a little ridiculous, but in a way that never stops being incredibly entertaining. I don’t have any idea how Taylor can wrap this up in two more issues, or what will be left of the world when he’s done, but I’m pretty sure this will go down as one of the best long-form Elseworlds.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
