DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #8 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Trevor Hairsine/Andy Lanning, Lucas Meyer, Artists; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: So, here we are—after three full-length minis and several spin-off series, the whole saga concludes here. Last issue saw Cyborg score a victory over the Anti-Life virus and successfully de-zombify several major characters—including reuniting the Free family and finally allowing Supergirl to meet her cousin. But the victory is tempered with horror, as the real villain is still out there—Erebos, the God of Darkness. This ancient primordial deity is more powerful than anything DC heroes have encountered before, and that’s enough to unite just about everyone against him—including new recruit Darkseid, cosmic force Black Racer, and long-time villain Ares. While the fight seems impossible, Damian comes up with a plan to enter Erebos’ impassable realm the only way they can—by dying and entering the realm beyond life, if only for a minute under controlled circumstances.
Of course, a big part of this story has been Damian’s ascent to the role of Batman—something Jon Kent and Cassie Sandsmark have also had to bear, as the trinity was reformed with only the original Superman remaining alive. And Damian has always been his father’s son, with one last plan up his sleeve that not even his allies know about. For a series that spent so much time as a hard-boiled horror series, it’s interesting that this final series—and particularly the final issue—is so cosmic and relatively bloodless. Narrated by Alfred Pennyworth, who is now the immortal Spectre, this issue has a very melancholy vibe to it, even feeling more like an epilogue than anything else—although the action that ensues within the story is maybe the most significant of the run. It truly does feel like an ending, one that slams the door closed with style. It’s probably destined to go down as one of the all-time best Elseworlds to come out of the modern era.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
