DCeased: War of the Undead Gods - a DC Comics mini-series

When DC Comics published its first DCeased mini-series a few years ago, it felt like nothing more than an opportunity to cash in on the popularity of The Walking Dead and the whole zombie craze.  That's not to say the first mini-series was bad.  I rather enjoyed the chance to see what would happen if some of the most powerful heroes in the world were affected by a zombie virus and turned on those they swore to protect.  How would the world react?  Well, apparently the series did well enough that DC published some spin-offs and sequels, including DCeased: A Good Day to Die, DCeased: Unkillables, DCeased: Hope at World's End, and DCeased: Dead Planet.  Some were good, some were just okay, and some were clearly nothing more than an attempt to cash in on the original series' success.  This year, DC published what appears to be the final story in the DCeased series - and if a series such as this has to end, this is definitely the conclusion it deserves!

DCeased: War of the Undead Gods is the final battle of the surviving heroes, not just of Earth, but of the entire universe, against an anti-life agent intent on destroying everything.  The story opens with a flashback to the end of Krypton.  Zor-El and his wife are sending their teen daughter to a planet where she will have amazing powers and where she will not be alone.  She will be among gods.  New gods.  But when she arrives on New Genesis, she is quickly overcome by a horde of gods who have succumbed to the anti-life equation.

Flash-foward to the present. The survivors of a devastated Earth have migrated to what they now call "Earth 2."  Lois Lane is the President.  Jon Kent and some of the most powerful heroes are prepared to go rescue Superman, where he lies dormant in the heart of the Sun.  With the antidote (developed in previous stories), they hope to return Kal-El to his former self ... to inspire hope to those who remain.  And as they bring home Earth's Greatest Superhero, they also face the unexpected arrival of Brainiac.  But this is not the Brainiac they once know.  He is defeated.  He is near death.  And he comes bearing a warning.  The gods are on their way.  Gods who have been turned.  Gods whose only goal is to spread the anti-life equation and destroy all who get in their way.  

And so begins the biggest climactic battle since the original Crisis on Infinite Earths back in 1985.  The New Gods and the villainous gods of Apokolips have all been turned.  And that includes Darkseid.  And when he destroys a yellow lantern, the ring chooses the one who might spread the greatest fear - and who else but Darkseid could spread fear on that level, especially now?!  And when he gets a hold of Warworld, his power to devastate only grows exponentially.  Even with the combined might of Superman, Superboy, Wonder Woman, and the entire Green Lantern Corps, there is not enough power to stop what is to come.  

Writer Tom Taylor provides readers with a story of impossible odds, yet one filled with hope and inspiration, as he gives readers a brand new DC trinity - Superman (Jon Kent), Batman (Damian Wayne), and Wonder Woman (Cassie Sandsmark).  And every time the tide seems to turn - Mr. Mxyzpltk shows up!  Spectre shows up!  Even the main man, Lobo, shows up! - somehow the evil wave of anti-life manages to overcome and turn even the most powerful of them all.  Retreat seems impossible.  Winning looks bleak.  But Taylor shows the true strength of some of the least powerful characters in the DC Universe and provides some jaw-dropping twists near that end that result in some unexpected surprises, a very sad sacrifice, and a final battle that even Ares and the Black Racer cannot avoid!  Worlds live!  Worlds Die!  And the universe will never be the same!  (Sure, that tagline was used back in '85 for Crisis, but it certainly applies to this final battle with the DCeased as well!)

Artists Trevor Hairsine and Andy Lanning knock it out of the part with this one.  Yes, the story is dark and bloody, so there are plenty of shadows and plenty of reds and grays ... but there is also the bright blues and greens, the colorful costumes of the heroes, and the light shades of humanity to remind the reader that all is not hopeless.  The battle scenes are epic, and unlike many of today's comics, we don't get a fancy splash page every few pages or so.  Each issue packs plenty of story, and I'm definitely glad I waited until I had all eight issues to read it, as I don't imagine I would have liked waiting 30 days between each issue to find out what happens next!  Some major characters die in rather gruesome ways (this is a zombie story, after all, so no one is truly safe), and Hairsine and Lanning fill those moments with emotion that can felt off the page.  

While I definitely one to complain about how dark and gritty comics of today have become, I will be the first to admit that this DCeased saga has really caught me off-guard.  I never anticipated liking it as much as I have, and for such a dark story, it has often reminded readers that even in the darkest of times, we should always look for hope!  I'd say Taylor, Hairsince, and Lanning have a huge success with this eight-issue tale, and I give them props for ending this saga in what feels like the perfect conclusion.

RATING:  9 bottled cities of Brainiac out of 10 for giving a superhero take on the zombie craze a conclusion that is definitely one to be remembered!