DCeased: War Of The Undead Gods #3 - DC Comics

DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS  No. 3, December 2022

Opening with a genuinely upsetting update as to just how Adam Strange succumbed to the spread of the anti-living, Tom Taylor’s script for Issue Three of “DCeased: War Of The Undead Gods” must surely have disconcerted many fans of the Australian author’s alternate Earth “where a corrupted version of the Anti-Life Equation has infected most of Earth's inhabitants with a zombie-like virus.” For whilst the twenty-two-page periodical subsequently moves on to a slightly more tongue-in-cheek depiction of Lobo literally tearing up a disease-ridden Thanagarian warship, the haunting image of the space adventurer’s young daughter tearfully screaming at the sight of her undead dad permeates the entirety of this publication’s plot.

Indeed, it’s debatably difficult to imagine a more harrowing sequence for this “blockbuster final arc” as a desperate, jet-propelled archaeologist unwisely asks a certain Amazon-Olympian demigoddess for help to intercept the next Zeta-Beam transmission and discovers the Justice Leaguer to be as rabidly unhinged as his home planet has become unrecognisably ruinous; “Computer… Lock rocket pack to co-ordinates. What the hell happened here? Wonder Woman? Hey! Diana! Oh @h--"

Fortunately, for those within this book’s audience who like a little more humour in their comics, the Stan Lee Excelsior Award-winner does off-set this shocking start with an amusing depiction of Keith Giffen’s co-creation initially being overlooked as a worthy warrior to help save the Universe. Enraged by a flock of crazed Hawkmen brutally murdering the extra-terrestrial who poured his drinks in the Rylex System, the Czarnian singlehandedly outfights an entire invasion force with little more than a handful of Thanagarian grenades and his infamous large gutting hook, whilst simultaneously still quipping about him being “the Main Man”.

Just as enjoyable as Taylor’s penmanship is Trevor Hairsine’s artwork, which manages to add both plenty of gravitas to poor Strange’s fate, as well as mirth to Lobo’s interrupted alcoholic libations in equal measure. Furthermore, the former ‘Marvel Young Gun’ somehow manages to maintain the attention when pencilling this publication’s more sedentary scenes concerning Ares sudden materialisation at Princess Diana of Themyscira’s funeral. This sombre, rather word-heavy memorial is made all the more dialogue-driven when the God of War uses it to wax lyrical about the imminent death of the Universe. Yet the cremation ceremony still proves a riveting read courtesy of the physical hostility which the British illustrator manages to imbue all the Amazonians with during their interactions alongside the unpopular deity.

The regular cover art of "DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS" #3 by Howard Porter & Rain Beredo

DC Vs. Vampires #7 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 7, September 2022

Quite considerably ramping up the scale of the vampires’ invasion of Earth to a truly global level, this beginning to the mini-series’ “nightmarish second arc” certainly seems to do a cracking job in depicting just how horrifically all-powerful the blood drinkers’ empire has become since the treacherous murder of the Dark Knight. Indeed, the opening double splash-page to Issue Seven of “DC Vs. Vampires” provides a picture of the terrifying fate awaiting any remaining pockets of humanity which speaks more than a thousand eloquently chosen words. 

Enjoyably however, this sense of grandeur doesn’t deter James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg from still focusing upon the individual inhabitants of their deadly alternative world, and making their audience suddenly care for the likes of Adam Strange, Negative Man and Peacemaker. These ‘B-Listers’ have clearly taken up the fight in the name of mankind, and almost immediately capture the sympathetic support of the reader as they desperately attempt to escort an emaciated Kara to a safe haven whilst all the time fending off the ghoulish incarnations of some of the DC Universe’s heaviest hitters; “Yes. I have always thought you were the most boring member of the Justice League.” 

Furthermore, the shocking and systematic demise of Mister Bones’ band of brave do-gooders to an utterly arrogant Wonder Woman is not only as debatably chilling as comic book violence can possibly get, but also helps quickly establish the deadly, ruthless nature of those heroes infected by vampirism. Establishing such a despicable malevolence really is crucial to this publication’s final third, when it becomes evident that even the highly experienced Green Arrow has been significantly shaken to his core by the sights he has seen and is resultantly angrily at odds with some of his fellow super-heroes when they suggest “travelling halfway around the world, cross the ocean” to Australia to clear the ash clouds dominating the sky.

Adding an incredible amount of realistic fatigue to this comic’s considerably sized cast are Otto Schmidt’s pencils, which really do help promote the utter exhaustion felt by the few mortal survivors of the new Vampire King’s reign. Likewise, the Siberian illustrator does a stellar job in portraying this book’s more action-orientated moments and brings a genuine pathos to the plight of Robert Todd when the skull-headed protagonist sadly slips into lifelessness alongside Jayna after the Wonder Twin seemingly rescued him from an overconfident Firestorm.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #7 by Guillem March