DC Comics reviews for 6/5/19 – Justice League #25, Batman #72

DCeased #2

Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine are turning the clock back and making superpowered zombies fresh…er, exciting in 2019.

The Justice League was caught off guard when Darkseid’s anti-life equation kicked in and turned people into rabid, bloodthirsty zombies.

With the disease’s ability to be spread through traditional measures (bites, blood and scratches) as well as digital, the League quickly finds the odds stacked against them even before some of their members succumb.

Taylor doesn’t play favorites so the victims include A-list heroes and villains that still retain a portion of their innate skills and personality.
What’s making DCeased work is that Taylor explores common themes from his previous works like Injustice and the notion of legacy characters. Also, the characters aren’t behaving in a conveniently stupid manner to move the story along.

Hairsine’s art is striking as his realistic style works very well with the horror elements. His panels flow sensibly to create an ever present sense of dread. Zombie books can tend to go overboard with the blood and guts, but colorist Rain Beredo dials up the horror by keeping it too a minimum.

Taylor’s unpredictable script is keeping DCeased from feeling too familiar while setting up the mentality that no one is safe. So far this book is exceeding my expectations and is quickly becoming one I look forward to the next installment.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10