DCeased: Hope at World’s End #1 and #2 review – digital exclusive

Tom Taylor is quickly becoming one of my favorite comic book writers — a status only in the rise after the first two installments of DCeased: Hope at World’s End.

The original DCeased mini-series rolled with a breakneck pacing to convey the onslaught of the Anti-Life infection’s spread. There wasn’t a ton of time for reflection or for the heroes to consider a plan so much as react and desperately hope for the best.

With Hope at World’s End, Taylor spends more time detailing the untold stories of the initial infection wave.

The first issue is told from the perspective of Jimmy Olsen, who watches the fall of The Daily Planet firsthand. As always, Taylor economically manages to work in some heartfelt moments in this case a brief sequence between Superman and Jimmy that’s incredibly effective.

Dustin Nguyen handles the art for the issue and like all the artists in the DCeased sandbox his scenes of the infected are terrifyingly mesmerizing. You get the sense that these zombies are more of the fast moving variety, but there’s something in the panels that makes it feel like inevitable slow motion.

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In the second issue, Taylor turns to Black Adam as the heroes hope to find sanctuary at Kahndaq.

If there was a problem with DCeased it was Taylor couldn’t devote much time to the rapid changes he was placing on this new world. World’s End offers some worthwhile moments between the chaos like Martian Manhunter’s approval of Dinah’s new costume and Black Adam’s brutally efficient way of keeping his nation safe.

Renato Guedes’ art is smooth and streamlined fitting in easily with previous artists’ contributions to the series. Colorist Rex Lokus does some strong work in highlighting Black Adam’s lightning strikes.

Like most of the series there’s an undercurrent of tragedy destined to wipe out the slightest possibility of hope. Taylor knows what he’s doing though even if we already know the fates of Superman and company. Fans of DCeased won’t want to miss this digital only series that feels in some very interesting gaps in the overall story.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Photo Credit: DC Comics