Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Trevor Hairsine, Andy Lanning, Saida Temofonte, and Rain Beredo
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: August 9th, 2022
What commenced as a fight for the planet has evolved into a battle for the universe as the definitive branch in the immense DCEASED series has finally arrived! The appearance of a reawakened, demonic DARKSEID in DCEASED: DEAD PLANET established the scene for the most destructive confrontation yet for SUPERMAN, BATMAN, and WONDER WOMAN! Let’s dive into DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #1 by Tom Taylor as the Anti-Life Equation circulates throughout the galaxy. Can the legacy left alive on Earth assemble to stop the pending Armageddon? Let’s jump into this final installment and find out.
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #1 Review.
THE DISPATCH
The interesting twist that Tom Taylor has laid out with DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #1 is a sense of calm, rejuvenation, and new beginnings. After all the darkness and death surrounding the DCEASED series’, it was quite welcoming and reaffirming. However, Taylor is a pro in terms of juggling with that same calmness a deviant splinter on the horizon. Fans will see the immediate direction DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS is going and will easily be able to understand the next steps. Nevertheless, we all know Taylor’s guiding style will most certainly throw in a few wicked, unexpected wrinkles to keep readers on their toes.
But aside from the essential atmosphere of the title, as well as the presumed direction and straightforward nature of DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #1, the specific scenes that were the most interesting were by and large the Alfred conversation and the opener with Kara. The genius of Taylor is the range of emotion he sends the reader on in one mere issue.
Readers will begin with fear and trepidation, continue with a sense of peace, but end with remorse and sorrow. Moreover, Taylor does a fine job implementing an extremely functional starting point for new readers to jump on with some semblance of understanding. Yet, it would still be more beneficial for fans of the DCEASED series to come with a bit of a refresher prior to diving in. It’s not required but still recommended.
ART
My biggest knock on the DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #1 was definitely in this category. Trevor Hairsine, Andy Lanning, and Rain Beredo do a very respectable job, however, the renderings of the characters seem a bit off. The characters are extremely thin and elongated while many of their faces come across with this texture that appears almost like mannequins. Moreover, if you get the opportunity to zoom in on more of the smaller panels, the pencils lack detail, the character’s eyes are off-center in a variety of places, and there is even an instance on page 21 where SUPERMAN’S eye looks droopy. More importantly, SUPERMAN doesn’t look anything like the character.
But even in the variety of weird and misconstrued renderings, the true oddity is that when given the space to work and the color palette to shine, this creative team showed the true potential they are capable of. The early reveal in DECEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #1 where fans saw the New Gods was a full-page onslaught filled with vigor and violence. Moreover, the covers were practically jaw-dropping. My point is that when given the proper space and layout, this art team can really make a difference causing this comic to ascend to another level. I’m excited to see how the next issue looks. Was this a one-time thing or will this be what to expect from this artistic creative team?
FINAL THOUGHTS
DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #1 is a pretty solid opener based solely on the story beats and plot threads laid out in the initial narrative. It’s straightforward, easy to follow, and will take fans on a nice rollercoaster of emotions while checking many of the DCEASED boxes you’ve grown to love. Many of the dangling questions are answered with a new curveball waiting on the horizon that seems pretty clear-cut. Nevertheless, it’s actually the internal art team that’s bringing my score down this week. The renderings of the characters were off and the detail within the smaller panel layouts showed.
At times, the illustrations even came across as a bit rushed and messy in spots. For a team that normally provides a solid balance to any comic they tag team, it just seemed very uncharacteristic for this crew and I genuinely expect DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #2 to be far better. But together, the entire creative team just didn’t seem to gel as well as I thought they would along with an initial story that felt more like a “where are they now” catch-up than anything else. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!