“War Of The Undead Gods” – Book Six
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artists: Trevor Hairsine, Andy Lanning
Color Artist: Rain Beredo
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Review by Steve J. Ray
Death and carnage reign, in DCeased: War Of The Undead Gods #6.
Bolovax Vik, the homeworld of Green Lantern Kilowog, has been destroyed by the undead Mr. Mxyzptlk, ending billions of lives. While The Spectre continues fighting the possessed imp the forces on Earth-2 find themselves under siege.
This series consistently finds new ways to raise the stakes, and the end of the second act of this cosmic, superhero horror story doesn’t take its foot off the gas for a second. Tom Taylor brings Lobo into the fold this month, and while I’m not a big fan of the character I am a huge admirer of Tom Taylor, as a writer. At this stage I’m not only sure that he’ll do new and wonderful things with DC’s “Main man”, I’m even convinced that he could write a B’wana Beast Vs. Condiment King series and make it a best-seller.
Once again, while this is an action-heavy series, the violence, gore, and conflagration never overshadow the moments of heart, heroism, and character. The story consistently shows us the real heroes never quit, and that sometimes even the unlikeliest of characters can step up and make a real difference. I promise you, the end of this issue will leave you speechless.
The issue’s artists Trevor Hairsine and Andy Lanning, along with color artist Rain Beredo and letterer Saida Temofonte are producing comics storytelling of the highest order. The look of pain and horror on the faces of Superman and Kyle Rayner in this issue says more about the state of events, and the horrors they’ve witnessed, than any cosmic battles, planetary destruction, or universal chaos ever could. Don’t get me wrong, the team handles all the blistering action brilliantly, but it’s the realism and humanity of the characters that really drive the message home.
I will always love comics. No movie or TV show will ever have the budget to give fans the images that these incredibly talented writers and artists do. Few actors can convey, with one look, the depth of emotion and pain that this creative team gives us, in every single issue. The really mind-blowing thing about all of this is that we’ve just had two-thirds of this tale and yet I feel, however great this series has been, that the best is yet to come.
Conclusion
DCeased: War Of The Undead Gods #6 gives us everything that I love about comics. Spectacle, entertainment, thrills, chills, and surprises. The villains are despicable, the heroes are larger than life and the stakes are incredibly high. One of my all-time favorite comic characters takes a massive step forward in this issue, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the final two chapters.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
