User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Can the survivors of a
Dead Planet still save the day?
Years after the events in DCeased, Cyborg's head sends out a distress signal, and Superboy (now Superman) heads up the team that goes on a rescue mission.
Once there, they find out that there
may be a way to save the infected, but in order to do it, they'll have to fight off the villains who have finally come up with a way to destroy all of the zombies.
AND THERE'S NO TALKING THEM DOWN!Admittedly, that sounds a little thin, but we're talking about a story revolving around people who were turned into zombies by their phones.
So. Either roll with it or don't bother with it to begin with, I say.
Constantine plays a large role this time around, so you know things are going to get squirrely. And I'm a huge fan of the DC mystics, so this added an extra layer of goodness to the story for me. Jon & Damien were another plus to this thing. I'm not sure I've ever liked them more, as Taylor's version of these two now-adult superheroes was just about as perfect as it was subtly surprising.
This title is actually far better than it has any right to be, and I always get a little ping of excitement when I notice that there are more of these books out. And I'll continue to read these for as long as Tom Taylor keeps cranking them out.
Recommended.
Rating: really liked it
This story picks with the JL on another earth when they receive a warning from cyborg that a cure maybe available and thus begins their quest to find the cure but losing some teammates on the way and unexpected pairs and relationships and then we have the greatest moment ever when we have multi-threats of Amazo and Trigon coming to earth to want the souls of the living. Will the league be able to save the people from this virus? Whats happened with Green Arrow and the new gods? What lengths will John Constantine go to in order to save everyone and whats more is whats happening with Darkseid? This series has so many plots going on and all are carried so well and its so interesting to see Taylor handle it and give epic moments for John and Jon (Superman) and the art is fab and interesting pairing and the story starts off in some pessimistic fashion but by the end its smiles. The art was okayish and definitely there is some sequel material for sure! Good series and really well handled by the writer!
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Reread: 21/05/2022
I still love this one! The way with which Taylor writes it is epic. The threat of the Amazo robots while Trigon is invading and them having find a cure to the virus and what that entails and the drama there and so many high stakes its brilliant, the way Jon and Damian are written is awesome but its constantine who steals the show and its one of the best re-reads I have had and it just gets better everytime. The art is so much better here and I freaking love it!! Taylor knocked this out of the park once again!
Rating: really liked it
It’s five years after the zombie apocalypse and, because it’s the last book in the series, the disembodied head of Cyborg has conveniently found a cure to the undead version of the Anti-Life Equation! Lured back to Earth by Cyborg’s intergalactic distress signal, the surviving heroes prepare to save the world - but standing in their way is an Amazo army for the 1% and Trigon, who’s emerging from the fiery pits to wipe out the remains of humanity and start life all over again. Could… could the heroes somehow save the day against impossible odds? Duh…
DCeased: Dead Planet predictably closes out what turned out to be an unimpressive pseudo-horror series. There were two storylines running in parallel in this book - the search for the cure before the Amazo army came online, and preparing to take on Trigon - neither of which were that interesting, and a third that got teased - zombie Darkseid unleashed - that was introduced and then got dropped immediately, never to be revisited, and that was the storyline I wanted to read more of!
I guess it’s cool that Tom Taylor gave the Vertigo crowd their time in the sun this time around - Constantine, Swamp Thing, et al. played big parts in this book - and it’s fun to see less well-known characters cameo here and there, like Doctor Fate and Metron. And Taylor shows once again why Jon and Damian are a better Superman and Batman than their dads ever were.
I don’t hate Trevor Hairsine’s artwork but I’m definitely not a fan. All the characters look stretched out and too similar and his Penguin is the worst I’ve ever seen - he’s tall, thin, even hipster-looking. Trigon looks cool, even if it’s pretty much a basic devil design, as did undead Plastic Man.
Mostly though the book has too many characters doing too many things, rushing towards a messy, convoluted and unsurprising finale. Characters “die” (of course none of it will stick even if this wasn’t a novelty series) and, no matter how unlikely Taylor tries to make victory for the heroes seem, it all works out for almost everyone in the end regardless. Ho hum. I was sitting on another chair dozing off, I was so far from the edge of my seat.
I suppose DCeased was a creative mash-up of DC superheroes and zombies, it just didn’t make for all that compelling reading. And so, with Dead Planet, DCeased ends with a load of flashy nonsense, much like it started. I don’t know who this series was for, but it wasn’t for me!
Rating: really liked it
Five years after
DCeased the new Justice League receives a distress call from Earth. So they head back to help those who were left behind. Just like
Injustice, Taylor excels at these Elseworlds stories. I like how the the next generation of heroes steps up to keep the JL going. I also loved how John Constantine got to take center stage. Taylor has certainly proved he can write John Constantine between this,
Injustice, and Hellblazer: Rise and Fall. Maybe it's time to hand over the
Hellblazer reins to an Aussie?
Rating: really liked it
DCeased: Dead Planet was awesome, awesome, awesome. It is a great continuation to the series.
Rating: really liked it
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
The fragility of hope is a concept that is often taken for granted. When one lives within a bubble where life rhymes with peace, there are only unexpected tragedies or those that circulate in the media to reel them back to reality. Yet once everything is lost, should one give up on the prospect of hope? If there’s a chance, even if it would require incredible sacrifices, would it justify the risk to explore the possibility? For some heroes, hope is the driving force of their actions and that alone is enough to send them down dangerous roads to once again taste what is now nothing but a glorious memory of hope, peace, and love. Collecting all seven issues of the sequel to DCeased and unique behind-the-scenes look at the art and design in hardcover, writer Tom Taylor looks to stretch his imagination into the mystic and dark arts to bring forth a story of hope and resilience among heroes.
What is DCeased: Dead Planet about? Set five years after the events in DCeased, the story follows the survivors of the infected apocalypse who have now established themselves on a new Earth, away from the chaos. Having formed a new Justice League with the remaining heroes, including Damian Wayne (Batman), Jon Kent (Superman), and Cassie Sandsmark (Wonder Woman), they now remain at bay from the anti-life disaster and go on keeping the peace in the galactic world, keeping their minds busy, not thinking about all that they’ve lost. It’s when a faint signal transmission coming from Cyborg back on Earth that they revisit their dead planet only to learn that there might be a cure to all the madness. Not willing to miss an opportunity to bring the remaining infected humans and heroes back to their natural state, they embark on a hopeless mission praying that an inkling of normalcy can be reinstated.
Besides the sadness that took control of me when realizing the missed opportunity regarding the cover design (how do you not draw inspiration off of the beautiful cover of the first volume by doing something similar here?), writer Tom Taylor does deliver a decent chapter in his DCeased universe. It does lack the shock factor of the first volume that made it an over-the-top yet epic zombie event but it still offers a similar high-stake story that capitalizes on endgame moments and unexpected twists. After all, when the remaining heroes have already suffered through incredible losses and Earth’s fate, since then, remains questionable, it’s unsurprising that everyone is ready to put their lives on the line to try and reestablish peace and quiet once again.
This time around, writer Tom Taylor brings John Constantine to the front of the line and makes him the key determinant to how everything could go down: can the cynical Englishman put aside his tendency for mischief to do what’s right for once? Tactfully exploring these familiar characters as older and mature heroes, he brilliantly captures their personalities and motives without sacrificing those for meaningless action. It does feel like the time jump leaves readers with a gaping emptiness regarding how things are nowadays but these voids can be filled with the other volumes (DCeased: The Unkillables and DCeased: Hope At World’s End) exploring those moments and the villains’ point of view during the DCeased event.
Artist Trevor Hairsine also returns for this latest chapter to continue his excellent depiction of this post-apocalyptic universe once again. His character designs are still fantastic, giving us an older cast that embraces their respective roles with charisma and leadership. He also makes good use of splash pages to capture some of the more iconic moments within each issue, allowing the reader to really soak in the sense of hope and life that still exists despite their mission to save a dead planet. The inking and colouring also help establish this work quite wonderfully. In fact, while the story in itself has less of the intense and dramatic deaths from the first book, it leans more towards the vivid and colourful post-apocalyptic world that comes with the inclusion of mystic and dark arts. One thing’s for sure, there isn’t much blame that can be put on the artists for this one for the quality of this story. Everything comes down to how invested you were in DCeased and how curious you are about what comes next.
DCeased: Dead Planet is a decent and eventful sequel exploring new threats amidst the resurgence of hope for a lost home.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Rating: really liked it
Another great story for Tom Taylor in the DCeased timeline. This one has at all from action to suspense to heroics to cliffhangers. Can’t wait to see what comes next.
Rating: really liked it
A decent follow-up to the original Elseworlds series finds the heroes who survived the zombie apocalypse returning to the midst of it when they find hope of a cure. There's an attempt to amp the excitement by also tossing in a magical threat from the demon realm and a scientific one from a hidden enclave of villains, but it all results in the story becoming just a little too busy. There are lots of satisfying Easter eggs and plenty of Alan Moore references to please a longtime DC fanboy like me though.
Rating: really liked it
The surviving heroes return to Earth on what may be a suicide mission and learn of a possible cure for the infection. The infected aren’t the only danger they will face as they race to discover the cure. Fast paced action, full of heroics and sacrifices.
Rating: really liked it
DCeased: Dead Planet is the final entry in the DCeased saga. It is fun and has some epic moments, but also suffers with rushed storytelling and cringy dialogues. The artwork is also inconsistent, especially with the characters' faces.
Rating: really liked it
This sequel to the hit original series takes place five years after the events of DCeased. The new Justice League and the other refugees that escaped Earth have colonized another planet and try to start over. But when they discover a faint distress signal originating from their old home, a last ditch effort is organized to return to the blighted planet and save an old friend.
It’s awesome seeing these new takes on our classic heroes (Black Canary as a Green Lantern just seems completely right). While still an exciting story, this book feels like the most rushed in the series, with an anticlimactic ending that feels unfinished. There’s also an over-reliance on the magic side of DC, with John Constantine trying to be a hero and stopping a random-ass Trigon invasion that felt tacked on. Not only do I normally check out a little once magic stuff gets involved, but it’s all such a departure from the zombie epic that was such a compelling cornerstone in the series. It’s very disappointing that they didn’t trust that element to keep the series engaging. But the great dialogue and gritty Trevor Hairsine art keeps this readable.
Rating: really liked it
The DCeased saga continues! A distress call from the ravaged Earth brings the new Justice League back to see who needs their - but a world swarmed with Anti-Life zombies is hardly the best place to find survivors.
Tom Taylor's DCeased epic marches on; while the first series felt fairly complete, returning to Dead Planet didn't feel like retreading old ground. The Earth has changed, and Taylor explores the little pockets of resistance that remain as best he can while working towards a happy-ish ending.
The focus on Constantine is always appreciated; he's basically the co-lead alongside the new Justice League, and Taylor's John is perfectly pitched.
I did think that by issue 5 there were a few too many plot threads going on, and I didn't expect a satisfying resolution, but Taylor manages to knot them all together at the last minute without it feeling too rushed, which is definitely an achievement.
Trevor Hairsine's artwork is still eminently suited for this book; he's rough around the edges and a little gritty, but it's exctly what a book about a world covered in Anti-Life zombies should look like, for sure.
Dead Planet could have been a shameless cash grab, but instead it's a very different look at the aftermath of the original series, paying homage to what came before while paving the way for...something, in the future.
Rating: really liked it
Really loving this series!
This one begins 5 years after the events of
DCeased, and things have gotten pretty wild. A lot of heroes were lost during that first installment so it's cool to see all the new kids jumping in and doing their thing.
This one wasn't quite as graphically violent as the first, but there are still plenty of shocks and heart-breaking moments so it grabbed me just the same. There's a few new faces taking centre stage now, and I really loved how big a role Constantine had in this one.
The story travels at a fun pace and there's plenty of action, but this one also comes with a bit more hope than that first one. The artwork is top notch and easy to follow.
Really enjoyed this, and keen for the new
War of the Gods series!
Rating: really liked it
Tom Taylor is a mastermind when it comes down to writing action stories with deep motivations and character portrayals that do matter.
This is the final chapter of the DCeased saga and it has been quite a trip. I'm gonna miss the DCeased universe and all its gore, but most importantly, the incredible heroics we saw under this scenario.
Rating: really liked it
Dead Planet is basically the opposite of DCeased (which I adored) - instead of an "end of the world" tale that's infused with intense, unrelenting bleakness,
Dead Planet is the story of heroes coming together to save a world long thought lost. It's uplifting! It takes some getting used to.
DCeased was an emotional roller coaster, with heroes becoming undead monsters every ten pages. No one was safe. In
Dead Planet, character deaths feel like a gimmick (fortunately, they're sparingly used). Instead of a rapid downhill slide, characters work together to devise a plan to turn the anti-life equation into a life equation (and prevent a band of villains in Australia from ruining everything).
In that way,
Dead Planet offers more of a traditional comic narrative. True surprises are rare, but the action and adventure quotient is high. It's fun! Trevor Hairsine's artwork is superb. You kind of miss the character work of
DCeased, though, where Tom Taylor really made you care about a superhero right before killing them. Perhaps the issue isn't a lack of character building and more a reliance on Fourth World and Justice League Dark characters. If you're a John Constantine fan, this is the book for you.
All told, a somewhat unnecessary sequel to
DCeased, almost entirely different, but enjoyable and satisfying and beautiful in its own right. (view spoiler)
[I'll admit to being disappointed with the happy ending, but that's a me thing. Though I guess undead Darkseid is out there, ready to cause trouble? Hmm! (hide spoiler)]
