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DCeased: War of the Undead Gods
DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #8
The epic saga that began over three years ago reaches its final, cataclysmic conclusion! As worlds burn, heroes fall-can hope prevail? DCeased ends here…
37 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2023
About the author
Tom Taylor
1,292 books1,093 followersOnce a professional juggler and fire eater, Tom Taylor is a #1 New York Times Bestselling, multi-award-winning comic book writer, playwright and screenwriter.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 18, 2023
Another series that really needs a mini-recap at the start if it's going to take its time rolling out issues.
Still, this was a pretty epic conclusion. Not quite the show-stopper I was hoping for, but the artwork is fantastic.
I like that we've moved away from the zombie hordes and finally getting some work done. There were some interesting developments in earlier issues, so it was cool to see how everything came together at the end.
I like the white suit - very symbolic obviously but it looked great!
Most of the logic of this entire series is lost on me, so I'm hoping a re-read of the trade will help join some dots. My memory is terrible so every issue I'm forced to dig back into the archives and try to recall what came before.
I still think the original series is the best, but this was a pretty good addition! It was fun to see things grow out to the godly scale and stakes just constantly being raised.
Overall, it was a decent read. I love the ideas that have been played with throughout the whole DCeased run, and I appreciate that it's a standalone series. I get the feeling some knowledge of Final Crisis stuff would help with all the anti-life drama, and certainly the more DC characters you know, the more fun you'll have. But as a relative newbie to the comic world, the whole DCeased saga was mega-fun to read.
Still, this was a pretty epic conclusion. Not quite the show-stopper I was hoping for, but the artwork is fantastic.
I like that we've moved away from the zombie hordes and finally getting some work done. There were some interesting developments in earlier issues, so it was cool to see how everything came together at the end.
I like the white suit - very symbolic obviously but it looked great!
Most of the logic of this entire series is lost on me, so I'm hoping a re-read of the trade will help join some dots. My memory is terrible so every issue I'm forced to dig back into the archives and try to recall what came before.
I still think the original series is the best, but this was a pretty good addition! It was fun to see things grow out to the godly scale and stakes just constantly being raised.
Overall, it was a decent read. I love the ideas that have been played with throughout the whole DCeased run, and I appreciate that it's a standalone series. I get the feeling some knowledge of Final Crisis stuff would help with all the anti-life drama, and certainly the more DC characters you know, the more fun you'll have. But as a relative newbie to the comic world, the whole DCeased saga was mega-fun to read.
April 19, 2023
4.5/5 stars
April 20, 2023
A really solid ending. Kind of felt like no other way but a wonderful goodbye to a hero having to grow up too quick.
April 18, 2023
Phenomenal issue
Crying my eyes out over this phenomenal outstanding awesome issue.
The artwork is phenomenal and the so is the writing.
Read this issue
Crying my eyes out over this phenomenal outstanding awesome issue.
The artwork is phenomenal and the so is the writing.
Read this issue
July 9, 2023
Fantastic ending to a fantastic elseworlds.
April 9, 2026
That ending got me, that was so beautiful and sad and just perfect. I knew I should have been worried when Damian started talking like Constantine, but it couldn’t have ended any other way. We jump into this issue to find the cure still being dispersed, Barda and Scott are reunited with their son and Kara is reunited with her family and her very grown up cousin. I especially love the detail here that all of them are speaking Kryptonese as they never would have had a chance to learn English. Funeral were held as mortals were buried beside gods and even death himself, black racer, was there to mourn highfather…and that’s when batman snuck up on him to ask a question. Not many can surprise death so the racer obliged the train of thought. Damian has been taking about how to fight Erebos, a primordial deity and the personification of darkness. The only thing that can destroy the dark is light so he has an idea and he just wants confirmation it will work. Damian then brought that idea to Cyborg to work through his solution. After the plan was made cyborg called out as hero’s and villains alike joined together to hear about taking the fight to Erebos himself. The big problem is reaching him, as Erebos exists in a state of limbo outside their universe and they need a doom tune to reach him but they have to be dead to pass through. They are working around that and will move tomorrow, cyborg and batman believe they have a weapon tons Erebos but to ensure he doesn’t escape when they use it (as they will also have to cut open hole and get inside of him to unleash it) they will need a team to distract him. Ares sees this as foolish, no one can hold the attention of a deity like that and he will not go as it will be suicide. Cassie immediately whips up, calling the god of war a coward that hides from battle. Others begin to chip in, Lois questions where he was when Jon defended the planet and lobo made a crack about Ares being the creepy stalker of war, lol. But it was the black racer that put the final nail on the coffin, as he vowed to stand beside Ares when he faces darkseid as death has always followed war…with that Ares agreed to hold Erebos attention.
As it turns out Cassie’s goading of the god of war was a plan Damian set in motion but she still executed flawlessly. But when it comes to the fight itself, Damian doesn’t want Cassie to go. They have overwhelming forces being left behind to defend the earth but none of them are trained and what this place requires more than anything is the experience she has to properly lead them. But as Damian can’t even tell Cassie what his plan actually is she grows quite rightfully offended he would try and keep her away from the fight. But as Cassie walks off Jon flies up to Damian with a gift as it’s actual his 18th birthday…which just…wow. As a gift Clark made Bruce a new suit, as they are fighting darkness he thought something a bit lighter would be in order so he made Damian a fully white bat suit. It’s perfect. They promise each other they are going to win tomorrow and then head off to find and be with their loved ones.
So what’s the workaround for death? Well there isn’t much of a workaround, you just have to die…but that doesn’t mean you can’t be revived. The plan to get through involves using warworld to stop all of their hearts, pass through the doom tube, then revive everyone on the other side to restart their hearts. Easy and painful as that, lol. The black racer is their guide to make sure they cross successfully and the system works for human, to Kryptonian, to Lobo alike as they pass through the doom tube to finally face the large half tentacle body of Erebos. Ares and black racer step out first to face him directly, they know they cannot win the battle but their loss will usher in the heroes to win the war. As Erebos was distracted the heroes set in motion the other side of the plan, Ollie used the bow of Apollo to pierce the personification of darkness, as the combined power of Shazam, the heat vision of two Kryptonians, the omega beams of darkseid, and the green lantern light from Dinah made the cut even deeper as lobo used his hook to tear it open big enough for warworld to pass through. Inside warworld batman and cyborg still stand as they prepare to unleash the weapon…but then cyborg realizes he doesn’t know what the weapon is, the memories have been removed from his mind including his entire conversation with Damian prior. As it turns out, Bruce didn’t just hide a tracker in cyborg a while back…he hacked his entire system and left Damian with the control. Damian had a theory, the anti life virus leapt from Vic’s body and he needed the opposite. So Damian extracted the life equation, erased all of it from Vic’s system, where it now solely exists within Damian. And now the process has already started, the life equation is kicking off a chain reaction inside of Damian as the heart of the anti life and heart of the life equations are colliding. They have three minutes until everything comes to an end and Cyborg can’t stop him as Damian has already charted his flight path.
As Vic flies out he explains they only have a few minutes to escape and batman isn’t coming as he is the weapon. It’s like when anti matter and life matter collide, there is about to be a big bang at the center of the universe and an entirely new universe is about to be born in Damian. Jon tries to call Damian on the comms to tell him he isn’t leaving, but Damian assures him it’s alright…he is already gone. Darkseid even compliments Damian on a most impressive outcome, as Ollie expresses that’s the last place he needs to hear validation from right now. But Damian points out it’s actually Oliver who guessed how this would end. All the way back in the first DCEASED series as they were talking to Bruce over the comms Ollie looked right at Damian as he guessed how this would end:
“Batman isn’t going to be taken out by a virus. You’re not going to get sick and fade away. You’re going to sacrifice yourself for the galaxy…outwitting an evil as old the stars or something.”
The revelation hits Ollie like struck. As Erebos pops the head off of Ares he suddenly feels the light inside of him colliding. Victor opens a proper boom tube to get them out of there as Erebos calls to Damian to talk and bargain…but Damian lost his father and brothers and so many others because of Erebos…there is nothing to bargain for, this will be his end. But Jon refuses to leave, he will not let Damian die alone…and Spectre confirms he doesn’t have to. He can take Jon to Damian and then extract him at the final moment. Damian has a pleasing look on his face as he sees Jon and Spectre Alfred, but he calms down as Alfred contend there is nowhere else they should except beside him an he won’t harm them. Jon knows he can’t save Damian, but as he sits next to him he just thought he’d be here so he isn’t alone. But this also confirms something Jon was right about from the start…Damian is a great batman. At the last moment Damian can’t help but smile and say thank you as he erupts into a new universe, taking Erebos with him, as spectre and Jon fly off back home. Once they return the grid hits everyone as they recognize what was sacrificed to save all life. As the issue comes to an end we follow Spectre Alfred as he takes trips to the universe Damian made. He glides past the new suns and walks over the cooling planets thinking about how much he misses his sons, his entire universe. I really didn’t think they could top the beautiful hopeful ending of the last series, glad to be proven wrong.
As it turns out Cassie’s goading of the god of war was a plan Damian set in motion but she still executed flawlessly. But when it comes to the fight itself, Damian doesn’t want Cassie to go. They have overwhelming forces being left behind to defend the earth but none of them are trained and what this place requires more than anything is the experience she has to properly lead them. But as Damian can’t even tell Cassie what his plan actually is she grows quite rightfully offended he would try and keep her away from the fight. But as Cassie walks off Jon flies up to Damian with a gift as it’s actual his 18th birthday…which just…wow. As a gift Clark made Bruce a new suit, as they are fighting darkness he thought something a bit lighter would be in order so he made Damian a fully white bat suit. It’s perfect. They promise each other they are going to win tomorrow and then head off to find and be with their loved ones.
So what’s the workaround for death? Well there isn’t much of a workaround, you just have to die…but that doesn’t mean you can’t be revived. The plan to get through involves using warworld to stop all of their hearts, pass through the doom tube, then revive everyone on the other side to restart their hearts. Easy and painful as that, lol. The black racer is their guide to make sure they cross successfully and the system works for human, to Kryptonian, to Lobo alike as they pass through the doom tube to finally face the large half tentacle body of Erebos. Ares and black racer step out first to face him directly, they know they cannot win the battle but their loss will usher in the heroes to win the war. As Erebos was distracted the heroes set in motion the other side of the plan, Ollie used the bow of Apollo to pierce the personification of darkness, as the combined power of Shazam, the heat vision of two Kryptonians, the omega beams of darkseid, and the green lantern light from Dinah made the cut even deeper as lobo used his hook to tear it open big enough for warworld to pass through. Inside warworld batman and cyborg still stand as they prepare to unleash the weapon…but then cyborg realizes he doesn’t know what the weapon is, the memories have been removed from his mind including his entire conversation with Damian prior. As it turns out, Bruce didn’t just hide a tracker in cyborg a while back…he hacked his entire system and left Damian with the control. Damian had a theory, the anti life virus leapt from Vic’s body and he needed the opposite. So Damian extracted the life equation, erased all of it from Vic’s system, where it now solely exists within Damian. And now the process has already started, the life equation is kicking off a chain reaction inside of Damian as the heart of the anti life and heart of the life equations are colliding. They have three minutes until everything comes to an end and Cyborg can’t stop him as Damian has already charted his flight path.
As Vic flies out he explains they only have a few minutes to escape and batman isn’t coming as he is the weapon. It’s like when anti matter and life matter collide, there is about to be a big bang at the center of the universe and an entirely new universe is about to be born in Damian. Jon tries to call Damian on the comms to tell him he isn’t leaving, but Damian assures him it’s alright…he is already gone. Darkseid even compliments Damian on a most impressive outcome, as Ollie expresses that’s the last place he needs to hear validation from right now. But Damian points out it’s actually Oliver who guessed how this would end. All the way back in the first DCEASED series as they were talking to Bruce over the comms Ollie looked right at Damian as he guessed how this would end:
“Batman isn’t going to be taken out by a virus. You’re not going to get sick and fade away. You’re going to sacrifice yourself for the galaxy…outwitting an evil as old the stars or something.”
The revelation hits Ollie like struck. As Erebos pops the head off of Ares he suddenly feels the light inside of him colliding. Victor opens a proper boom tube to get them out of there as Erebos calls to Damian to talk and bargain…but Damian lost his father and brothers and so many others because of Erebos…there is nothing to bargain for, this will be his end. But Jon refuses to leave, he will not let Damian die alone…and Spectre confirms he doesn’t have to. He can take Jon to Damian and then extract him at the final moment. Damian has a pleasing look on his face as he sees Jon and Spectre Alfred, but he calms down as Alfred contend there is nowhere else they should except beside him an he won’t harm them. Jon knows he can’t save Damian, but as he sits next to him he just thought he’d be here so he isn’t alone. But this also confirms something Jon was right about from the start…Damian is a great batman. At the last moment Damian can’t help but smile and say thank you as he erupts into a new universe, taking Erebos with him, as spectre and Jon fly off back home. Once they return the grid hits everyone as they recognize what was sacrificed to save all life. As the issue comes to an end we follow Spectre Alfred as he takes trips to the universe Damian made. He glides past the new suns and walks over the cooling planets thinking about how much he misses his sons, his entire universe. I really didn’t think they could top the beautiful hopeful ending of the last series, glad to be proven wrong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2023
*cambiarè la reseña a la compilaciòn cuando salga, ya que es reseña de la historia completa*
recuerdo cuando saliò RE4, y a pesar de que no hubo ni un solo zombi en una historia que era de zombis... fue lo mejor del mundo.
Aquì, DCeased pasò de ser un spin off de zombis que no podìan identificarse como zombis por cosas de derechos de autor, publicidad y hasta estètica (como la saga literaria de Maze Runner); a un 2.0 de blackest night y de TODA pinche crisis y "el mejor evento de DC hasta ahora" y bla, bla, bla...
Me imagino que si fuera la primera historia "larga" o evento de DC que agarres, serìa genial, increìble, interesante, llena de acciòn y bla, bla, pero cuando ya has leìdo otros eventos tanto de Batman, la liga de la justicia y las crisis... lamentablemente ya estàs leyendo la misma pinche historia de siempre. Solo cambian algunos personajes pero en verdad las historias ya son horribles y aburridas. Intentando solo vender la mayor cantidad de portadas variantes posibles.
Pero aun si fuera la primera historia que leyeras, no hay ni un zombi y cuando los hay, ya tienen la cura como 5 segundos despuès de ser infectados. Y la historia està llena de "cringe"; como el nuevo specter -con un personaje de la batifamilia-, darkseid siendo "bueno" de la nada, y varios "te lo dije", "salvarè a mi hijo antes que a nadie", y cosas asì. Bien absurdas.
Lo genial es el final, son ciertas palabras que Flecha Verde dijo a Batman en cierto momento (eso sì estuvo mega genial), y la escena final es muy bella y poètica.
Al nùmero 8 sì le darìa las 4 o 5 estrellas, pero en historia en general solo està entretenida la entrega 7 y 8. Lo demàs es un relleno horrible y fastidioso de leer.
recuerdo cuando saliò RE4, y a pesar de que no hubo ni un solo zombi en una historia que era de zombis... fue lo mejor del mundo.
Aquì, DCeased pasò de ser un spin off de zombis que no podìan identificarse como zombis por cosas de derechos de autor, publicidad y hasta estètica (como la saga literaria de Maze Runner); a un 2.0 de blackest night y de TODA pinche crisis y "el mejor evento de DC hasta ahora" y bla, bla, bla...
Me imagino que si fuera la primera historia "larga" o evento de DC que agarres, serìa genial, increìble, interesante, llena de acciòn y bla, bla, pero cuando ya has leìdo otros eventos tanto de Batman, la liga de la justicia y las crisis... lamentablemente ya estàs leyendo la misma pinche historia de siempre. Solo cambian algunos personajes pero en verdad las historias ya son horribles y aburridas. Intentando solo vender la mayor cantidad de portadas variantes posibles.
Pero aun si fuera la primera historia que leyeras, no hay ni un zombi y cuando los hay, ya tienen la cura como 5 segundos despuès de ser infectados. Y la historia està llena de "cringe"; como el nuevo specter -con un personaje de la batifamilia-, darkseid siendo "bueno" de la nada, y varios "te lo dije", "salvarè a mi hijo antes que a nadie", y cosas asì. Bien absurdas.
Lo genial es el final, son ciertas palabras que Flecha Verde dijo a Batman en cierto momento (eso sì estuvo mega genial), y la escena final es muy bella y poètica.
Al nùmero 8 sì le darìa las 4 o 5 estrellas, pero en historia en general solo està entretenida la entrega 7 y 8. Lo demàs es un relleno horrible y fastidioso de leer.
July 15, 2023
Now we come to the close of the DCeased saga and lemme tell you, it was AMAZING!
Although this was not my favourite of the series (Dead Planet is the bloody best) I liked this one. It was high stakes, but this could have been made more real by going down to the details. I loved how it ended with a really beautiful character growth of Damian Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth. In the end it really was the two of them.
I am so glad to have read this series. It really got me out of my reading slump
Although this was not my favourite of the series (Dead Planet is the bloody best) I liked this one. It was high stakes, but this could have been made more real by going down to the details. I loved how it ended with a really beautiful character growth of Damian Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth. In the end it really was the two of them.
I am so glad to have read this series. It really got me out of my reading slump
April 21, 2023
What a GREAT ending! 5 stars plus! Tough to beat this one. Great art, story, characters, and overall development. A superior effort all around. No spoilers, but I loved the ending. Can't wait to read the HC collection of this series (probably two volumes). Well done DC, well done!
May 28, 2024
One hero makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to completely take out Erebos as Taylor ends the 8 issue series. Hairsine’s pencils are as spectacular as always as a handful of heroes enter Erebos’ realm to put an end to his threat forever.
April 26, 2023
DCeased has finally ended and what a great ending it was. I shed a tear when reading this last issue.
April 30, 2023
Outstanding
Awesome ending to a magnificent story of heroism and death
This series did not disappoint only rivaled by dc vs vampires
Awesome ending to a magnificent story of heroism and death
This series did not disappoint only rivaled by dc vs vampires
May 12, 2023
Man...who's chopping all the onions in here?
(｡ﾉω＼｡) Oh no! I rubbed them into my eyes!
щ༼;´༎ຶ ༎ຶ༽щ Noooooooo!
(｡ﾉω＼｡) Oh no! I rubbed them into my eyes!
щ༼;´༎ຶ ༎ຶ༽щ Noooooooo!
October 9, 2023
Whoa that ending I wasn't expecting. I love that the human was the one to save the world. A issue I'll never forget.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2025
What a sacrifice.
April 25, 2026
Okay that was a good and sad ending, the mid was dragging for me but it's a good ending.
May 13, 2023
fuck you
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews