When we last left the world of DCeased, John Constantine and his team were beat while the mystery of the new green was teased. DCeased: Dead Planet #3 picks up on that mystery and adding so much more depth to the story. DCeased as a whole has transcended the concept of zombies in the DC world. This issue is a good example of exactly that. DCeased: Dead Planet #3 adds concepts and ideas that give us more than the shambling “anti-life.”

Writer Tom Taylor reveals there are more survivors. This group is made up of the rich and elite. Unlike Gotham, they’ve created a caste system with haves and have nots. Taylor clearly sets this up not to just create some more tension and a greater threat but also to have us reflect on what has been built by Ivy, Harley, and others in Gotham.

But Taylor has some greater themes going on. The hard-realism and brutal society built beyond Gotham emphasizes the hope that exists with the arrival of our heroes and the promise of a cure. But, Taylor’s story resonates further.

In today’s world, with a pandemic around us and divisions in philosophy clear, Taylor has captured the current zeitgeist. We have those who would be happy to create a society of evil with roles clear and defined. They would deliver a safety predicated on fear. Compare that to the heroes within Gotham. While their plan isn’t clear, the steps not defined, they’ve staked their future on teamwork and an all-in together mentality. Whether Taylor has adjusted his story based on the current reality is unknown but what he’s produced has captured the current real-world situation.

Trevor Hairsine delivers some intriguing visuals that emphasize the desperation of it all. Along with ink from Gigi Baldassini, color by Rain Beredo, and lettering by Saida Temofonte, the art pops on the page. It’d be easy to go the “scare” route but the series has never been about that. There’s some crazy visuals but it’s more along the line of action than scares. But, what stands out to me is the art’s ability to emphasize the wear of it all. There’s a reveal at the end of the issue whose visuals tell you so much of what has happened without spelling it out.

DCeased: Dead Planet #3 adds a lot to the series and world. There’s a concept thrown out that really drives the direction of what’s at stake and what might be coming. There’s so much more than a battle to find a cure and what the anti-life zombies have tipped as far as balance is interesting. The series continues to mix things up a bit delivering ideas and concepts far more than you’d expect in a typical “zombie” story.

Story: Tom Taylor Art: Trevor Hairsine
Ink: Gigi Baldassini Color: Rain Beredo Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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