DCeased Dead Planet #1 Spoilers & Discussion

[sifighter]

Alright there is a lot to talk about this issue so I'll do a short non-spoiler description for some who may want to know if its good, and then I'll do a big spoiler box for stuff I want to specifically talk about.

Now for the non-spoiler stuff, basically if you liked the first one and any of the other stuff then you'll like this. It is literally the same creative team as the first series writing a sequel to the original, so if you liked that you will like this. Nothing feels different and though characters have grown older and into new roles it still feels like the same characters you have read before. No one inexplicably has a personality change, no one has evil plots or deep resentment, or any of other dark timeline time skips cliches. It is just the same heroes we have had before with the newer legacy heroes and a few characters who had a smaller role from last time (like Hawkgirl) getting the spotlight. If I had to name some lead characters this time around its definitely older versions of Jon Kent, Cassie Sandsmark, and Dinah Lance. If that interest you, go check it out.

Now onto the spoiler block

spoilers:

Alright so before we get on to what happens back on earth I want to discuss a lot of what we learned on Earth 2. First I like that Lois Lane has become President of the planet, that a nice touch and if she is not going to be a big part of the action I love that she at least has an important role. I also like that we learn of the surviving earth Green Lanterns, which is that John, Guy, Kyle, Simon Baz, and Jessica Cruz are all alive and guarding Earth-2 while the heroes go back. It stinks for Hal, but I actually like knowing that the entire Corps wasn't decimated. We also happen to learn that Superman/Clark is still very much alive and is still eating the sun, I am sure that will come into play later. Once we get back to earth things go well for like a minute, they find both Krypto (who was apparently on the Earth these five years) and Cyborg who they get to talk thanks to Cassie and the Lasso of Truth.....but then things immediately fall apart the moment the Anti-life Wonder Woman appears. She destroys the drop ship stranding the heroes and infects Green Arrow, which unfortunately leads to problems where Jon ends up stabbed by the Kryptonite Magic sword on the hope that Wonder Woman can be saved upon learning of the cure from Cyborg. Hopefully he is not infected because the sword went through him and hit Wonder Woman, so hopefully no blood containment. I also hope this doesn't spell the death of Jon so soon but we have to wait and see. Overall I liked this, I think some characters got some chances to be cool, and I think Jon has definitely grown up to be a lot like his father from going back to earth on the hope life can be saved and choosing to get mortally hurt on the hope that a friend can be saved from the anti-life. I even like that Hawkgirl does a little more then just being set on fire by Captain Atom, hell we even get to see more of Black Lightning and his daughter Thunder. Unfortunately the only one we didn't see was Wallace West, not even in the background, however I feel that may change later as we didn't actually see all who were sent to the earth, I mean we barely saw Mera but she was there for a panel when the ship was hit. Not to mention Taylor did name drop Wallace in interviews so I don't think he'd just leave him out. Overall it was a great follow up to the original series and after this first issue I can't wait to see what else Taylor has in store and how he plans to connect the pieces from the other DCeased stories like John Constantine and Jason Todd.

end of spoilers

[Hulkout42]

OMG! they did not waste any time, did they? I mean the moment they step on earth you know the **** is going to hit the fan and who else but Ollie after his scene with Dinah and later WW finally is taken out moments before the cure is announced. Personally I can't wait to see what they do with Superman, but I believe he will emerge and be cure only to sacrifice himself to restore the sun so humanity returns home. I also believe that the new Trinity of Jon, Cassie, and Damien will see this through to the end to continue with the legacies. Maybe we also see Wally return as well? But great opening issue, I am still loving this series, more than even Marvel Zombies if I am being honest.

[Primal Slayer]

It was a good read, would make for a fun 3-part animated movie series...but if WW has to "die" while Superman or batman are saved? I'm so over those stories.

[sifighter]

OMG! they did not waste any time, did they? I mean the moment they step on earth you know the **** is going to hit the fan and who else but Ollie after his scene with Dinah and later WW finally is taken out moments before the cure is announced. Personally I can't wait to see what they do with Superman, but I believe he will emerge and be cure only to sacrifice himself to restore the sun so humanity returns home. I also believe that the new Trinity of Jon, Cassie, and Damien will see this through to the end to continue with the legacies. Maybe we also see Wally return as well? But great opening issue, I am still loving this series, more than even Marvel Zombies if I am being honest.

I agree but I think it’s not only story telling but also how they treat the undead differently. Marvel zombies just has us following our heroes as undead monsters set on eating people while DCeased has the heroes as themselves, unless they get infected, be the heroes that we know them to be...not a knock against Marvel Zombies by the way, I read that through the Howard the Duck stuff but if I had to choose it would be DCeased.

[Harpsikord]

It was a good read, would make for a fun 3-part animated movie series...but if WW has to "die" while Superman or batman are saved? I'm so over those stories.

I mean, Batman is very specifically dead already to be fair. And I don't see Clark making it out of this mini-series alive.

[Hulkout42]

I mean, Batman is very specifically dead already to be fair. And I don't see Clark making it out of this mini-series alive.

I honestly think they plan to have him cured only to sacrifice/martyr himself like Superman All-Star. I want to believe that there is hope still, just that it will be a struggle like no other for that Hope to be achieved. I mean unlike Marvel Zombies where there is no real hope left, in DCeased we do get some victories but at a cost. Like the remaining heroes did save the remaining humans but left others behind while Superman fed on the sun and WW was still on the loose or that Cyborg discovers the cure but is stopped before he can do something about it, stuff like that.

I do wonder though who will live or die at the end of this, I mean anything can happen but still, I hope the new trinity lives and also rooting for the survivors in Ivy's jungle.

I do think that Constantine will sacrifice himself because the opening panels speak of that so I think during the course of this he will give his life.

Swamp thing also feels to me like a loss waiting to happen.

[Hulkout42]

I agree but I think it’s not only story telling but also how they treat the undead differently. Marvel zombies just has us following our heroes as undead monsters set on eating people while DCeased has the heroes as themselves, unless they get infected, be the heroes that we know them to be...not a knock against Marvel Zombies by the way, I read that through the Howard the Duck stuff but if I had to choose it would be DCeased.

Agreed, I feel that comparatively, MZ is to Night of the Living Dead what DCeased is to 28 weeks later.

Another thing that makes DCeased more intriguing is that MZ doesn't give you any real hope that the heroes win, here we do get instances and small victories but they are hard-earned victories or somewhat tragic I feel.

[Katana500]

I have a feeling one of the new trinity will die. Which worries me because I like Jon, Damian and Cassie.

My other predictions for people I think will die are Constantine, Black Lightning, Poison Ivy and Krypto + probably alot more. I reckon some Green Lanterns might get offed by Superman aswell red shirt style.

If they get the cure. I could maybe see Green Arrow getting brought back but ironically Black Canary dying. That seems like a Tom Taylor move.

[Gaius]

It was a good read, would make for a fun 3-part animated movie series...but if WW has to "die" while Superman or batman are saved? I'm so over those stories.

Doubtful Bruce is coming back but that is kind of the thing I'd expect from Taylor giving how he's written WW in the past.

[Hulkout42]

I have a feeling one of the new trinity will die. Which worries me because I like Jon, Damian and Cassie.

My other predictions for people I think will die are Constantine, Black Lightning, Poison Ivy and Krypto + probably alot more. I reckon some Green Lanterns might get offed by Superman aswell red shirt style.

If they get the cure. I could maybe see Green Arrow getting brought back but ironically Black Canary dying. That seems like a Tom Taylor move.

My money is Harley dying instead of Ivy.

[Rakzo]

Good action and bloody scenes, nice sense of pace and danger, decent character moments as expected. An appropriate sequel.

However, some of the issues with characterization still remain. I'm REALLY not a fan of Taylor's Ollie, he sounds too likable, too much of an everyman, too "Hawkeye-ish" for my taste and this was not only because of Taylor's off portrayal but also on purpose for what happens later to have a predictable reaction from the reader which seems rather manipulative and kinda confirms my suspicions that Taylor doesn't really care about the character. Another complaint is that he doesn't quite nail the dynamic between Damian and Jon but hey, at least he does it better than Brian Bendis (Mind you, that's a low bar).

Good art overall. Decent enough beginning.

[sifighter]

My money is Harley dying instead of Ivy.

See I was thinking dr. Fate and then either Zatanna or Constantine have to put on the helm.

[Katana500]

who do you guys think is safe?

With Taylor being so unpredictable its tough. I kinda feel Damian and Cassie won't die. I dont see both of Black Lightnings daughters dying either.

[sifighter]

who do you guys think is safe?

With Taylor being so unpredictable its tough. I kinda feel Damian and Cassie won't die. I dont see both of Black Lightnings daughters dying either.

Were both his daughters there, I only saw Thunder...although there is a possibility that lightning was there and I misidentified her.

As for who I think would make it, I’d argue it’s possible Black Lightning and Hawkgirl make it out of this, for characters who have kind of stayed in the background they’ve managed to survive. I guess hiding in the background keep you safer from the zombies in the front ( I’m joking).

[CrimsonEchidna]

It was a good read, would make for a fun 3-part animated movie series...but if WW has to "die" while Superman or batman are saved? I'm so over those stories.

Alfred put Zombie!Bruce down though. We even see the corpse in the following issue.