“Murderers, Psychopaths and Monsters”
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artists: Karl Mostert, Trevor Scott and Neil Edwards
Color Artist: Rex Lokus
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Review by Steve J. Ray
DCeased: Unkillables #2 does not take its foot off the gas. This series is an undead freight train, and it’s ploughing down the track at a breakneck pace. In issue #1 we discovered what was going on with the street level heroes and villains missing from the original, brilliant 2019 DCeased limited series.
Deathstroke, Mirror Master, the Lady Shiva and others have taken refuge with the immortal Vandal Savage on a remote tropical island. Meanwhile, Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain and Jim Gordon are protecting an orphanage full of children, left abandoned in the wake of the anti-life equation..
As soon as I saw that one collective had Cass in its ranks, and the other Shiva, I knew it wouldn’t be long before the two groups got together. What I didn’t see was the genius way in which writer Tom Taylor would make it happen, the amazing character interactions, and the moments of humor, heartache and horror that would follow.
This series is brilliantly written.
Would you like Mostert with that?
Yes, please! I love the tang! Karl Mostert’s DC Debut is as killer as the virus causing havoc within the book’s pages. The action, layouts, character body language and facial expressions are all absolutely first-rate. The storytelling is masterfully handled by this exceptionally talented penciller, and the brilliant inks from Trevor Scott and Neil Edwards.
I love the soft, almost pencil/water-color quality of the completed line-art, particularly when married with the wonderful colors by Rex Lokus. Tyrannosaurus Rex is brilliant at using friendly, calming colors during the sublime, almost domestic and completely unexpected scenes at the orphanage. Then, suddenly, the face biting, throat ripping and corpse rendering carnage we love this book for, drags us kicking and screaming out of our reverie.
Saida Temofonte’s lettering builds the atmosphere too, and is integral to the art, and the finished look of this wonderful series.
Conclusion
I’m hooked like bait on a nylon line. The story has me gripped and the visuals are beyond sublime. How could anyone not love a comic that features a wide eyed Vandal Savage delivering the line:
Oh @#$%.
Wonder Woman’s a zombie.
Yep, this book’s on roll. Now let me just scoop up the corpse of a dead supervillain, and hook it onto the hood of my fanboymobile. Then I’ll put pedal to the metal, and blast the classic Rock… as I get my kicks on Route 666.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
