Dceased 3 page 21 by Trevor Hairsine & Stefano Gaudanio

Dceased is one of my favorite DC titles/What if/Elseworlds type of alternate realities in years.It's a bit more complex than this but the elevator pitch would be "what if there was a zombie plague in the DC universe?".(and yes, super powered individuals can get infected).Another must read from Tom Taylor, one of the most talented "recent" writers to emerge in the industry. My own interest in horror has never been in the shock value but how do the characters cope with the new situation imposed on them. And while the action is amazing in Dceased, I find that the emotional beats are as if not more satisfying to read.The amazing art by Trevor Hairsine and Gaudanio, just gritty, scratchy like it should be, suits the project perfectly and really add a fantastic layer of enjoyment to it.

Here we have Superman dealing with his infected father in a way which I find perfectly commensurate with the character's profound humanity. He basically grabs him and gently forces him down back in the cellar.

The violence of Zombie Pa' really contrasts with Clark's deep sadness.

I find that the 3rd panel with the zombie hand reaching out one last time for its prey while Sup' is closing the door to be excellent.

I also love the way Hairsine draws his optic blast without showing his eyes.

And the last panel says/sums it all. This is Clarck finally grieving, his face covered in shadows with fumes coming up from fusing the cellar door.

I find that the horizontal layout was a great choice for forcing the rhythm down again, after the violence of the previous page, and to enhance the sadness and the grief of the scene.

This is my favorite page of the sequence for its deep emotional value. The emotional beats I was speaking of earlier.

2023 update: while meeting Trevor during the Autumn 2023 Facts convention, he told me that this whole sequence was his and Tom Taylor's favorite of the whole series. To the point he was persuaded that he gifted all the originals to Tom. A very gratifying and validating conversation and information for this collector.