DCeased: Dead Planet #5
DC Comics
Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by Trevor Hairsine
Inks by: Gigi Baldassini
Colors by: Rain Beredo
Letters by: Saida Temofonte
Just another reminder Tom Taylor doesn’t play in the shallow end of the pool or wear floaties — he dives into the deep, dark depths of the Pacific. And if you’re not ready for that, then you may not want to get back on the ride for DCeased: Dead Planet #5.
If you decide to continue forward, just remember, everything comes at a cost. Most writers will only ask you to pay a small fee, but remember Taylor is the one collecting the toll here. You can’t allow yourself to get comfortable — even as John Constantine and company finally work toward a resolution.
The artwork continues to work very well with the tone DCeased: Dead Planet. There are some specific things Trevor Hairsine and Rain Beredo did that need to be discussed, but that’s in spoilers.
(WARNING: Spoilers ahead for DCeased: Dead Planet #5.)
Two things before getting into the major spoiler
First, need more Etrigan. We only get a few pages of him. Maybe DC should give Etrigan and Constantine a Black Label team-up miniseries?
Second, red Swamp Thing. At first, it seemed like that was something to do with where Constantine and company had ventured, but that wasn’t the case. Because when they went elsewhere, Swamp Thing was still red, and that’s when the color change really hit me.
I understand they traveled through the Earth, but Swamp Thing does that all the time. We know The Green is under attack, but is it somehow bleeding now? It’s an unsettling change, but a good one. Really, what I appreciate is how long it took for me to really notice the change. Beredo did a great job of camouflaging what he’d done to Swamp Thing.
Now for the big item.
Tom Taylor has gone too far this time.
After putting everyone in grave danger against a massive horde of anti-lifers that DC’s heroes can’t kill now because they technically aren’t zombies, Taylor decides it’s a good idea to see if Jason Todd can cheat death twice.
Moreover, the way Hairsine draws this jarring moment, it makes you wonder for just a second if Red Hood could live through such a big hit.
Nope. And unless there’s a spare Lazarus Pit nearby, his part in Taylor’s story is over — right when they’re on the brink of saving everyone.