DCeased: Hope at World’s End #3
Chapter 3 of 14
DC Comics
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico
Colors by Rex Lokus
Letters by Saida Temofonte
Cover Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico & Rex Locus
Editor: Ben Abernathy
(Warning: Spoilers for DCeased: Hope at World’s End #3 ahead)
Wally West rallies the Flash Family together in a race to save the survivors of Keystone City.
Going onto Comixology last night, I had no idea what this issue had in store for me. But the moment I saw that Wally would be starring alongside the likes of Bart Allen and Jesse Quick, this immediately became a must read.
This issue just starts. Reading the beginning really feels like you’ve missed a page as it jumps directly into the action, with little-to-no context on what’s going on. It doesn’t directly explain how Wally knows about the virus, the source of the virus, or how to stop it, which I found weak. That plot-hole aside though, this is a really strong issue.
Fans of the mainline Flash book will recognize the art of Carmine Di Giandomenico. No stranger to drawing speedster’s and their unique style of motion, Giandomenico really hits a home run with the art of this issue, and helps in selling some particularly emotional moments near the end as well.
With the main DCeased title already turning Barry into a speedster zombie, I think Taylor forced himself to be creative with the fate of the Flash family this issue, and I think it’s satisfying. The death of Black Adam last issue was a primary flaw I found with the last issue of this book, and while some might say Max Mercury has a similar moment in this book, I think it works much better here. Max’s sacrifice to save Bart is well done, and nothing is definitive with the infected Max Mercury running into the speedforce, leaving the book with an ambiguous ending that may or may not come into play later in the series.
Not only is the main story of the issue compelling, but this issue fits cleanly into the timeline of the DCeased Universe as well, and features glimpses and cameos of other related characters. The inclusions of Jesse Quick and Max Mercury in this book is extremely refreshing after their absences from the main continuity. I feel like Tom Taylor’s take on Bart Allen is spot on after just this short issue with him, something that Wonder Comic’s Young Justice comic never once achieved over a year of issues. I genuinely appreciate Taylor’s seamless understanding of these characters. Maybe Bendis should take notes?
Outside of the head-scratching intro to the issue, I think this book is an extremely solid continuation of this book, and has reignited my excitement after it had died down in the wake of issue two. It’s just nice to see a book starring Wally that doesn’t leave me with my soul crushed. This book continues to be the standout of DC’s current comic lineup for me.