DCeased is a six-issue comic book miniseries published by DC Comics from May to October 2019. It was created by writer Tom Taylor and the artistic team including penciler Trevor Hairsine and inker Stefano Guadiano. The story takes place in an alternate Earth, where a corrupted version of the Anti-Life Equation has infected most of Earth's inhabitants with a zombie-like virus. Lois Lane acts as the series' narrator, detailing how the events took place over the course of a few weeks.
Publication history
A routinely strong performer, the first issue was released in May 2019, and was ranked #1 in the comic book sales for that period. Issue two also sold strongly, coming in at #2 for the month of June at 152,407 units. Sales dipped slightly for issue three, coming in at #3 in July at 132,072 units, with a further decrease in August for issue four (down to roughly 120,000 units).
Expanded material
Spin-offs
DCeased: A Good Day to Die #1 (2019) DCeased: Unkillables #1–3 (2019) DCeased: Hope at World's End #1–15 (2020)
Sequels
DCeased: Dead Planet #1–7 (2020–2021) DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #1–8 (2022–2023)
Plot
DCeased
In the aftermath of a battle with the forces of Apokolips, Batman discovers that Cyborg has been kidnapped. On Apokolips, Cyborg is being tortured by DeSaad, who reveals that one-half of the Anti-Life Equation exists within his cybernetic body and that Darkseid intends to merge it with the half already in his possession. Darkseid summons the Black Racer, who is immediately restrained and has his essence extracted to keep Cyborg alive during the procedure. In merging the Anti-Life Equation together it becomes corrupted, manifesting itself as a techno-organic virus which infects Darkseid, causing him to go into a psychotic rampage, kill the Black Racer and leap into the core of Apokolips. DeSaad attempts to stop the virus spread by sending Cyborg back to Earth, but Darkseid unleashes the full power of his Omega Beams, obliterating the planet.
Arriving in Metropolis, Cyborg's systems come back online, allowing the virus to jump onto the internet. Hundreds of millions of people are infected instantly as the virus transmits visually from the screens of corrupted devices, transforming infected people within seconds into a feral zombie-esque state that attacks any uninfected in sight. Meanwhile, Superman is talking to Mister Miracle and Big Barda when he begins hearing the anarchy erupting across the planet. Quickly realizing how the infection is spreading, Superman flies to his apartment where his wife Lois Lane, his son Jonathan Samuel Kent (Superboy) and Damian Wayne (Robin) are watching television. Just before Lois is about to look at her phone, Superman destroys the devices with his heat vision, instructing everyone not to look at any screens. In his Batcave, Batman is observing the chaos consuming Gotham through backup analog systems. The Batcomputer informs him that 600 million people have been infected, and that it would only take the virus a few days to corrupt every device connected to the internet. Upon discovering Wayne Manor is still connected to the internet, Batman activates an emergency EMP. He searches for Alfred Pennyworth, Nightwing and Tim Drake, discovering Alfred cornered by the latter two, who are infected. Batman holds the two off in an effort to buy Alfred time to escape, but Batman is bitten and infected.