[New to DCU] Year of the Villain #1 and DCeased #1

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Hey everyone! Welcome to our humble abode!! Thanks to everyone who joined us last week and anyone joining us for the first time this week! This club is for those who WANT to get into current comics that are just arriving on DCU. This month we are trying out a new format that we used to use a year ago. Where we instead curate the titles you SHOULD be reading this week. I will try my absolute best to give you a mix of accessible titles with no needed prior reading and some that will require it.
This week we are reading DCeased #1 and Year of the Villain #1


So let’s talk about DCeased #1

Official Description

“I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was Death, and Hades was following close behind him.”—Revelation 6:8

A mysterious techno-virus has been released on Earth, infecting 600 million people and turning them instantly into violent, monstrous engines of destruction.

The heroes of the DCU are caught completely unprepared for a pandemic of this magnitude and struggle to save their loved ones first…but what happens to the World’s Greatest Heroes if the world ends?

New York Times best-selling writer Tom Taylor (INJUSTICE) returns with a terrifying new tale and is joined by artists Trevor Hairsine (LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT) and Stefano Gaudiano (The Walking Dead).
Art by James Harren, Stefano Gaudiano, Trevor Hairsine

Cover by:Greg Capullo

Variant cover by:Francesco Mattina, Yasmine Putri

Written by:Tom Taylor

Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Is this your first time reading DCeased?
  2. What was your favorite moment in the story?
  3. How did you feel about the Anti-Life Equation
  4. What did you think of the Super Sons?
  5. What makes the comic an effective zombie story?
  6. Should we keep reading the series?

Second: Year of the Villain #1

Official Description

Evil is winning! Lex Luthor and The Legion of Doom conspire with Cosmic Gods, bending mankind toward a dark destiny. Elsewhere, the scourge of Leviathan spreads unchecked, seizing power in every corner of the world. And all the while the Batman Who Laughs busies himself in the shadows, aligned with no one—yet with sinister plans for all.

The carnage starts here as the bad guys take center stage in “The Year of the Villain,” the most treacherous event in DC Comics history. Some act with united goals, others with plans selfish and secret, every one of them on a monstrous collision course against Batman, Superman, and the heroes of the DC Universe. And our heroes will fail us.

Don’t miss the start of “The Year of the Villain,” featuring the talents of writers Brian Michael Bendis, Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, artists Jim Cheung, Alex Maleev, and Francis Manapul and cover artist Greg Capullo—all for just $0.25!

Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Is this your first time reading Year of the Villian #1
  2. What was your favorite moment in the story?
  3. How did you feel about those deaths?
  4. What do you think of Lex’s plan?
  5. What do you think will happen to Batgirl?
  6. What did you think of the heroic double page spread?

I would love to hear your general reactions to the story as well!

When: 2020-05-06T07:00:00Z → 2020-05-11T07:00:00Z

Primer: If you want one because you want to get more background context before you start, let me know!

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Questions, Comments, Concerns? Feel free to reach out to me on through messaging.

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New to DCU Wiki

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I already had these on my reading lists. As soon as I finish up with final exams count me in!

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Yes When I wrote the questions.

I loved the moment where Batman shuts off all of the internet.

I think it was a means to an end. I get what Taylor is doing, but there is no clear explanation for the antilife messing up.

I think Damian didn’t really feel like Damian, but I’m so glad that Tom Taylor included them.

What I love about it is that it doesn’t lean too heavy into the zombie tropes. Instead everything becomes body-horror focused. Also the idea that the plague is technology adds interesting commentary on man vs. technology and our over reliance on it.

I hope so, but it is up to you!

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Like!

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Sweet to see this and the One Shot Club re-emerging the past few months! They could merge and call themselves the Bite-sized Club! K I D D I N G

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  1. Is this your first time reading DCeased?

This is my first time reading DCeased.

  1. What was your favorite moment in the story?

My favorite moment was Alfred pointing a knife at Zombie Grayson.

  1. How did you feel about the Anti-Life Equation?

I feel that part of the story was forced.

  1. What did you think of the Super Sons?

It adds a cool dynamic.

  1. What makes the comic an effective zombie story?

Who would think that technology could turn people into zombies? (sarcasm) I am really enjoying the zombie art.

  1. Should we keep reading the series?

Sure- I’m curious to see what happens. I hope it’s not your typical zombie story.

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Yeah, that’s how I felt to, although thematically it does work. Being a zombie is losing control of yourself in the same way the Anti-Life Equation is.

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Read Year of the Villain after having read it last year and now knowing what’s coming, spoiler free, but my reaction is very somewhat different from last year.
The Lex story is interesting, but I think evil businessman Lex is the best and to Superman most dangerous version. This full tilt to cosmic evil and the literal destruction of Lex Corp puts an end to that, at least till a reboot. It does look cool though.

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The Batgirl and Arrow story is just like Event Leviathan for me. It’s interesting, looks really incredible, seems to hold promise, but then just kinda meh.

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And, I really don’t like the whole Batman Who Laughs thing. Read this and will check out more as they drop on DCU, but so far not my thing.

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Nope, I received the hardcover collection for Christmas. Actually, I received a copy from two different people, so you would think I would return one, right? But NO! They have different covers, so my psyche just could not let me do it.

That last page is something, huh? But, outside of that, I gotta go with Darkseid was…

I don’t know how to answer this! Um…I don’t like it and I hope to avoid it forever. Sort of exactly how I feel about Covid now that I think about it.

It was interesting and endearing to see how worried Robin was about Batman. He always stands out when he shows he’s still just a kid.

Well, it’s not one quite yet in this first issue, but having a threat that even the greatest heroes can’t figure out makes the threat more real.

Yes!

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Yes! I’ve heard of it, of course, but I’m completely unfamiliar with 99.99999% of what happens, including this issue.

I liked the light in the face strongarm invitation to Batgirl. That scene did a good job of pointing out how important Barbara has been to the DCU throughout the decades.

Actually doesn’t feel like anything important has quite happened yet…but that there’s about to be a lot of crazy stuff about to happen.

I think Lex is crazy and pathetic for siding against the good in humanity. I have a sneaky suspicious that good is going to win out in the long, long run.

I don’t know. But I want to know! Does she go undercover?!

That’s pretty exciting. You know massive things are about to go down when the whole universe gets involved.

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I haven’t checked out YotV yet but now that it’s on here I will probably give it a go soon. I Loved DCeased. One of my favorite DC titles this last year. I knew we were in for a ride right off the bat when Darksied died. On the Super Sons. I have not made my way to the vol. that you recommended a while back I believe the writer switched. I have Vol. 1 and have not yet finished it. I do love the idea of them as a team and am a big fan of Damian, Jon not so much. This series was gut punch after gut punch while constantly having jaw in the dropped position. I was at first bummed when I heard that the follow-up would be focused on the villains and what they were up to. I want so badly to find out were things go once they establish a new home on their new world. I had no doubt that it would be good with Taylor being on board and so far it has been great! I don’t buy digital anymore and can’t wait to pick up the new issue from my shop soon. I feel covering dceased would be a great one for your club and would make it easy for folks that want join in the discussion but cant knock’em all out in a week. I am really liking the one a month format like with the One-shot club.

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  1. Is this your first time reading Year of the Villian #1.

Nope, read this last year for Free Comic Book Day.

  1. What was your favorite moment in the story?

I think I’ll also go with the stuff between Green Arrow and Batgirl. That’s not a team-up you often see.

  1. How did you feel about those deaths?

Really there’s only one death with Luthor and that felt more like an ascension.

  1. What do you think of Lex’s plan?

I guess it’s interesting, the only problem is that I’m so woefully behind on Justice League that I fear the greater meaning is lost on me.

  1. What do you think will happen to Batgirl?

I think she’ll die and we’ll find out the Batgirl we’ve been following was a skrull the whole time.

Kidding. Though this is the same author…

Anyway, it looks like she’ll have a key role in this event, which is very cool.

  1. What did you think of the heroic double page spread?

I thought about joking that it’s merely okay, but I knew I could never pull that off. It’s freaking amazing.

For any inspiring artists or anyone into the process, Francis Manapul has been showing the inking process for the piece on a YouTube podcast series with a writer friend of his, which is pretty cool so far. Really, his whole YouTube channel is amazing.

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  1. Is this your first time reading DCeased?

Yes, though from stuff in Reddit and other social media I know a little bit of what happens in this series.

  1. What was your favorite moment in the story?

I think I’ll go with the moments with Cyborg, both his open defiance and mocking of Darkseid and his moment of horror as he realizes what he has sent to Earth.

  1. How did you feel about the Anti-Life Equation

In terms of this story, it’s an interesting way to do this sort of zombie story that makes it uniquely DC and makes it so no one is safe.

  1. What did you think of the Super Sons?

I liked them in this issue. They help give the issue some well needed humor in ways that doesn’t disrupt the narrative.

  1. What makes the comic an effective zombie story?

I think what makes zombie stories effective is that zombies are physical manifestations of that dread that we and everyone we know and love will someday die. Seeing these heroes we love, and through its corporate structure are usually safe from death, having too deal with it in such an ugly, visceral way really works. That moment at the end of this issue with Bruce, Alfred and the zombified Dick really highlights this.

  1. Should we keep reading the series?

Well, I certainly plan to, so why not?

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Context that will help. There is a goddess named Perpetua who has been locked up. She is the original creator of the universe and created the monitor, anti monitor, and world Forger in her will. The three brothers than locked her up fearing her power. Lex has decided that the governing force of the world is Doom, so he is trying to bring back perpetua. There are 7 forces that must be unlocked to awaken doom. The most significant being the slow force, the ultraviolet corps, and the belief element. In order to awaken perpetua he must unlock a force which only occurs if a majority of people believe in doom. So he is using his resources to try to help all the villains win and convince people doom is superior.

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Cool – I read up to Drowned Earth, gonna have to catch up soon.