DCeased: Hope at World's End #3

Chapter Three

Writer Tom Taylor

Artist Carmine Di Giandomenico

Colorist Rex Lokus

Letterer Saida Temofonte

Cover Artist Carmine Di Giandomenico and Rex Lokus

Editor Ben Abernathy

Our cover isn't really a unique cover — it's just one of the pages of this digital comic with all the captions deleted. Still, though, it is a haunting image that gives you a good idea of what's going on. A virus that has spread to every screen — phone, computer, TV, etc. — turning everyone into a bloodthirsty zombie if they see it. And as if that wasn't enough, the virus also spreads through contact with blood — you know, like the old-fashioned way. Anyway, this story takes place on an alternate Earth that is very similar to the regular DC continuity, but with a few key differences. As you see, Wally West is wearing his stupid post-Rebirth Flash outfit, but he has not yet become the even more stupid Wally/Metron thing from Flash Forward.

Our story begins with Wally telling Linda Park to bar the doors while he embarks on a one-man mission to destroy every screen in Keystone City. While he's out and about, Batman calls him up and tells him to stop. Wally tells him off and Batman hangs up, neglecting to mention that both Nightwing and Robin have already succumbed to the virus. Wally gets back to work, almost moving at light speed, but he's still not fast enough. That's when we cut to one of the most remarkable scenes we've had in years.

Bart Allen is living with Max Mercury!!! It's so sweet and wonderful! Anyway, Bart is lucky that Max is distracting him from starting his video game by asking about the neighbors' screaming, which Bart assumed was just Mr. Peterson's frustration with putting up shelves. Wally then races in and destroys the TV, much to Bart's dismay, right in the nick of time.

Wally then explains everything in less than a picosecond, annoyed that Bart kept interrupting with his "expert zombie knowledge." Max and Bart suit up, and a quarter of a second later, they're joined by another blast from the past, Jesse Quick!

Max, Bart and Jesse get to work smashing screens and stopping the spread in Keystone, while Wally looks for a safe place to evacuate Keystone's population to. He rescues the Pied Piper in Central City, Arsenal in New York and Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn in Gotham. But Wally quickly realizes that this is futile — the virus has likely spread across the entire Earth by now. So Max suggests they find another Earth.

The four speedster then head to the Flash Museum to fire up the Tandem Cosmic Treadmill, which Jay Garrick and Barry Allen had once used to open a hole in space. Since Wally and Bart are the fastest, Max suggests they power the treadmill, while he and Jesse evacuate 200,000 people through the portal. Bart doesn't like the idea of just running in a straight line while Max is out there battling zombies, and he argues that he should be out on the streets since he's faster. But Max puts his foot down. Wally reminds them to make sure that none of the survivors are infected and don't have any devices on them. And with that, he and Bart begin running (with Bart casting a worried glance over his shoulder at Max).

Max kindly makes sure Linda is the first one through, then he and Jesse spend the next 12 minutes ushering 146,000 people to a parallel Earth. Having to maintain such a high speed for such a long time takes quite a toll on Bart, but he manages to keep running until Jesse reports that they've saved the last survivor. Bart then collapses and is shot off the treadmill at such a high speed that he bounces off the floor and crashes through the wall, finally coming to a stop in the middle of a horde of zombies outside the museum.

Max orders Wally to keep running so the portal doesn't close, while he goes after Bart. The injured and exhausted teen can only weakly call out to Max, while Wally comes dangerously close to collapsing as well. But somehow, Max finds the energy to pick up Bart and Wally and get them all through the portal before it closes.

Wally starts to congratulate Max, but the Zen Master of Speed says there's no time. Bart's the first to notice the cut on his mentor's arm, to which Max merely apologizes for not being as fast as he once was. He tells the others they have to "end" him. Bart tries to stand and beg, but Jesse holds him back. Max kneels down and touches Bart's cheek, saying, "Goodbye, Bart. I love you. Be good." And all Bart can do is cry.

However, Wally is able to think fast enough to come up with the most appropriate solution. Rather than letting the virus consume Max, Wally helps him run into the Speed Force, finally reaching the destiny that eluded him for so long.

I'm not going to lie. I got choked up there at the end. This was the emotional, heartwarming farewell that Bart and Max never got. It took 20 years, and a slightly gimmicky digital-only comic to do it, but DC finally gave us this necessary and beautiful moment. Everything else about this comic is just window dressing. The virus was unique and threatening and Wally's character was spot-on (especially standing up to Batman, which I have always loved about Wally). The art was very solid, being both horrific and emotional when it needed to be. But the best, most satisfying component of this comic book was the perfect portrayal of the Bart-Max relationship — something we haven't seen since the old Impulse series. And it was wonderful.

The one house ad we got shows Batman and Robin standing six feet apart, asking people to maintain social distance.

Next time, we'll finally get back to Young Justice #15.