REVIEW: 'Dead Kingdom' #4 by Etienne Derepentigny and Jerome Gagnon

 

DEAD KINGDOM #4

Writer/Artist: Etienne Derepentigny

Letterer: Jerome Gagnon 

Publisher: Red 5 Comics

Release Date: January 11, 2023

Cover Price: $3.95

The undead is marching! Everywhere they go, death follows. Has each one who dies is one more for the horde, Kain and his friends still search for his love. But will the sight of what the dead are truly capable of, push the group to take a stand? While the actual danger lies in the shadow when a mysterious figure comes to claim his prize.

Score: 

★★★★☆ (4/5)

After an issue that offered important background and great character development, the survivors, experienced and hardened, face the horrors of the zombie apocalypse with a somber but determined approach. Penultimate issue four finds the group traveling and looking for refugees only to find an abandoned town. The search continues but a malevolent force awaits them down the road. 

Etienne Derepentigny's medieval zombie tale reaches a point where this group of survivors marches on but is destined to cross paths with the emerging dark figure in charge of the walking dead. It's a powerful force and while Kain and his crew have shown their mettle, they've seen first hand it's hard to escape the bloodthirsty hunger of the undead. Perhaps, with the addition of a young man named Gibson, quick and motivated, maybe they stand a chance. The group has really gelled and their camaraderie endears them to the reader with the inevitable emotional collateral damage that could happen if they're bitten and turned in the series finale. 

Derepentigny's art continues to be excellent. It's all very cleanly delivered with rich colors and expressive character designs but it's undeniably the horrific images of the zombies with their rotting skin and hollowed eyes that run a chill through the spines of readers making this series devilishly entertaining to read. 

'Dead Kingdom' prepares readers for the upcoming collision course between our heroes and the leader of the undead in a penultimate issue that raises the stakes to give the zombies an unfathomable advantage. Told with a thoughtful approach and concern for the characters, their ultimate confrontation means an emotional and bloody ending to a superbly refreshing zombie story.