Written and art by Etienne Derepentigny
Letter by Jerome Gagnon
Published by Red 5 Comics

“The south of the Kingdom is overtaken by the undead. Kain and his fellow companions are on a mission, to help those who are left behind. Escorting a group of survivors, their skills will be put to the test as they bring them to the Citadel, the last stronghold holding the undead from the rest of the Kingdom. A shocking conclusion also awaits our hero in this final issue of volume 1.”

One thing that has held true throughout this series is that the art has been stellar. Etienne’s style works so well in a medieval fantasy world with zombies. Paneling is well-laid as we get a mix of landscapes and close-up shots to set the scenes. Etienne’s mastery of the colors in this world shines in this issue as we get a taste of zombies on fire. Complementing Etienne’s art is the wonderful lettering of Jerome Gagnon. I never feel that a bubble is in a weird spot or that tone is lost in the lettering. It all solidifies the story so much and adds a nice extra touch to the story.

The pacing of this final issue feels different from the others but seems to fit an overarching plan for the long-term of the series. Our main group of characters is on the path to their current final destination, The Citadel, a stronghold that has so far withheld the undead horde. The one thing that I was hoping to see in this issue plotwise was more of the sinister plans of the mysterious evil characters running things from the shadow. Otherwise, the plot was again a solid story that was yet again testing our characters both as a team and emotionally as they fight to get to a semi-safe area that would allow for rest.

The action is badass, the characters continue to grow, and our battle-weary leader Kain may just get something to keep him going into the next volume. This story very much feels like the prologue for a bigger world and story to come as we know there is something more menacing behind the rise of the undead. One thing that persists in this issue is the action feels real and the emotional beats hit very well. I can’t wait to see what Etienne has in store for us in Volume 2!

Dead Kingdom #5 of 5 releases 2/15/2023 to comic shops

Rating: 8.5/10