The Dying and the Dead #1
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The Dying and the Dead #1

Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Ryan Bodenheim Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: January 28, 2015 Cover Price: $4.5 Critic Reviews: 27 User Reviews: 18
8.7Critic Rating
8.3User Rating

"TODAY, TOMORROW, THE GRAVE"
A murder at a wedding reveals a fifty year-old secret. At great cost, a man with a dying wife is given the opportunity to save her. A lost tribe is reborn in another time. Seemingly disparate events that force relics from the Greatest Generation to come together for one last hurrah.

Brought to you by award-winning writer JONATHAN HICKMAN and fan-favorite artist RYAN BODENHEIM, THE DYING AND THE DEAD is high adventure meets end-of-life care.

It's Indiana Jones for Old People. There are no fedoras, only bedpans.

  • 10
    Geeked Out Nation - Jess Camacho Jan 28, 2015

    “The Dying and the Dead” is simply outstanding and if you willingly choose to skip this you'd be doing yourself a great disservice. This will be, without a doubt, the next big thing in comics. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Comics: The Gathering - Kalem Lalonde Jan 26, 2015

    There are some comics that feel special from the first few pages. Comics that enthrall me, comics that make me want to sit down and read for my entire day. The Dying and the Dead is one of those comics. I’ve been a huge Jonathan Hickman fan ever since I read New Avengers #1 but this is Hickman writing a new kind of story. An adventure story following a man who is desperately clinging on to the life of the sole person he’s ever loved. It’s a story about what we all do to keep that flame ignited even though it may not be for the best of us. This tale is a personal one that a wise and profound writer is telling with heart and evident inspiration. Hickman has outdone himself with the Dying and the Dead. A series that deserves everyone’s attention. Read Full Review

  • 10
    All-Comic - Ian Stephen Jan 27, 2015

    One cannot stress enough how great it is to get these extra long debut issues. Readers get more story and the story gets more readers. The Dying & The Dead did an excellent job of taking advantage of those extra pages to deliver more narrative without revealing too much. There are both good and bad instances of vague plots in comics which can either be pleasurable or frustrating for readers. However, that urge to find out what will happen in the story paired with incredible looking art makes The Dying & The Dead a faultless debut. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Rhymes With Geek - Denise Blakely Jan 28, 2015

    This is a superb debut issue. I have already called my shop and asked them to add it to my pull list and I'm saying that you should too! Hickman and Bodenheim are an awesome match up and I'm counting the days until issue 2. Magnificent storytelling matched with handsome artwork, The Dying and the Dead is going to be a hit for sure! Read Full Review

  • 9.8
    BGCP - Joseph Nelson Jan 26, 2015

    Hickman serves up his usual brilliance in the first issue of what is set to be a thrilling adventure. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    The Latest Pull - Chris Green Jan 28, 2015

    With all the work Hickman's been doing over at Marvel lately (Infinity, Avengers, New Avengers, Secret Wars) it's a wonder he has time to do creator-owned work. Not that I'm complaining, though. Hickman and Bodenheim have really given us a work of art with The Dying and the Dead #1. I can't wait to see what direction this story goes, but I already know that it's going to be brilliant. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Florida Geek Scene - Brian Reed Feb 11, 2015

    I've actually been thinking about unloading some of my comic collection lately. I have a lot of books that I read once, and enjoyed, but will never read again. I am certain this would not be that kind of book. I can see myself taking this out and just looking at the art, or reading it a second time to look for something I missed, or to enjoy the kind of foreshadowing that only can be appreciated with hindsight. This is a book that would not gather dust or be forgotten, and you should buy it. I doubt it would gather any dust in your collection either. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Newsarama - Justin Partridge, III Jan 28, 2015

    The Dying and the Dead #1 is a fantastic-looking book just on the surface level. Even if it wasn't scripting as well as it is, it would still be worthy of your attention due to the Steve Dillion-like pencils of Ryan Bodenhiem and the narrative-driven color choices, but this being a Hickman book, you get all of that, plus a brisk, entertaining script from one of the more insane and engaging writers working today. The main narrative thread running throughout The Dying and the Dead #1 is that of choice; making choices and living with that choice even in the face of dire consequences. Thankfully, audiences have a clear path in front of them, one that leads them to a fantastically put together comic that will challenge their expectations and deliver a narrative experience that will leave them gasping for more. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Overmental - Andrew Tran Dec 30, 2014

    Jonathan Hickman simply shows no sign of slowing down. Fans of East of West, Indiana Jones, or plain ol' dynamic action comics with a philosophy, should be clawing their way to a copy of The Dying and the Dead. The title embodies his trademark mixture of epic scales, iconic characters, and smart writing. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Coming Up Comics - David Melton Jan 27, 2015

    A fantastic number one that definitely deserved its 60-page introduction. The Dying and the Dead will be all anyone can talk about come Wednesday. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comic Booked - Julien Loeper Jan 28, 2015

    Im unsure if The Dying and the Dead is an ongoing or a limited series, but whatever it is, its sure to tell one hell of a great story. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Outright Geekery - Adam Normal Jan 31, 2015

    The Dying & The Dead #1was a really interesting read. Sure, you see some of the same themes and iconography that you have seen in other Hickman stories, but it is still a very good read that sets up what will hopefully be a great story. If only this thing didn't cost so much… Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comic Spectrum - Shawn Hoklas Feb 3, 2015

    Bodenheim is a special talent and that talent is definitely on display over the course of this issue's sixty pages! Sixty pages for $4.50 is a steal with the level of quality in this book. There's a lot of story here and throughout this issue I questioned things about this world and about choices and questions we're all forced to make and answer in our own lives. Hickman has seemingly done it again with the start of a brand new series that looks to be definitely on par with his other acclaimed creator-owned books like Manhattan Projects and East of West. And that's saying something. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Newsarama - David Pepose Jan 27, 2015

    In many ways, comic book writers have been unfairly compared to television and film writers, and have adjusted their stories accordingly, working off cinematic conventions in order to truly maximize the visual side of the medium. Yet for comics, space equals time, and for most books, you only have a limited amount of space to work with. But by expanding his page count, Jonathan Hickman has taken a valiant crack at restoring the balance, creating a world full of atmosphere with The Dying and the Dead with 60 beautiful pages. It may occasionally feel excessive, and you may get the sense that Hickman isn't always the most frugal with this freedom, but he and Bodenheim's efforts are beautiful to behold. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    ComicList - Brandon Borzelli Jan 31, 2015

    The Dying and The Dead is not going to come out each month with a massive book this size. In this regard the story is bound to slow down. However, as far as opening issues there isn't much more this book could have done with the length its been given. It's a dense comic with story but at a swift and entertaining pace. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Buccaneer Book Reviews - Have-A-Peg Pete Feb 4, 2015

    If you've read my reviews before you know I'm rarely this flattering and almost never this generous. Which means if you haven't already decided to pick up this comic, I have no more words for you. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Unleash The Fanboy - John McCubbin Jan 27, 2015

    The Dying and the Dead gets off to a terrific start, as though the story naturally still need to prove whether it's worthy of a permanent spot of fans pull lists, it easily does enough to merit picking up the second issue. Highly recommended. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    We The Nerdy - Randy Z. Ochoa Jan 29, 2015

    One of the biggest accomplishments here is how Michael Garland is able to add to that cinematic quality and build upon it with his colors. During that "pre-credits sequence" he shows us the shift in locations by only coloring them in a single color. It carries on through out the issue as you only see certain characters colored in a single color whenever they're brought up again. Once we leave Andrea, the Colonel and Courier (and his ilk) get their own color palette that shows who the focus of the sequence is. If youre reading this digitally do yourself a favor and switch to a view mode that lets you see all the pages at once and look at the color progression of the entire issue. Its a great thing to look at how Garland works with the story. Read Full Review

  • 8.8
    IGN - Mike Logsdon Jan 28, 2015

    The Dying and the Dead #1 is a fun mix of G.I. Joe, The Lord of the Rings, and old fashioned American heroism. Read Full Review

  • 8.8
    Multiversity Comics - Brian Salvatore Jan 29, 2015

    After reading this first issue, I had the same reaction that I did when I first read "Manhattan Projects" or "East of West" " how hasn't this already existed? It feels so complete of an idea, so well tuned a concept, so expertly put together, that it feels as if it must have somehow already been put together. Maybe Hickman has a torii, like they do in Los Alamos, to bring back comics from other dimensions. That would explain a lot. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Book Resources - Jim Johnson Jan 28, 2015

    "The Dying and the Dead" #1 is another compelling start to an enticing series from Hickman, Bodenheim and Garland. Fans who enjoy Hickman's grand landscapes will find plenty of grandeur here. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comics Bulletin - Gary Brooks Feb 2, 2015

    The new Image book by Jonathan Hickman (the upcoming Secret Wars) and Ryan Bodenheim (Secret, Halycon) is intriguing. Ryan's art reminds me of Preacher and Punisher MAX's Steve Dillon, with slightly more attention to detail. The book is very cinematic, and flows like a film. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Book Therapy - Kevin Finnigan Jan 28, 2015

    Hickman's ease at world building is at it again. TD&TD is a great #1 that hooks it's premise into you and doesn't let go Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Bastards - Steven E. Paugh Jan 28, 2015

    It may just be the start, and it's nearly impossible to say where this will lead, but I found The Dying and The Dead #1 a satisfying amuse-bouche for what promises to be a decadent narrative feast. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    ComicBuzz - Aj Davidson Feb 11, 2015

    In the art department we have quite a clean and crisp style featuring James Bond-esque arctic bases and desert temples straight out of Indiana Jones. Colouring leans on the dark and grim for the most part with white used only to suggest inhuman-ness and an indication of age in a character. The underground city is quite an attractive maze of roots and water channels that I find quite beautiful to behold. Recommended for adventure and mystery fans with a good helping of protagonists with baggage. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Newsarama - Edward Kaye Jan 29, 2015

    It's a solid debut, but perhaps a little decompressed at points. Read Full Review

  • 4.5
    AIPT - Jordan Richards Jan 27, 2015

    The Dying and the Dead #1 is a rough issue to get through. While it's competent enough at establishing the story and main character, the writing, the dialogue, and the coloring really drain the life out of you. It's such a dull and lifeless experience at points that it makes this book harder to read or sit through than even some of the books on my worst of the year lists. While I think there could be some potential here, especially with a seemingly great and well-written lead, it's honestly hard to recommend at this points, especially for something that's nearly five dollars. I just say back off of this for a while until a few more issues come out so maybe it can iron out some problems it has. Read Full Review

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