The latest issue of Si Spurrier, Aaron Campbell, and Jordie Bellaire’s Dead in America continues to dissect the human condition, particularly as it pertains to late-stage capitalism and the decaying idea of the American Dream. We see the degradation of ideals from several POVs in this issue, showing us people who have had their lust for life and trust in others eroded over years of empty promises and staggering personal losses. Even hope and optimism can become poisons if given enough time to turn sour.
It’s interesting to note how passive John Constantine is starting to become. He’s experiencing a breakdown of his own as his body continues to decay, and much like the angry old folks before him, he’s resulted in having the next generation pick up the slack. In this case, his illegitimate son is literally tasked with lugging around Cybil’s shriveling body while John cracks wise and only half-heartedly offers an assist. There’s very little humor in John’s quips at this point, as he’s officially progressed beyond gallows humor and now single-mindedly continuing his quest to clean up after old messes and rescue his own hide. He’s always rendered with his face mostly in shadow, a cigarette pursed between his un-breathing lips.
DC Comics
Campbell and Bellaire deliver some truly incredible visuals in this issue, channeling a millennia of pain and misguided hate onto the page in a gory supernatural display. The various flashbacks and manifestations of rage seen in the issue all have their own distinct visual language, communicating exactly what we need to understand and where the line is drawn between the American Dream and the horrors seen — or imagined, in some cases — by the militia member and the immigrant at the center of the story. Cybil’s history is also spelled out further for us in a series of unsettling and darkly beautiful sequences, all of which are brought together by Bellaire’s gritty color work by. This creative team works together unbelievably well to communicate a story that spans multiple oceans and thousands of years.
This issue continues the proud Vertigo tradition of both forwarding the main story in interesting ways (particularly in regards to Swamp Thing reclaiming his intelligence), but also acts as a new installment in an anthology series. This series is just as much about how the American Dream has withered on the vine as it is about John Constantine’s descent into decomposition. However, there are still reasons to keep on trying for a better outcome.
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