Two words: zombie apocalypse. Do we dare tempt face by saying them now when it feels like a different apocalypse may have been averted? Oh, the hubris!

Wish us luck, but we’re going to take a leap of faith and hope that these zombies are confined to the pages of DCeased: Dead Planet, the now-in-stores sequel to 2019’s smash miniseries DCeased. From the minds of Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine and Ben Abernathy, this new chapter picks up where the first one left off.

But for those who may not know, even before the release of the sequel, DCeased has grown and spread about as quickly as the virus that’s infected its heroes. This dark and twisted tale is quickly carving out its own unique corner within the DC Universe, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

For starters, it’s already given rise to a successful spinoff, DCeased: Unkillables, as well as it's own digital first series, DCeased: Hope at World’s End.

Wait… Didn’t you say the DCeased sequel just came out? Where did all of these other series come from? And do you have to read them all? Fear not, friends, we’re here to fill you in on everything you need to know about the strange new zombified world of DCeased before Dead Planet becomes the talk of the summer.

DCEASED (2019)

This is where it all started! Or, more accurately, where it ended. You know the cliché spoiler of “everybody dies?” Well, that’s not too far off. It’s here where we’re introduced to an all-new version of the Anti-Life Equation unlike anything we’ve ever seen before: a strain that infects you digitally, starting with Cyborg as "patient zero" and then it spreads through the internet. Despite the best efforts of the Justice League, it doesn’t take long for the equation to ravage the planet, turning some of our strongest, most hope-inspiring heroes into Earth’s biggest threats. Tom Taylor mercilessly takes down the World’s Finest one-by-one, leaving a very different version of the Justice League in their stead with only one choice: to chart a course to a new planet and start over. It’s gory, it’s violent, it’s shocking, and it’s also dastardly humorous at times.

DCEASED: A GOOD DAY TO DIE (2019)

A whole lot happens in the six-issue run of DCeased, and the story features a surprising amount of DC Super Heroes despite the limited page count. With that said, we don’t see everyone, which is exactly where this story attempts to fill in some blanks. In case you were wondering what Mister Terrific, Mister Miracle, Big Barda, John Constantine, Blue Beetle, and Booster Gold were up to while the Anti-Life Equation spread across the planet, you don’t have to look any farther. Hint: it’s as twisted and horrifying a fate as you’d expect based on its predecessor!

DCEASED: UNKILLABLES (2020)

Now here’s where the script gets flipped big-time. With the Justice League trying everything in their power to eradicate the Anti-Life Equation, what were some of our favorite super-villains and antiheroes doing during that time? This three-issue series answers that very question by following Red Hood and Deathstroke on a street-level campaign to stay alive, no matter the cost.

DCEASED: HOPE AT WORLD’S END (2020)

Fifteen more chapters of DCeased storytelling await you in this digital first series, allowing fans to take an even deeper foray into this endearingly warped world. Leveraging a key plot point from the DCeased miniseries that involves a time jump, these storylines provide new depth to the narrative. It’s through this series where we learn so much more about what other key characters like Black Adam, the Flash, Damian Wayne, Jon Kent and Wonder Girl were doing to fight the Anti-Life Equation as the Justice League members succumbed to the infection.

DCEASED: DEAD PLANET (2020)

And that brings us to DCeased’s official sequel! Or, DCequel? (Credit that to Tom Taylor.) This new story picks up five years after DCeased when, out of the blue, Damian Wayne and Jon Kent receive a distress call from their former planet. They’re heroes after all, so they make the difficult decision to respond, accompanied by the new iteration of the Justice League that includes Cassie Sandsmark as Wonder Woman, Mera as Aquawoman and Black Canary as Green Lantern. Who's it from? None other than the assumed-dead Cyborg, who it turns out, just may have discovered a cure. To reveal more would be to spoil the fun, but suffice to say that Dead Planet is every bit as shocking and edge-of-your-seat good as its predecessor...and may just be better. We'll leave that to you to decide, but either way, this is an absolute must-read.

There you go, everything you need to know about DCeased in one bite-sized post! Oh, not everything. Did we mention that all of the above titles are also available through DC UNIVERSE INFINITE? There's no better place to take your first bite (um, sorry) of one of DC's best outside continuity series. But whether you read it there or grab it at your local comic shop (also a great option), if you haven't yet read DCeased, now's the time. After all, when it comes to zombies, you never know what might be awaiting around the corner and it's always best to be prepared.

Have you read DCeased: Dead Planet? What about the rest of the series? Let us know what you think right now in the DC Community!