Sex, superpowers, and six months to live! For the first time ever, all three volumes of Death Sentence have been compiled into one big graphic novel — and it’s as glorious as it sounds!
Originally self-published before being picked up by Titan Comics, Death Sentence is written by Monty Nero with art from Mike Dowling. Launched in 2013, Death Sentence is a dystopian series, setting the scene in a near-future London, where a sexually transmitted virus (known as G+) infects people with super powers… but there’s one big caveat. The virus kills them in six months. Do those infected lay low and count their days, or go out in style?
The series follows three characters infected with the G+ virus. Firstly, there’s struggling artist Verity, who gains the ability to manipulate matter using her thoughts, allowing her to visualise most everything into existence. However, her power comes at the cost of mental health, as she struggles to find meaning in her final months alive.
Then there’s Danny “Weasel” Waissell, an unhinged, drug-addicted and inherently controversial rockstar. He has a child he loves but never sees, with an ex who hates him. While he wants to continue creating great music, leaving behind a legacy long after he dies, he finds himself at the epicentre of a war fuelled by those infected by G+.
And finally, completing our central trio of G+ infected characters, is Monty Montgomery, an outgoing TV personality. Known simply as Monty, he’s the ultimate, pathological manipulator (which is literally his superpower). He utilises his mind-control for sadistic purposes, determined to reshape the world in his image — something he achieves to disastrous consequences. Monty’s story, in particular, is a shocking, jaw-dropping arc, bound to leave you speechless.
Death Sentence is a masterpiece in covering morality, media, and corruption.
It’s hard to believe that this comic book began over a decade ago. Its striking relevance to real-world scenarios, even those that occurred after its publication, is evident. For instance, the comic’s portrayal of G+ and Prime Minister Tony Bronson launching a nation-wide lockdown eerily mirrors the COVID-19 pandemic. The comic’s satire, namely the striking resemblance between Tony Bronson and Boris Johnson, adds to its realism.
It particularly relishes in covering heavy and poignant themes, notably morality and legacy. There’s much wisdom (and warning) weaved into the narrative, which still manages to be darkly laugh-out-loud hilarious and incredibly thought-provoking.
The artwork by Mike Dowling is stellar as well. Distinctive, gritty, and stylish, it transports the reader into the dark and grim future of London.
Reading Death Sentence is wildly fun and entertaining, and it’ll have you bursting out laughing (sometimes guiltily). In hindsight, it’s prophetic. While it might be, at its core, a comic about superpowers, it’s so much more than that. It is frighteningly familiar, eliciting similar reactions as Prime Video’s adaptation of The Boys, for example.
‘Death Sentence: The Complete Collection HC’ has everything you need!
When it debuted, Death Sentence was hailed as the future of superhero storytelling. Now, over a decade after the first issue hit shelves, it still stands in a league of its own. There’ve been more than a few attempts at telling similar, gritty comics — but most of them fall short of Death Sentence.
The all-new, gorgeous hardcover edition from Titan Comics collects all three volumes of the comic in one binding. It’s truly a book to behold. It’s the perfect edition for long-time fans, and the best point of entry for newcomers.
Death Sentence: The Complete Collection releases in stores and online on July 1, 2025.
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