The latest series of mangaka Kumiko Suezane, Versailles of the dead ended this month in its French edition. The work, whose first four volumes were previously reviewed , starts from a strong premise: to invite zombies to the table of France's story. Served by high quality drawings, an atmosphere halfway between the horror film and the swashbuckling film, the manga had left us at the end of the fourth on a mixed impression. It has undeniable strengths but the plot struggled to clarify its stakes. This final episode partially lifts our reservations even if there remains the impression that there was material to develop on 1 or 2 additional volumes the universe. 
Versailles of the Dead: we must save Queen Marie-Antoinette
The revolution is rumbling in the kingdom of France. In addition to financial and social difficulties, there is an unknown evil: a zombie plague. Groups of the living dead roam the countryside, attack isolated castles and boldly attack the convoy of the future Queen Marie Antoinette. The young princess dies but her twin brother, the only survivor, takes her place. The young man is actually possessed by a demon who seems to be related to the strange evil. In the guise of Marie Antoinette, he pretends to help her husband, King Louis XVI to carry out his secret project: to assemble the fragments of the soul of Joan of Arc scattered in the diamonds of the Queen's necklace. In reality, the demon wants to eliminate the archangel Michael who sleeps in Joan of Arc's body. The face-to-face between these two ancestral enemies begins.
An addictive atmosphere, a mix of genres always successful
This last volume does not betray the excellent artistic outfit of the series. The mangaka has chosen to infuse her story with an atmosphere driven by the shift. On the one hand, the reader can admire beautiful boards, bright, rich in detail. We are faced with a narrative that, from the Queen's point of view, adopts her vision of the world made of naivety, lightness, luxury. The plates are based on a drawing that transcends the imagination of the monarchy composed of festivals, superficiality, gap between the people and the elite. On the other hand, the story offers us gore passages centered around the figure of the zombie, the possessed. Bodies are emaciated, heads fly high, fluids, entrails spread. Terror rubs shoulders with innocence. Thus, Versailles of the dead is part of the tradition of black romanticism. This technical success then makes it possible for the reader to adhere to the incredible scriptwriting challenge: combining horror and historical narrative. Indeed, the political context of the time is respected: whether it is the affair of the Queen's necklace, a major fraud case under the reign of Louis XV; or the Bastille riot. The historical veracity (cash flow problems) even justifies the scattering of the stones. Stones whose mangaka invents on the other hand a fantastic role that brings together all the arcs of its plot. It can then slide into confrontation between two higher entities whose consequences humanity suffers. 
Versailles of the Dead or zombies as a pretext
It is not the least of the surprises to discover at the end of this volume the meaning of the overall project. This one is in the tradition of Romero's films where the zombie was used as an argument to propose a reflection on society. Kumiko Suezane also cleverly used the figure of the living dead. It gradually fades into this final part in favor of the real threat, the real confrontation. This raises some of the many questions that remain unanswered. Zombies are not an end but a means. The different groups follow divergent trajectories and we now fully understand the origin of the evil. It is therefore very pleasant to resume the series from the beginning and to detect the clues scattered by the author who knew where she wanted to take the reader. The zombie attacks were not due to chance, the rescue of the twin brother responds to a well-determined plan. All this mystery is put at the service of a surprising reflection on our relationship to belief.
Moral questions, an assumed ambiguity
The resolution of the saga is indeed non-Manichean and very ambiguous. Between Michel and the devil, the reader finds himself in a dead end. Neither of them really acts for the good of men. Lex Luthor's formula in Dawn of Justice perfectly illustrates the reader's moral dilemma: "If God is almighty, he cannot be all beneficial. And if he is all beneficial, it is because he cannot be all-powerful." This last volume does not hesitate to scratch religion either through the character of the archangel or that of the angels or their agents. We greatly appreciate their distress at God's lack of mercy. The series chooses not to provide a clear answer: is the demon a Prometheus or a Loki; Is Michael a Messiah or a vengeful God? The mangaka chooses not to really choose or even to sow doubt again during the last box. 
A series too short
There remains one point that can prevent this series from achieving excellence: its length. It's rare enough to point it out but Versailles of the Dead is too short. The author has indeed built a very coherent, very rich universe extending over a good part of the history of France. But the reader will probably regret not having more answers on the confrontation between the two entities; on Jeanne's itinerary; on Michael's choice of the maid; on the rescue of Jeanne's body; on the imprisonment of his soul. Similarly, secondary characters are quickly shipped in this last volume: the angels, the creators of zombie evil, the allies of angels. And it is all the more unfortunate that you find among them the so-called Napoleon, one named Maximilian or Cagliostro. The author has clearly removed from her story any superfluous over-explanation about their past, their itinerary. This is regrettable because she obviously had material to flesh out her story of one or two volumes without slowing down the dynamism of the whole. This last volume of Versailles of the Dead cleverly closes a bold series perfectly mastered by its creator. The rhythm reservations previously expressed have been partially erased. Kumiko Suezane confirms her immense talent and who knows maybe she is preparing a sequel or spin-offs to lift the veil on the last mysteries of her universe. The series is now available in full from Kana.
