"The New Gods" by Ram V, Evan Cagle and Others (2024)

Sometime (somewhere?) within DC continuity Darkseid dies - or is killed, I'm not exactly sure which - and in the literal and figurative vacuum left by his demise a new race of alien conquerors threatens New Genesis and its host of godlike denizens.

I was intrigued by the idea of this one.  I figured that Ram V, a newer, Indian comic book writer and Eisner award-winner, would bring some of his own culture into the story, and the result might be something resembling the Mahabharata or other Indian/Hindu epics of antiquity.

Is it?  Does it?  Yeah, in a sense it does, but it doesn't go far enough toward that extreme.  This take on Jack Kirby's famous Fourth World more resembles Jason Aaron's run on Thor, and lacks the philosophical/existential weight I was hoping for.  To make matters worse, the Justice League (somewhat inevitably) shows up near the end of the first volume, and from that point on the New Gods are more like supporting characters in their own story.

Darkseid?  He'll be back at some point, if he's not back already.  He's one of DC's most famous villains after all, and he can only remain on the shelf so long before someone decides to use him again.

The art in this series is good, but the narrative's very thin.  I liked the way the writer used Orion, but this take on the New Gods isn't the head trip I was hoping it would be.  It's a step in the right direction, but not a step far enough.  We needed to venture further out into the cosmos in this story; we needed to unmask reality and wonder at the majesty of creation.

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Comic Book Interlude 2

Fatale: Book One

Ed Brubaker, writer of the "Captain America: Two Americas" discussed below, also wrote this noir comic for Image.  It's more H.P. Lovecraft than Sin City, and I'm looking forward to reading Book Two.  The art isn't flashy, but it does a good job of telling the story.

Daredevil by Mark Waid: Volume One

Great run of Daredevil comics by Mark Waid and various artists.  As of this telling, most of Hell's Kitchen knows that Matt Murdoch is Daredevil.  The story about DD stranded in the snow with a group of blind children is head and shoulders above the rest, but they're all good.

Justice League: Rise and Fall

After a couple of supervillains lay waste to Star City, both the Green and Red Arrows seek revenge.  The Green Arrow's story arc is a bit too similar to something that happened to the Flash in the 80s, while the Red Arrow's story is much better.  All in all it's not bad, but not great.  I couldn't help but think there were some real, human emotions here that could have been used to greater effect.

Moon Knight (TPB: #1-7)

Moon Knight, Marvel's answer to Batman, was so much less interesting before he went crazy.  Brian Michael Bendis has a lot of fun with this character, and the combination of his writing and Alex Maleev's art makes for a compelling comic book.  In this installment, Mark Spector attempts to track down L.A.'s newest crime lord.  I highly recommend it.

Flash Volume 3: Gorilla Warfare

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Fear Itself

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Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus - Volume 2

I'm having difficulty articulating just how weird and awesome this comic series is.  After leaving Marvel, Kirby went on to create DC's New Gods and their "Fourth World" in 1970.  This self-contained universe was shared between four titles - Mister Miracle, The New Gods, The Forever People, and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olson.  It's a wild ride through some wonderfully strange characters and concepts, and lends credence to the idea that it was Kirby (and not Stan Lee) who made Marvel Comics the pop culture phenomenon that it continues to be.