Rating:  -
_This is a tale of biblical proportions, as should be expected of a book that starts with the Revelation of Saint John. Here the DC universe, the DC mythos, reaches it's full maturity. Even the fully painted illustrations are worthy of a book of sacred myth. That is what this is, really, a retelling of eternal myth through the comic book universe of DC comics. Joseph Campbell would have had no trouble seeing a coherent narative here, even if some readers do not.
_We start out with a world where the offspring of yesterday's heroes are running wild, destroying the earth and the human spirit, with total disregard for right and wrong, or human lives. At most they pay lip service to such things. This is an echo of the Nephilim, the offspring of angels and the daughters of men, who ran wild in the world with complete disregard for the same things. They were destroyed by flood, here, the judgement is with fire. Of course, there are also echoes of our own world- the powerful and beautiful running wild, enjoying and enriching themselves, with no concern for the common man. Strange how ancient "mythical" themes tend to resonate over and over in the "real" world....
_Yet, this doesn't go unnoticed by God, or at least one earthly aspect of God, the Spectre. He makes it known to a simple pastor that judgement will come, and it will be through the guidance of such a common man that it will be decided.
_You have the archetypical hero, Superman, rejected by a public who prefers the tin-plated idol Magog, and vengeance, over Truth and Justice. When he returns to the world, it is no longer as the inspiration for Truth and Justice, but instead as enforcer and jailkeeper in a world that no longer values such ideals.
_You even have the "godman" savior here, Captain Marvel, who gives his life in supreme sacrifice....
_There are some I am sure that will be offended by the use of such sacred themes in a "mere comic book." However, these themes are not cheapened or exploited here. If anything, they are handled with respect and taste- while brought alive to an audience that would have otherwise perhaps not have contemplated them.
Rating:  -
I ordered this thinking it was the hardback edition of the graphic novel, when in fact it is the novelization of the graphic novel. There is a hardback edition of the graphic novel, but it has a different ISBN. Be sure to check before you order!
Rating: -
Having grown up largely on the Marvel comics, I wasn't too familiar with the DC heroes. I read Kingdom Come (the graphic novel) and was blown away. Not only is Alex Ross's artwork amazing, but Waid's characterization brings the characters to life. But enough about the Graphic Novel, let's talk about the audiobook...
Kingdom Come consists of two 90 minute audio cassettes, and although the box is beautiful, it's hardly durable. The adaptation is quite true to the original, and the narratives required by the medium are well placed and are not heavy handed at all. The book is read by a full audio cast, and they do a great job! Rich, enthusiastic readings--any one of them would be a great narrator, but having so many different and distinct voices really adds to the story.
Even though I was familiar with the story, I found myself leaving the tape-deck on after I'd parked just so I could finish a scene. One of the best audiobooks I've listened to in a long time, and DEFINITELY the best of the superhero genre (not that it's flooded with audiobooks).
I had a tough time finding this on tape, and I really wish it was more popular so we could encourage more of the great tales like Marvels and Watchmen to make their way to the audiobook world.
Try it, you'll love it!
Rating:  -
Now by this point, everyone is familiar with the popularity of Kingdom Come, along with writer Mark Waid, artist Alex Ross, and my personal favorite, Pre-Crisis guru Elliot S! Maggin, who wrote the novelization. It is safe to say that on the top ten of comic fans' lists of the best of all time, DC Comics has a surprising number: Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Kingdom Come. The story of the twilight of the gods never stops inspiring new generations of storytellers, and in this case, it is the twilight of the most iconic and recognizable superheroes of all time. I think half of the charm of this story is the fact that, although we all grew up knowing who Superman is, as we get older, he stays the same, until eventually, you end up older than your childhood icon. With Kingdom Come, time is brought to the timeless Superman, and the results are well worth the weight. the only reason I don't give this a five star rating is that for post-crisis DC readers or the more casual reader who isn't a comics geek, you'd need to do a lot of research to understand half of the characters and references in this thing. There are a LOT of Golden and Silver Age characters and mentions in this, and most of the time, they don't spell it out for you. It doesn't detract from the story, but the numerous 'in-jokes' peppered throughout can make the whole thing a fresh experience on repeated readings. Alex Ross is especially fond of amusing cameos (such as Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids on the run from Batman's robots!) and, apparently, Bjork. The artwork is phenomenal, the story is classic, and the characters are better realized than any previous interpretation. This story has proved to be an influence on DC and comics ever since (and not just the page; Smallville TV fans should look at Clark Kent's civilian clothes in this thing!) I would recommend this to anyone who loves these classic characters.
Rating: -
[This review refers to the novelization of the graphic novel, written by Elliot Maggin]
I honestly didn't expect this book to be very good.
I loved the graphic novel when it came out. I had been a DC fan for several years, and this story seemed somehow more human and worldly than the usual run-of-the-mill comics story.
Now, to be sure, I haven't picked up a comic book in years, nor have I read the graphic novel version of Kingdom Come to compare with this novel. But I have to say that, as a stand-alone, it is excellent.
The trouble I have had with superhero comics is that they simplify many things down to hack-and-slash. Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern: if you think about it, the primary means to what they are usually portrayed doing is fighting. The fact that they have super-powers, after a while, becomes beside the point. It's not REAL.
Good stories like Kingdom Come and The Watchmen make it about character. You learn to care for and identify with the people.
So what I enjoyed about the novelization is that I felt that even more than with the graphic version. It wasn't just a panel-by-panel remake of the comic. It was a real, fleshed-out story, with more in-depth characterizations and surprisingly satisfying details, written better than I would have expected from any sort of adaptation. (I once read Orson Scott Card's novelization of the movie The Abyss. I love Card's work, but the novel was bad.)
Maggin gives us political backstory, longer and more intimate conversations, and extended versions of scenes that have to be short when most of the page is pictures. To me it seemed that he worked what was in the graphic novel seamlessly into a greater work -- not that I had it beside me to compare, but to tell the truth, I didn't miss it. I actually felt that I appreciated the depth of each character more than I could have with the original comic. It's not as easy to describe characters in words. This is also a problem with movies: you can only tell so much about a character. The benefit of books is that you can be TOLD these things, and cram more into a book than you can in a 90-page comic or a 2-hour movie.
So it is with the novel. There are so many more little details to enjoy: the spiritual and moral conflict the narrator Norman McCay is faced with; the many visits and conversations Superman has with various erstwhile metahumans; the little rivalry between Scott Free and Captain Comet; details on what life as the Flash must be like; characterizations and moral conflict in the politicians' decision to drop the bomb; and the final moments of battling superheroes right before the bomb hits. Much of which was not and could not be contained in the graphic novel.
Granted, the fine art is not there. You win some, you lose some; best to have both, but the book stands on its own too. I give five stars to this unexpected but extremely pleasurable read.
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