Rating:  -
Kingdom Come, written by Mark Waid and drawn by Alex Ross, asks one of the most interesting questions that can be asked regarding superheroes: Are these superhumans who protect us Gods, and should we treat them as such? Years in the future, the DC superheroes have, for the most part, retired and have been succeeded by a group of reckless metahumans with no concept for what it really means to be a hero.
After the death of one of his parishoners, Norman McCay is haunted by visions of an impending apocalypse, and these fears are legitimated when the Spectre, a spirit of vengeance, recruits him to help decide the fate of an upcoming war. The Spectre shows McCay visions of the world, which has all but forgotten the heroes that we know. Superman/Clark Kent now lives by himself in the Fortress of Solitude, insisting that he be called Kal (as in Kal-El). Batman/Bruce Wayne has become a recluse, commanding batbots from inside the batcave to keep Gotham City safe (although he has essentially turned it into a police state). He is forced to wear a biosuit in order to move, seeing as how all of his years as Batman really took a toll on his body. And Wonder Woman/Diana has lost her old views of peace in favor of intense battle tactics in order to enforce "peace". Meanwhile, restaurants like Planet Krypton unitentionally make mockeries of the old heroes while new metahumans, led by a man named Magog, attempt to keep humans safe. Unfortunately, the new "heroes" have little regard for the collateral damage they are causing, including human life. However, humans like them because they are more aggressive towards dangerous villains; Magog become the leader after he caused the death of one of DC's most feared villains. But when Magog's actions have catastrophic consequences, Wonder Woman claims that enough is enough and tries to get Superman to come out of retirement and put an end to the carnage.
Eventually, Superman agrees, and the two reform the Justice League, comprised of the original Green Lantern, Dick Grayson as Red Robin, Power Woman (formerly Power Girl), Hawkman, Wally West's Flash, the second Aquaman, and Living Doll. However, Batman refuses to join, claiming that he can no longer turst Superman and that his inability to truly lead will prevent the job from getting done. Batman forms his own group to keep things safe the way he feels must be done and combat the Justice League. His team includes Oliver Queene and Dinah Lance Queene, the former Green Arrow and Black Canary, and the Blue Beetle. Their group is also comprised of numerous children of the old heroes, including the new Kid Flash (daughter of Wally West) and Nightstar (daughter of Nightwing and Starfire). Meanwhile, a group calling themselves the Mankind Liberation Front (MLF) has assembled, and is comprised of old villains, including Lex Luthor, Selina Kyle (Catwoman), and the Riddler (Edward Nigma). Their intent is to take the world back from the new metahumans, but their ends hardly justify their means.
The story of Kingdom Come is phenominal. It looks at how bad thing can get when the people we look to in order for protection either forsake us or do their jobs improperly. It has a very "who watches the watchmen" feel to it (Ross has admitted that Alan Moore's timeless Watchmen was an inspiration). Kingdom Come also examines what it truly means to be a hero; not only do the new metahumans not qualify to be heroes, but even DC's big three (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) have all forgotten the things that made them heroes.
Not only is the story amazing, but the art is the best I've yet seen. For a long time, I never thought that I'd ever see art that surpassed John Cassaday's in Astonishing X-Men, but Kingdom Come has proved me wrong. Alex Ross did each and every panel using watercolors and each panel looks like a painting as opposed to a comic book. In fact, there are some pages that could be framed and sold (I now regret buying this version with the knowledge that an oversized hardcover is on its way).
This is a must-read for any comic book fan, especially one who prefers DC to Marvel (though, interestingly, Marvel comics is embodied through Captain Marvel, even though the character is older than Marvel Comics). And even non-comic fans, who may be more reluctant to read the story, should consider it. It asks some powerful questions that lead to interesting results.
Rating: -
Fun for all age groups.
Alex Ross' artwork is superb. His details make the whole thing fun - found quite a few interesting suprizes in the background images. I especially liked the way he protrays Bruce Wayne look like a mean Gregory Peck. His heros are larger than life yet somehow realistic.
Rating: -
this book was mindblowing. Not only because it gave me a chance to see what my favorite superhero(superman) would look like in the future, but it also told a very unpredictable and in my opinion unique story. I highly recommend this book to any fan of superman or batman.
Rating: -
One of the best comics i have ever read!!!! The story line is instense and has the graphics to make it amazing. Definitely one for your collection. So much depth and intensity that leap from these pages.
Rating: -
KINGDOMCOME is a visually stunning and well writen graphic novel. I liked many sections of this book including the final battle where Superman thinks every body is dead when there were still few alive but still some. I recomend the KINGDOME ACTION FIGURE OF DEADMAN or BATMAN. Till next time...
SPOILER ALERT:SHAZAM IS EVIL!!!!
|
