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The Wicked + The Divine
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act
Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever. Collects THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #1-5
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2014
648 people are currently reading
60.4k people want to read
About the author
Kieron Gillen
1,390books1,844followersKieron Gillen is a comic book writer and former media journalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,061 reviews
July 6, 2015
I enjoyed this, but I found it difficult to follow at times and it felt rather undeveloped. I definitely want to continue on with this series, but I can't deny that I wasn't very impressed with this first volume.
March 31, 2018
5 freaking stars for the artwork! Why? Because I can!
As you can read from the blurb, these gods come back every 90 years to be on Earth for 2 years and then I guess they die or whatever. I don't understand all of those reasons or why they come back every 90 years but who cares. The story is so different and the artwork is amazeballs.
This time they come back as pop stars. Bwhahahhaha, sorry, I just think that is hilarious!
We have Laura who is a fangirl and wants to be with them and she befriends Lucifer (Luci) for short.
I thought the character of Luci being a woman Lucifer was cool too! And she seemed to like Laura, but who ever really knows.
I didn't really like that ending. I was like . . what the! But, who knows what's going to happen in the next one. It might get better. Once again, amazing artwork to make up for anything else.
Looking forward to the rest of the novels!
MY BLOG:
As you can read from the blurb, these gods come back every 90 years to be on Earth for 2 years and then I guess they die or whatever. I don't understand all of those reasons or why they come back every 90 years but who cares. The story is so different and the artwork is amazeballs.
This time they come back as pop stars. Bwhahahhaha, sorry, I just think that is hilarious!
We have Laura who is a fangirl and wants to be with them and she befriends Lucifer (Luci) for short.
I thought the character of Luci being a woman Lucifer was cool too! And she seemed to like Laura, but who ever really knows.
I didn't really like that ending. I was like . . what the! But, who knows what's going to happen in the next one. It might get better. Once again, amazing artwork to make up for anything else.
Looking forward to the rest of the novels!
MY BLOG:
June 24, 2017
2.5 stars
The Wicked and the Divine had this special something about it that kept me interested the entire time I was reading it.
But once I finished, I was like...that's it?
Even now, I'm not sure I read the same book that seems to have captured the hearts of most of my friends.
So this one is about gods who show up every so often, live for a few years, and then die. I'm not sure if they kill themselves when their time is up, or if they just explode when the timer goes beep. But for whatever reason they aren't given a long life span.
This time around they're celebrities. Of the Reality TV/Pop Star sort...
And the story is told through the eyes of a fangirl who inserts herself into the whole mess after getting chosen at a concert.
There's a murder, and one of the gods (Lucifer) goes to jail. Which leads us to a subsequent Scooby Dooish investigation to prove her innocence, spearheaded by the doe-eyed teenager.
The young adult version of these gods was fairly unlikable (again, think of reality tv stars), but not nearly as annoying as their obsessed fan.
I don't get it!
I found the plot sort of nonsensical and confusing, but I thought it would all come together at the end. And it did, a bit.
Just not enough for me to want to rave about it.
I'm in the minority, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
But I just didn't love-love this one.
However, with everyone else singing its praises?
Well, it looks more like a case of Not My Cuppa, and less like Avoid This Crap!
As I mentioned, it wasn't until I was done that I realized I didn't care for the story. Up till then, I was pretty entertained.
Also, the artwork was lovely and vibrant, so there's that.
If you think this might be something you'd be interested in, check out the glowing reviews from my friends Sesana & Jeff.
1-2-3-4
PS- Thanks, Mike!
The Wicked and the Divine had this special something about it that kept me interested the entire time I was reading it.
But once I finished, I was like...that's it?
Even now, I'm not sure I read the same book that seems to have captured the hearts of most of my friends.
So this one is about gods who show up every so often, live for a few years, and then die. I'm not sure if they kill themselves when their time is up, or if they just explode when the timer goes beep. But for whatever reason they aren't given a long life span.
This time around they're celebrities. Of the Reality TV/Pop Star sort...
And the story is told through the eyes of a fangirl who inserts herself into the whole mess after getting chosen at a concert.
There's a murder, and one of the gods (Lucifer) goes to jail. Which leads us to a subsequent Scooby Dooish investigation to prove her innocence, spearheaded by the doe-eyed teenager.
The young adult version of these gods was fairly unlikable (again, think of reality tv stars), but not nearly as annoying as their obsessed fan.
I don't get it!
I found the plot sort of nonsensical and confusing, but I thought it would all come together at the end. And it did, a bit.
Just not enough for me to want to rave about it.
I'm in the minority, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
But I just didn't love-love this one.
However, with everyone else singing its praises?
Well, it looks more like a case of Not My Cuppa, and less like Avoid This Crap!
As I mentioned, it wasn't until I was done that I realized I didn't care for the story. Up till then, I was pretty entertained.
Also, the artwork was lovely and vibrant, so there's that.
If you think this might be something you'd be interested in, check out the glowing reviews from my friends Sesana & Jeff.
1-2-3-4
PS- Thanks, Mike!
May 19, 2023
'Every 90 years, 12 Gods return as young people. They are loved. They are hated. In 2 years, they are all dead. This year is 2014. It's happening now. It's happening again.' - It's 2010s London, a highly diverse REAL London, yet it has a (purposeful?) retro feel with superb retro-cool artwork. The Gods walk the streets. Yes, I said Gods. Gods! Gods' Superfan Laura gets caught up in their world. Retro David Bowie styled, white cut-to-fit-suit attired lesbian 'Lucifer', 'Luci' for short is accused of murder... a murder using her supernatural powers to kill a judge in a packed and televised courtroom!
This UK writer + Vertigo throwback in the earlier styles of the likes of Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison works pretty well; as does the teasing of this reality, as we only get to see what is really happening and who is who bit by bit. Nowhere near a work of genius, but definitely ground breaking enough to really stir my interest. The series is ultimately about mortality, art and legacy, and comes as no surprise that the writer envisioned this work a week after finding his dad diagnosed with terminal cancer. TOP TIP, read the comic books with their amazing 'blog posts' by Gillen at the end of each issue. A Four Star, 8 out of 12 read.
2023, 2019 and 2017 read
This UK writer + Vertigo throwback in the earlier styles of the likes of Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison works pretty well; as does the teasing of this reality, as we only get to see what is really happening and who is who bit by bit. Nowhere near a work of genius, but definitely ground breaking enough to really stir my interest. The series is ultimately about mortality, art and legacy, and comes as no surprise that the writer envisioned this work a week after finding his dad diagnosed with terminal cancer. TOP TIP, read the comic books with their amazing 'blog posts' by Gillen at the end of each issue. A Four Star, 8 out of 12 read.
2023, 2019 and 2017 read
Read
May 27, 2020DNF 70%
I don't see myself finishing this anytime soon, the art is breathtaking but I have 0 interest in the story. The concept has potential, but I just can't stand the characters at all, they all sound the same to me.
I don't see myself finishing this anytime soon, the art is breathtaking but I have 0 interest in the story. The concept has potential, but I just can't stand the characters at all, they all sound the same to me.
November 24, 2017
11/24/17 - ON SALE for $3.99:
Reviewed by:
SO. Every ninety years a bunch of gods take over the bodies of a bunch of teenagers to live as pop stars for two years before they die.
Riiiiight. B/c gods have nothing better to do than become Taylor Swift. Fame is everything. Worship. Adulation.
Whatever, I'm bored.
Know what else is boring? They don't use their god-like powers b/c it will scare the puny humans.
Is it just me, or are these the lamest gods ever?
Except for Lucifer.
When a rooftop of zealots (at least that's what I'm assuming they were, b/c their animosity is never really explained) opens fire on a gathering of the godlings, Luci says, to hell with that! and explodes their heads with a snap of her fingers.
She's then arrested--how dare she kill the men who'd been trying to kill her--and Luci is taking the situation about as seriously as I am, until while jokingly threatening the judge with another finger snap, the man's head actually explodes.
Whodunnit?
That's the question, isn't it?
To the detriment of everything else.
Why every ninety years? Why are they dead within another two? Why aren't they always the same gods? Where do all the other gods go? How are the teenagers chosen? Why pop stars?
Who cares?
Just make the god groupie satisfactorily indignant, throw in a hot vampire-looking death god, make a few jokes, blow some shit up, and we'll forget all but one of the unanswered questions.
But guess what? By the end of vol. 1, we still don't know who killed the judge.
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE . . . was a lot of shiny distractions with periodically deadpan dialogue to mask the lack of substance in the plot. Not impressed. Not recommended.
SIDE NOTE: obviously they aren't always pop stars--pop stars didn't exist the last time they showed up--but they're always whatever the current coolest kids are. Back in the 1920s, it looked like they were clairvoyants or mediums. Before that? Whocares knows?
Reviewed by:
SO. Every ninety years a bunch of gods take over the bodies of a bunch of teenagers to live as pop stars for two years before they die.
Riiiiight. B/c gods have nothing better to do than become Taylor Swift. Fame is everything. Worship. Adulation.
Whatever, I'm bored.
Know what else is boring? They don't use their god-like powers b/c it will scare the puny humans.
Is it just me, or are these the lamest gods ever?
Except for Lucifer.
When a rooftop of zealots (at least that's what I'm assuming they were, b/c their animosity is never really explained) opens fire on a gathering of the godlings, Luci says, to hell with that! and explodes their heads with a snap of her fingers.
She's then arrested--how dare she kill the men who'd been trying to kill her--and Luci is taking the situation about as seriously as I am, until while jokingly threatening the judge with another finger snap, the man's head actually explodes.
Whodunnit?
That's the question, isn't it?
To the detriment of everything else.
Why every ninety years? Why are they dead within another two? Why aren't they always the same gods? Where do all the other gods go? How are the teenagers chosen? Why pop stars?
Who cares?
Just make the god groupie satisfactorily indignant, throw in a hot vampire-looking death god, make a few jokes, blow some shit up, and we'll forget all but one of the unanswered questions.
But guess what? By the end of vol. 1, we still don't know who killed the judge.
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE . . . was a lot of shiny distractions with periodically deadpan dialogue to mask the lack of substance in the plot. Not impressed. Not recommended.
SIDE NOTE: obviously they aren't always pop stars--pop stars didn't exist the last time they showed up--but they're always whatever the current coolest kids are. Back in the 1920s, it looked like they were clairvoyants or mediums. Before that? Who
September 16, 2015
3.5/5 stars
Like most everyone else, I thought the art was beautiful and astounding and fantastic. However, the story was lacking. The general premise is really interesting, but I got confused as to what was actually happening most of the time. The book felt like it was more about introducing the gods than having an actual consistent storyline.
BUT I MEAN that ending.
Like most everyone else, I thought the art was beautiful and astounding and fantastic. However, the story was lacking. The general premise is really interesting, but I got confused as to what was actually happening most of the time. The book felt like it was more about introducing the gods than having an actual consistent storyline.
BUT I MEAN that ending.
February 15, 2015
Well, hello, gorgeous cover!
The Wicked and the Divine has a very interesting concept. It's like a rough spin on something we're are all completely familiar with: Pop Stars. They're everywhere, they are addicting, they are our idols. In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, the gods are the pop stars and the pop stars are the gods. Everyone would love to be them, they worship them but alas, they die within two years. They can have all their glory and fame only for two years and they get reincarnated after ninety years.
Don't ask me why. The first volume didn't go into the very fine details of their existence and their reincarnations and all the hows' and whys' but I'm hoping the later volumes would clear all these questions.
This graphic novel contains a lot of characters, most of them are Gods from different religions and folklores. I wasn't too familiar with the Gods themselves but Wikipedia is always our dear old friend.
Meet Laura, our very easy-to-relate to main character:
Laura is human. She's a die-hard fan of the Gods. And she would do anything to be one of them. I can completely understand her. It's always very nice when your main character is easy to understand and connect with.
The story starts off with Laura attending a concert where she is completely mesmerized with a God named Amaterasu who is a sun goddess according to the Japanese mythology. Among the twelve Gods mentioned in this book, she is the only one with a lot of patience and kindness.
Isn't the artwork just utterly beautiful?
It was during this concert that a very famous goddess named Luci (short for Lucifer) speaks to Laura. This incident immediately pulls our main character into a series of completely mysterious events in which Laura is very happy to help the Gods because all she ever wanted was a taste of their powers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I, most of all, loved the artwork. Heck, I think I'm going to sketch these characters because they're so damn beautiful. It's the best artwork I've seen so far.
Just look at the beauty! My fingers are itching for my pencils!
The characters in this book are from different races and they are completely unique and extremely gorgeous and most of them are female. The diversity in these characters is something I also loved very much about because it is quite rare to have so many characters from different races in a graphic novel. These characters stretched and grew so much in this book, it was just so fascinating to watch them.
I feel like this book tries to tell us that celebrities are just as influential as religion and what good we get out of it is the biggest ambiguous question here. Gillen has taken on a very intriguing concept which will stay on the readers mind long after reading.
The characters, to be specific, the Gods are diverse in this book and now I will try my best to explain what powers they have and which mythologies they originate from. (Don't let this extra reading scare you away.)
Luci aka Lucifer:
The Prince of darkness and all things evil is portrayed as an androgynous woman in this graphic novel. She's a very interesting character who is still exploring her various capabilities. I think all the gods are trying to understand how much they can extend themselves. Remember, they didn't sign up for this.
Amaterasu:
Like I mentioned earlier, she is a sun goddess and also one of the kindest among the Gods. She has two brothers, Susanoo who is mentioned briefly in the beginning and Tsukuyomi who is not mentioned so far. According to his book, she spreads this addictive kind of euphoria while she sings in her concerts and that's one of the reasons why everyone just simply adores her.
Sakhmet:
Doesn't she look a bit like Rihanna?
Sakhmet is the lion headed goddess from the Egyptian mythology who is associated with vengeance, warfare, healing and various other things. We don't see much of her in this volume as much as I wanted to.
The Morrigan:
The Morrigan is undoubtedly one of the most interesting characters in this book. She could be extremely confusing if you don't know Irish mythology. She is three people. She switches according to her mood. She's known as the Phantom Queen and is considered to be the goddess of battle and death and also is said to take the form of a crow. It is also said that she can tell who would live and who would die in a battle and this was an inspiration to a very common mythical creature called a banshee whose screams also predict death.
I really liked this character a lot. She was so very intriguing and I cannot wait to know more about her.
Baphomet:
He's kinda hot, isn't he?
He's known as the False God and is associated with paganism and witchcraft. We encounter him briefly in the book.
Baal:
The name Baal is not a specific god but it's used as Semitic term to any god worshipped in the Near East. His symbol is a goat and I honestly don't know much about him. He does make quite a few appearances in the book and his various powers are yet to be known.
Ananke:
She is the destiny decider and a very, very powerful person. She is portrayed as a protector of the Gods in this book and all the decisions regarding them are made by her.
There are several other Gods but they haven't been mentioned a lot in this book and I'm hoping the later volumes will have more info about them.
Even though there are lots to be researched about these gods, I think this is a pretty incredible graphic novel. It would be amazing as a movie or a TV show. (Please make it a movie or a TV show!) I know for certain that this is one of the best graphic novels I've read in 2014 and I very highly recommend it.
____________________________________________
A little something I drew from this gorgeous comic. (There will be lots more! I can't wait to sketch the rest of the characters!)
The Wicked and the Divine has a very interesting concept. It's like a rough spin on something we're are all completely familiar with: Pop Stars. They're everywhere, they are addicting, they are our idols. In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, the gods are the pop stars and the pop stars are the gods. Everyone would love to be them, they worship them but alas, they die within two years. They can have all their glory and fame only for two years and they get reincarnated after ninety years.
Don't ask me why. The first volume didn't go into the very fine details of their existence and their reincarnations and all the hows' and whys' but I'm hoping the later volumes would clear all these questions.
This graphic novel contains a lot of characters, most of them are Gods from different religions and folklores. I wasn't too familiar with the Gods themselves but Wikipedia is always our dear old friend.
Meet Laura, our very easy-to-relate to main character:
Laura is human. She's a die-hard fan of the Gods. And she would do anything to be one of them. I can completely understand her. It's always very nice when your main character is easy to understand and connect with.
The story starts off with Laura attending a concert where she is completely mesmerized with a God named Amaterasu who is a sun goddess according to the Japanese mythology. Among the twelve Gods mentioned in this book, she is the only one with a lot of patience and kindness.
Isn't the artwork just utterly beautiful?
It was during this concert that a very famous goddess named Luci (short for Lucifer) speaks to Laura. This incident immediately pulls our main character into a series of completely mysterious events in which Laura is very happy to help the Gods because all she ever wanted was a taste of their powers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I, most of all, loved the artwork. Heck, I think I'm going to sketch these characters because they're so damn beautiful. It's the best artwork I've seen so far.
Just look at the beauty! My fingers are itching for my pencils!
The characters in this book are from different races and they are completely unique and extremely gorgeous and most of them are female. The diversity in these characters is something I also loved very much about because it is quite rare to have so many characters from different races in a graphic novel. These characters stretched and grew so much in this book, it was just so fascinating to watch them.
I feel like this book tries to tell us that celebrities are just as influential as religion and what good we get out of it is the biggest ambiguous question here. Gillen has taken on a very intriguing concept which will stay on the readers mind long after reading.
The characters, to be specific, the Gods are diverse in this book and now I will try my best to explain what powers they have and which mythologies they originate from. (Don't let this extra reading scare you away.)
Luci aka Lucifer:
The Prince of darkness and all things evil is portrayed as an androgynous woman in this graphic novel. She's a very interesting character who is still exploring her various capabilities. I think all the gods are trying to understand how much they can extend themselves. Remember, they didn't sign up for this.
Amaterasu:
Like I mentioned earlier, she is a sun goddess and also one of the kindest among the Gods. She has two brothers, Susanoo who is mentioned briefly in the beginning and Tsukuyomi who is not mentioned so far. According to his book, she spreads this addictive kind of euphoria while she sings in her concerts and that's one of the reasons why everyone just simply adores her.
Sakhmet:
Doesn't she look a bit like Rihanna?
Sakhmet is the lion headed goddess from the Egyptian mythology who is associated with vengeance, warfare, healing and various other things. We don't see much of her in this volume as much as I wanted to.
The Morrigan:
The Morrigan is undoubtedly one of the most interesting characters in this book. She could be extremely confusing if you don't know Irish mythology. She is three people. She switches according to her mood. She's known as the Phantom Queen and is considered to be the goddess of battle and death and also is said to take the form of a crow. It is also said that she can tell who would live and who would die in a battle and this was an inspiration to a very common mythical creature called a banshee whose screams also predict death.
I really liked this character a lot. She was so very intriguing and I cannot wait to know more about her.
Baphomet:
He's kinda hot, isn't he?
He's known as the False God and is associated with paganism and witchcraft. We encounter him briefly in the book.
Baal:
The name Baal is not a specific god but it's used as Semitic term to any god worshipped in the Near East. His symbol is a goat and I honestly don't know much about him. He does make quite a few appearances in the book and his various powers are yet to be known.
Ananke:
She is the destiny decider and a very, very powerful person. She is portrayed as a protector of the Gods in this book and all the decisions regarding them are made by her.
There are several other Gods but they haven't been mentioned a lot in this book and I'm hoping the later volumes will have more info about them.
Even though there are lots to be researched about these gods, I think this is a pretty incredible graphic novel. It would be amazing as a movie or a TV show. (Please make it a movie or a TV show!) I know for certain that this is one of the best graphic novels I've read in 2014 and I very highly recommend it.
____________________________________________
A little something I drew from this gorgeous comic. (There will be lots more! I can't wait to sketch the rest of the characters!)
January 4, 2018
Interesting story, but more for millennials than old farts like perhaps. Some of the ideas are good, but the jumps in the story are abrupt and the names of the gods don’t really make a lot of sense with respect to their stories (technically, Lucifer was an angel, not a god for one example). I’ll give Vol 2 a shot but I remain skeptical.
August 11, 2016
One word would be sufficient to describe this graphic novel, and that word would be absurd. Everything was all over the place, and the plot didn't do it justice. Most of the time I depend on the characters for enjoyment, but a bad plot is never forgivable. Not the worst I've read ever, but it was confusing as hell.
This one had a wonderful premise, but the execution was questionable. I was honestly underwhelmed because the plot wasn't fully developed. I know that this is part of a series, but that doesn't mean that vol.1 shouldn't have a proper plot. I also know that first volumes are for world and character building, but this had more of the latter, and nearly none of the former.
There are 2 good things about this, so at least it's not completely garbage. First thing that I really liked was the artwork. Everything was neatly done, and I like the style. It wasn't dull and the colors were vivid. The second thing that I liked would be some of the characters. Some were presented nicely, thus resulting to me liking them a bit. Some managed to make me wonder if they will make a good comeback in the next volume.
2.5/5 stars. That's the most I can give this worse-than-mediocre graphic novel. They honestly don't need to work on the artwork and characters anymore, but the plot needs a shit load of work. Not excited for the next volume, but I'm willing to give it a try.
This one had a wonderful premise, but the execution was questionable. I was honestly underwhelmed because the plot wasn't fully developed. I know that this is part of a series, but that doesn't mean that vol.1 shouldn't have a proper plot. I also know that first volumes are for world and character building, but this had more of the latter, and nearly none of the former.
There are 2 good things about this, so at least it's not completely garbage. First thing that I really liked was the artwork. Everything was neatly done, and I like the style. It wasn't dull and the colors were vivid. The second thing that I liked would be some of the characters. Some were presented nicely, thus resulting to me liking them a bit. Some managed to make me wonder if they will make a good comeback in the next volume.
2.5/5 stars. That's the most I can give this worse-than-mediocre graphic novel. They honestly don't need to work on the artwork and characters anymore, but the plot needs a shit load of work. Not excited for the next volume, but I'm willing to give it a try.
June 26, 2018
Friends, apparently this is just the week of me hating everyone’s favs, because I honestly did hate this. This is maybe the worst graphic novel I have ever read. I’m sorry, I truly am so sorry. Trust me, I don’t like hurting anyone’s feelings AND I absolutely hate wasting my time. But I honestly only liked the diversity in this. That’s it. But not even a pansexual lucifer was enough for me to like this. The full-page art openers of each issue were beautiful, but I didn’t even love the art of the regular panels. I just, I just really didn’t like this. It was not only confusing, but it was so damn boring too. I don’t know. I’m not even going to write a “proper review� for this. So, TL;DR � this was just so not for me. Also, I own three volumes of this, so brb while I yeet these from my bookshelves immediately. 😎
| | | | |
September 2, 2015
2.5 Stars
Hmm…let’s see…ooh, this is a pretty intriguing high concept: every 90 years, 12 gods inhabit the bodies of mortals for a 2-year period, transforming those humans into gods so that they can live fast and go out in a blaze of glory.
Oh, and it’s Gillen and McKelvie…I’ve read their stuff before. It’s good. And there’s a pun in the title. “The Faust Act.� Heh. That’s funny. Like that salon “Shearlocks� near my house. Makes me laugh every time. EVERY TIME.
Well, let’s dive into issue 1…ah, yeah, nice art…I forgot that McKelvie was this good. Hmm. A little slow, but I think there’s going to be a lot to set up here in terms of the mythology of the pantheon of these gods, so that’s okay. Plus, god mythology—that’ll be interesting, right? I mean, maybe not creation story-interesting (e.g., the “He copulated into his clenched fist and poured his seed unto the earth, creating life� type of creation story), but still interesting. It’ll pick up.
Issue 2…hmmm. Yeah, okay. Sort of interesting, I guess. I bet things will really get going in issue 3.
Huh. They’re really just going to keep sitting around and talking, aren’t they? I guess what they’re saying is SORT of interesting, but it’s not particularly witty or funny. All right, it’s a slow starter. Issue 4 will have a major payoff.
Wait…did I miss it? Let me look through issue 4 again. Huh. Nope. Not there. Just more talking. Art is still looking good, though.
Well, maybe there’s just nothing that’s going to happen here, and I’ll just wrap up issue 5 and…whoa! There it is! Something happened! Heads are exploding!
Hmmm. 4.5 issues to get to an exploding head. I mean, exploding heads are cool and all, but I can see that in issue 1 of other series. Yeah, that’s not going to be enough to keep me going.
Sorry, Wicked and Divine…methinks this was our last date. But, come on, no one, with the exception of my wife, ever gave ME five dates to prove that I wasn’t just a really boring, talkative (but visually appealing!) waste of time. So I think I’ve been fair.
Hmm…let’s see…ooh, this is a pretty intriguing high concept: every 90 years, 12 gods inhabit the bodies of mortals for a 2-year period, transforming those humans into gods so that they can live fast and go out in a blaze of glory.
Oh, and it’s Gillen and McKelvie…I’ve read their stuff before. It’s good. And there’s a pun in the title. “The Faust Act.� Heh. That’s funny. Like that salon “Shearlocks� near my house. Makes me laugh every time. EVERY TIME.
Well, let’s dive into issue 1…ah, yeah, nice art…I forgot that McKelvie was this good. Hmm. A little slow, but I think there’s going to be a lot to set up here in terms of the mythology of the pantheon of these gods, so that’s okay. Plus, god mythology—that’ll be interesting, right? I mean, maybe not creation story-interesting (e.g., the “He copulated into his clenched fist and poured his seed unto the earth, creating life� type of creation story), but still interesting. It’ll pick up.
Issue 2…hmmm. Yeah, okay. Sort of interesting, I guess. I bet things will really get going in issue 3.
Huh. They’re really just going to keep sitting around and talking, aren’t they? I guess what they’re saying is SORT of interesting, but it’s not particularly witty or funny. All right, it’s a slow starter. Issue 4 will have a major payoff.
Wait…did I miss it? Let me look through issue 4 again. Huh. Nope. Not there. Just more talking. Art is still looking good, though.
Well, maybe there’s just nothing that’s going to happen here, and I’ll just wrap up issue 5 and…whoa! There it is! Something happened! Heads are exploding!
Hmmm. 4.5 issues to get to an exploding head. I mean, exploding heads are cool and all, but I can see that in issue 1 of other series. Yeah, that’s not going to be enough to keep me going.
Sorry, Wicked and Divine…methinks this was our last date. But, come on, no one, with the exception of my wife, ever gave ME five dates to prove that I wasn’t just a really boring, talkative (but visually appealing!) waste of time. So I think I’ve been fair.
May 2, 2020
|| || || ||
Come for the art, stay for the LGBT+ fan-service. I honestly wasn't sure about what to expect with THE WICKED + THE DIVINE. Half my friends loved it, half my friends hated it. I'm in Team Loved It but I can definitely see why it isn't for everyone. It's messy, it's shallow, it's weird, it's violent, it's mean...
But it works.
X meets Y descriptions are so overdone, but this is literally like American Gods meets Jem and the Holograms. Every 90 years, the gods reincarnate as humans but then they only live two years before dying again. Why? Who knows. It's tragic. The end. And what better way for a god to be worshipped in the modern age than to play at being a pop star? One only needs look at footage from a Taylor Swift or BTS concert to see the quasi-religious mania.
Our biracial heroine, Laura, is fascinated by the gods. She starts out at a concert for the embodiment of Amaterasu, where she's spotted by Lucifer and given a VIP tour of the back, only to end up being witness to a murder that ends up landing her in a court where she witnesses another murder.
Lucifer gets blamed and Laura is determined to see her freed, but her interviews with the other gods-- with the help of a nosy and well-meaning trans reporter named Cassandra (uh oh)-- end up going... badly. Because the gods have basically become jaded as fuck and they don't really give a shit about what happens to Lucifer as long as she doesn't make trouble and spoiler their 2-year debauchery stint.
And that's... basically the plot.
This book reminded me of a theistic version of the Fables series, which is a lot like this, only with fairytale and folkloric characters. I definitely liked the music element and the outrageous costumes, especially since Lucifer looks like a female David Bowie. One of them dresses like Freddie Mercury, and Baal was dressed like a rapper. YG wore a red suit and chain a lot like his, actually.
I really enjoyed this book, especially since one of my own books has a trans character named Cassandra (only this one is an actual prophet)-- that little bit of random similarity made me smile. The diversity rep was amazing and the art was exquisite. I think the story is confusing but if you just go in with zero expectations and roll with the punches, it'll probably be more fun for you. This book is violent and sexual, though, so if that's an issue for you, you might want to steer clear.
I, however, quite enjoyed it.
4 to 4.5 stars
October 26, 2017
OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. This graphic novel series is starting off just excellent. The art is polished and gorgeous� seriously, the character design alone deserves a medal.
I’ve seen a lot of people saying the plot is confusing, and yes, it is at times. But you know what? The characters are fantastic enough and the art style gorgeous enough that it makes up for it.
Also, three words: pansexual. girl. Lucifer.
And all the characters!! Holy crap, they’re all great.
� Laura� our arguable protagonist, a human with brown& green hair.
� Cassandra� a badass Asian trans girl who... god knows what she’s doing, honestly.
The gods:
� Luci� my wife, my girlfriend, my everything.
� Amaterasu� Luci’s red haired best friend.
� Ananke� the woman who gives the gods their powers, and one we’re trying to find.
� Baphomet� the terrorist who pretended to kill a human.
� Morrigan / Annie / Badb� she’s done a lot, but let basically no information go. Ten out of ten.
� Baal Hadad� we know he had a fight with Inanna, we know that Luci may have slept with his boyfriend, and we know that he looks really good in that red suit.
� Woden� the racist pantheon leader.
� Minerva� a young god.
� Sahkmet� only seen in first
� Inanna� all we know is he had a fight with Baal.
� and possibly Tara� an unknown entity who wants too much attention
| ŷ | |
May 19, 2017
Wow! This is a really unique and bizarre tale about Gods walking amongst us (seems to be a common literary theme lately). Because it is so odd, I was only just finally getting the hang of it as I reached the end of volume 1 - a compilation of the first five issues.
If you like:
-Graphic novels
-Stories with a thin line between the mortal realm and the great unknown
-Beautiful people killing each other in gruesome fashion
Check this one out!
Note on the art: The faces in this graphic novel are amazing - probably the best drawn I have seen in a long while.
If you like:
-Graphic novels
-Stories with a thin line between the mortal realm and the great unknown
-Beautiful people killing each other in gruesome fashion
Check this one out!
Note on the art: The faces in this graphic novel are amazing - probably the best drawn I have seen in a long while.
June 12, 2023
This will be a review for both issue 1 and the edition comprising issues 1 to 5 (yeah I'm lazy I know).
I hardly ever read comics. Not that I dislike them, it's just that I don't usually like the artwork very much. Then I discovered The Wicked + The Divine.
The artwork is amazing. The colours are incredible. I'm not very familiar with the world of comics and graphic novels but I've never seen anything quite like this before. Beautiful. And hypnotizing. I could browse the issues for hours, just looking at the artwork.
This comic deserves five stars just because of its illustrations.
The great thing is, the story is pretty fantastic too!
Brilliant artwork + great, entertaining plot = I am hooked. Next please!
· Vol. 2: Fandemonium ★★�
I hardly ever read comics. Not that I dislike them, it's just that I don't usually like the artwork very much. Then I discovered The Wicked + The Divine.
The artwork is amazing. The colours are incredible. I'm not very familiar with the world of comics and graphic novels but I've never seen anything quite like this before. Beautiful. And hypnotizing. I could browse the issues for hours, just looking at the artwork.
This comic deserves five stars just because of its illustrations.
The great thing is, the story is pretty fantastic too!
Every 90 years or so, twelve gods incarnate in the bodies of the young. They are loved. They are hated. They are brilliant. Within two years, they’re dead.Urban fantasy, mythology, fantasy, mystery, action� The Wicked + The Divine pretty much has it all. It's all a bit confusing at first, mainly because it's difficult to understand what god each character is supposed to be. Strangely enough, it didn't bother me much and it all gets much clearer as the story develops anyway. The plot is very original, intriguing and fast-paced, with an unexpected twist at the end of issue 5 . Fun, fun fun!
Brilliant artwork + great, entertaining plot = I am hooked. Next please!
· Vol. 2: Fandemonium ★★�
February 5, 2017
Slick but shallow, self-congratulatory, sterile, ultimately pointless pop-stars-as-gods fantasy, as far as I can tell. I tried twice, but I just can't get into this one. 1.5 stars.
April 3, 2015
It's a grab bag of different themes, as the Shallow Readers struggle to catch up.
John Milton in Paradise Lost set the standard for many future Lucifer characters: rhetorically skilled ("Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."), witty and dripping with charisma.
Lucifer appears as Luci, a female member of a group of gods who appear on Earth once every 90 years, and gets the lion's share of the good lines and dwarfs the other gods by comparison.
The group is more wicked than divine and despite the fact that they’re gods, they’re less than immortal. The story is told from the perspective of Laura, a fan girl, as she tries to puzzle out how and why Luci is framed for murder. The Pantheon (their collective name for themselves) are adored and gushed over in this competent reflection on the nature of pop celebrity.
The collection starts off rather slow and confusing but picks up steam somewhere north of the second issue.
John Milton in Paradise Lost set the standard for many future Lucifer characters: rhetorically skilled ("Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."), witty and dripping with charisma.
Lucifer appears as Luci, a female member of a group of gods who appear on Earth once every 90 years, and gets the lion's share of the good lines and dwarfs the other gods by comparison.
The group is more wicked than divine and despite the fact that they’re gods, they’re less than immortal. The story is told from the perspective of Laura, a fan girl, as she tries to puzzle out how and why Luci is framed for murder. The Pantheon (their collective name for themselves) are adored and gushed over in this competent reflection on the nature of pop celebrity.
The collection starts off rather slow and confusing but picks up steam somewhere north of the second issue.
February 27, 2016
[3.5 Stars]
January 25, 2016
Me esperaba más teniendo una premisa tan interesante, pero la trama se va perdiendo fuerza según avanza. Los personajes están bien, sin más, con personalidades interesantes y descubriendo los detalles justos para mantener el misterio. Sin embargo, es un misterio perecedero. El dibujo es una maravilla, y aunque partes de la historia resulten un poco más aburridas, disfrutar de los colores y figuras es un placer. La recomiendo para pasar un rato entretenido. Yo en cuanto pueda me haré con la segunda parte para ver cómo evoluciona la trama.
June 25, 2016
Gorgeous art, cool concept, messy text
January 29, 2021
The artwork is so stunning that I loved it for that. At times I felt sort of lost but I am hoping to get my hands on the next volume and keep reading
September 15, 2020
2020: CHILEEEEE this was such a crazyyyy ride. I forgot how good this story is!
This is my 3rd time reading this first volume and I always seem to forget how crazy this comic book series really is! I will say that while reading this it is super important to look up the information related to the gods and goddesses described. It makes their characters make more sense. I knew some but I didn't know all and the writers definitely use gods and goddesses from so many different cultures and religions spread over so many different periods of time BUT it all works together. If you've never heard of The Wicked + The Divine it is a comic book about these gods/goddesses that reincarnate themselves into humans on Earth every 90 years and then die after 2. They are revered by most and hated by a few who don't believe that they actually have powers. The story is told from the perspective of Laura, a college who desires the fame and fortune of these gods/goddesses, but instead she gets caught in a cross fire to save Luci (Lucifer) from impending doom after she is accused of murdering humans. Once she enters their world, Laura realizes that the world is a lot more complex than she expects and she learns more than she could have ever anticipated. This story moves quick so the writers definitely leave it up to the reader to do their research and follow along carefully. There were certain panels that I had to read a few times. I think that this first volume definitely leaves you with more questions than answers, but I'm okay with that because usually that's what a good first volume will do. If you are confused after this first volume just continue to read it and it'll all make sense in the end. The artwork is also a bonus. It is absolutely beautiful and it's what first attracted me to the comic to begin with. It's rich in color and you get a feel for the different personalities of the gods/goddesses just through the artwork. I can't wait to read the second volume again!
Previous Review (2018): This was challenging at first because it was slightly confusing but then I started looking up the names of the gods that were mentioned and it made a lot more sense. Laura was out to save Luci and instead she found a much more complex dynamic between the gods. I’m interested in re-reading the second volume to see if I truly understand what’s going on.
This is my 3rd time reading this first volume and I always seem to forget how crazy this comic book series really is! I will say that while reading this it is super important to look up the information related to the gods and goddesses described. It makes their characters make more sense. I knew some but I didn't know all and the writers definitely use gods and goddesses from so many different cultures and religions spread over so many different periods of time BUT it all works together. If you've never heard of The Wicked + The Divine it is a comic book about these gods/goddesses that reincarnate themselves into humans on Earth every 90 years and then die after 2. They are revered by most and hated by a few who don't believe that they actually have powers. The story is told from the perspective of Laura, a college who desires the fame and fortune of these gods/goddesses, but instead she gets caught in a cross fire to save Luci (Lucifer) from impending doom after she is accused of murdering humans. Once she enters their world, Laura realizes that the world is a lot more complex than she expects and she learns more than she could have ever anticipated. This story moves quick so the writers definitely leave it up to the reader to do their research and follow along carefully. There were certain panels that I had to read a few times. I think that this first volume definitely leaves you with more questions than answers, but I'm okay with that because usually that's what a good first volume will do. If you are confused after this first volume just continue to read it and it'll all make sense in the end. The artwork is also a bonus. It is absolutely beautiful and it's what first attracted me to the comic to begin with. It's rich in color and you get a feel for the different personalities of the gods/goddesses just through the artwork. I can't wait to read the second volume again!
Previous Review (2018): This was challenging at first because it was slightly confusing but then I started looking up the names of the gods that were mentioned and it made a lot more sense. Laura was out to save Luci and instead she found a much more complex dynamic between the gods. I’m interested in re-reading the second volume to see if I truly understand what’s going on.
April 29, 2020
"Just because you're immortal doesn't mean you're going to live forever."
REREAD UPDATE � 04/27/2020:
It's been a few years since I started (and subsequently put down) this series, and I've been saying for months I would give it another chance, so I finally decided to do just that. Honestly, this first volume was so much better than I remember it being the first time I read it, which gives me very high hopes that I'll enjoy the next volume more, too (and finally continue the series!).
Also, let's be honest, I'd just about take a bullet for Luci and The Morrigan.
—ĔĔĔĔ�
original review � 08/28/2017:
So many people have recommended this graphic novel series to me, so I finally picked it up, and I'm glad that I did! It essentially follows this idea that, every ninety years, a dozen gods/goddesses are reincarnated into the bodies of teenagers, each of whom are allowed to live for two years as brilliant, miracle-working celebrities before dying and restarting the cycle.
Our main character, Laura, gets wrapped up in a wild ride when Luci (Lucifer) is charged with a crime she swears she didn't commit, and Laura makes it her mission to bring justice to Luci and find the culprit.
This book is fun, quick-paced, and the art is stunning. The character designs are just incredible (I was especially fond of Luci and The Morrigan). It has such a unique feel to it overall, and I'd highly recommend it to any graphic novel lover, especially if you enjoy mythology tales.
December 14, 2016
WICKED + DIVINE actually pissed me off the first time I read it, because it tries SO hard. Between the Shakespeare, reality TV, and teen fandom, it's almost too much. It's satire, I get it, but it lacks any subtlety and I don't find it all that funny.
The thing about W+D is it's conceptually intriguing. Immortal gods who live for two years and reincarnate every ninety. I read American Gods, it was pretty cool. It was also subtle.
But the concept and execution deviate greatly from, at least my own, expectations. All the gods are reality TV stars. Even the writing is fairly click-bait gotcha journalism meets teen slang inner monologue. And I get it. That's the schtick. It's clever and "funny" and modern. There's even a murder mystery. Sort of. I think.
What's weird, though, is I was kinda bored. Like reality TV, the gods don't do a whole lot. They argue, fight, lust, and complain. And there isn't much of a story either. Lucifer kills, then is supposedly framed for killing again, then Laura becomes a groupie and goes around "investigating" this murder with the TV crew and gotcha journalist. That's pretty much it.
And yet, it kept me reading. More because I wanted something to happen. Or a revelation. I guess it feels predictable. A few issues in and the uber-modern-and-wishes-it-was-John Hughes-dialog isn't even surprising anymore. It leaves me feeling blasé, like a John Hughes character. So I like the ideas of this book, but I borderline hate the characters. They're kinda flat and cold.
Which is too bad. Because the artwork is fucking killer. Jamie McKelvie, like Sara Vaughn (Alex + Ada), draws surgically clean. No mess. And Matt Wilson's (Paper Girls) colors are the BEST. His colors alone seriously make the book worth reading.
I'm not done yet. I have hope that Volume 2 will pull its head out of its ass and try less and be cooler. And McKelvie and Wilson will continue to prop up a very thin story with okay characters.
February 27, 2017
This comic was really cool. What I really liked about it was how different it was. It stands apart from every other comic I have ever read. I loved the Gods and the premise but I just wish that in future volumes there will be more world-building, character backstories and/or character development. In the future comics I would also love to see a story that is much more concise. At times I felt quite confused reading this and from reading a couple of other reviews on here, I wasn't the only one. I hope it was just muddy as it was finding its footing.
The main reason why I gave this 4 stars is because of the absolutely stunning artwork. It is so beautiful and the colours are absolutely perfect. I don't think the art could have been any better so that gets a 5/5 from me.
I would definitely recommend this. It's different and I'm excited to see where the story goes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The main reason why I gave this 4 stars is because of the absolutely stunning artwork. It is so beautiful and the colours are absolutely perfect. I don't think the art could have been any better so that gets a 5/5 from me.
I would definitely recommend this. It's different and I'm excited to see where the story goes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 16, 2016
This graphic novel was a special snowflake. I think reading the Wicked and the Divine is like befriending that one weird outcast on the playground. It could go amazingly well and you could be BFFs. Or it could go badly and you'd have to awkwardly avoid each other for the rest of time.
For me it was more or less the former outcome. I barely registered how incredibly confusing the story was because I was so busy drooling over the STUNNING art. Absolutely beautiful.
For me it was more or less the former outcome. I barely registered how incredibly confusing the story was because I was so busy drooling over the STUNNING art. Absolutely beautiful.
January 17, 2015
Story = meh.
Art = YEAAAAAH.
Overall = 3 stars.
I'll try the next volume when it comes out though.
Art = YEAAAAAH.
Overall = 3 stars.
I'll try the next volume when it comes out though.
March 21, 2019
I AM 100% HERE FOR THIS
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