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Kingdom Come #1-4
Kingdom Come
Winner of five Eisner and Harvey Awards, KINGDOM COME is the best-selling graphic novel form acclaimed writer Mark Waid and superstar painter Alex Ross. This new, 20th Anniversary edition features sketches and bonus material explaining the rich, detailed world from the minds of Waid and Ross.
Set in the not-so-distant future, the DC Universe is spinning inexorably out of control. The new generation of heroes has lost their moral compass, becoming just as reckless and violent as the villains they fight. The previous regime of heroes--the Justice League--returns under the most dire of circumstances, setting up a battle of the old guard against these uncompromising protectors in a battle that will define what heroism truly is. Collects KINGDOM COME #1-4.
Set in the not-so-distant future, the DC Universe is spinning inexorably out of control. The new generation of heroes has lost their moral compass, becoming just as reckless and violent as the villains they fight. The previous regime of heroes--the Justice League--returns under the most dire of circumstances, setting up a battle of the old guard against these uncompromising protectors in a battle that will define what heroism truly is. Collects KINGDOM COME #1-4.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1996
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About the author
Mark Waid
3,053books1,212followersMark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,149 reviews
June 25, 2022
This one is a classic.
If you haven't read it? You should.
However, that doesn't mean it's perfect or even that it's one of my personal favorites.
Something happened that made Superman give up. And in this Elseworlds story, that caused a chain reaction in other superheroes that eventually meant the old guard (mostly) retired into oblivion. Now the world is left with the next generation of heroes who don't have the same respect for human life that their parents and grandparents had, and there's no one strong enough to shut them down when their fighting gets messy.
After a particularly awful thing happens, an old pastor named Norman McCay is visited by the Spectre and told to stand witness and decide who is going to be the recipient of his particular brand of judgment.
That's just part of the story.
I really enjoyed that Captain Marvel played such a big part in this one, and I loved that Waid gave us a hopeful ending. But for some reason, this story just didn't turn my crank quite as hard as I had hoped it would the 2nd time around. It's still (for me) a 4 star read, and it didn't quite make it into the Wow territory I thought it might after I revisited it.
Recommended.
If you haven't read it? You should.
However, that doesn't mean it's perfect or even that it's one of my personal favorites.
Something happened that made Superman give up. And in this Elseworlds story, that caused a chain reaction in other superheroes that eventually meant the old guard (mostly) retired into oblivion. Now the world is left with the next generation of heroes who don't have the same respect for human life that their parents and grandparents had, and there's no one strong enough to shut them down when their fighting gets messy.
After a particularly awful thing happens, an old pastor named Norman McCay is visited by the Spectre and told to stand witness and decide who is going to be the recipient of his particular brand of judgment.
That's just part of the story.
I really enjoyed that Captain Marvel played such a big part in this one, and I loved that Waid gave us a hopeful ending. But for some reason, this story just didn't turn my crank quite as hard as I had hoped it would the 2nd time around. It's still (for me) a 4 star read, and it didn't quite make it into the Wow territory I thought it might after I revisited it.
Recommended.
November 21, 2013
Kingdom Come should be in the (holy) canon of graphic novels. It is easily among the top 25 (10?) greatest stories ever written for super-hero comics.
The story takes place in the future. Most of the DC roster of heroes have grown old. Superman (don’t call him Clark) has retired. It seems that the public can only stand so much of villains, like the Joker, who, because of the thou-shalt-not-kill-villains hero code, just escape from jail and repeatedly wreak havoc.
Some heroes break the code, start killing villains and public sentiment forces the old guard to bow out. It leaves a situation where you have a group of meta-humans with varying degrees of good intentions taking justice into their own hands. When most of the bad guys are wiped out, they begin to turn on each other. It takes a catastrophic incident involving a group of heroes; the villain, Parasite; and much loss of life to bring the clash between the old and new ways to a head.
Alex Ross’s artwork adds majesty and gravitas to Mark Waid’s now- classic storyline. Waid raises lots of issues about the nature of superheroes and their role in society that became seeds for other storylines (see Marvel’s Civil War).
The denouement where three heroes are eating at a super-hero themed restaurant is both touching and hilarious.
The story takes place in the future. Most of the DC roster of heroes have grown old. Superman (don’t call him Clark) has retired. It seems that the public can only stand so much of villains, like the Joker, who, because of the thou-shalt-not-kill-villains hero code, just escape from jail and repeatedly wreak havoc.
Some heroes break the code, start killing villains and public sentiment forces the old guard to bow out. It leaves a situation where you have a group of meta-humans with varying degrees of good intentions taking justice into their own hands. When most of the bad guys are wiped out, they begin to turn on each other. It takes a catastrophic incident involving a group of heroes; the villain, Parasite; and much loss of life to bring the clash between the old and new ways to a head.
Alex Ross’s artwork adds majesty and gravitas to Mark Waid’s now- classic storyline. Waid raises lots of issues about the nature of superheroes and their role in society that became seeds for other storylines (see Marvel’s Civil War).
The denouement where three heroes are eating at a super-hero themed restaurant is both touching and hilarious.
May 23, 2017
One of the DC’s crown jewels!
This TPB edition collects “Kingdom Come� #1-4, plus an epilogue (exclusive of the collected TPB edition), an introduction by Elliot S. Maggin (who did the prose novelization), and a Sketch gallery (including a guide of the characters portraited on each individual cover of the original comic book issues).
Creative Team:
Writers: Mark Waid & Alex Ross
Illustrator: Alex Ross
Letterer: Todd Klein
ROAD TO KINGDOM COME
This epic tale showing the last days of the DC Super-heroes risen from two separate ideas.
First, an unpublished proposal by Alan Moore titled “Twilight of the Super-Heroes� (when naing something with the word “twilight� didn’t left you with a bitter taste of shinin� vampires) where precisely was about a grim future where the main powerhouses of DC have formed clans and they were in war with each other (you can watch in the direct-to-video animated film Justice League: Crisis in Two Earths some of this developed there, and which that said animated movie was originally a “bridge� between the animated TV series Justice League and its following seasons renamed Justice League Unlimited).
Second, Alex Ross had done Marvels for Marvel Comics and he wanted to make a similar project for DC Comics, but where Marvels is a portrait of the first days of Marvel Universe, here, it’s a study of how the last days of DC Universe may look. (Later, Alex Ross would define the parameters for Earth X, a project to show the last days of Marvel Universe).
WHEN BEING GOOD GOT OUTDATED
Superman was the first super-hero and he “wrote� the book for all the super-heroes (not matter the publishing house) that follow him, creating a new literary genre on its own right.
While Batman has been adapted (quite successfully) for each era (grim, campy, dark, friendly, dark again, etc),�
…it seems that the core elements of what makes Superman tick where so tight attached to his 1938’s roots that, while his super-power levels had been changed from time to time, his very never-ending image of truth, justice and freedom, inspiring hope to all mankind, it was something that without a doubt, if you take out that, he isn’t Superman anymore�
…but the future, OUR future as society will have space for something so good hearted as Superman?
Alex Ross and Mark Waid show us the grim scenario (quite ready-witted) where new generations of super-heroes take in their own hands what they see as justice without remorse of the loss of lives.
Magog, the new prototype of super-hero, makes what Superman couldn’t do, and what’s worse, there isn’t any reprimand or consequence for Magog’s actions by the law of men, which a broken-hearted Superman (more broken-hearted that you can imagine) left society in a self-imposed retirement leaving behind any trace of humanity and embracing his original Kryptonian heritage.
If hope left us�
…is there any reason to live in the future?
BLOOD AND THUNDER
Ten years later, without hope among humankind, a new generation of super-heroes without morals, without any code, without rules, without responsability for their actions, without any role model to follow, is becoming so threatening that The Spectre is ready to impart judgement over Earth, since�
…Kingdom Come, the armageddon is upon us!
However, The Spectre was Jim Corrigan so many time ago that he “forgets� how to be human, so he choses a guide�
Enter: Norman McCay
Norman is a preacher, a man of God, which it seems like the best option to guide the incoming judgment for the “gods� among men with powers and abilitities far beyond of mortals.
Wonder Woman forces Superman to return to a world that desperately needs hope again, soon enough a new Justice League risen, recruting as many power houses as possible.
However, not everybody, especially those without special powers will take kindly the intervention of this new Justice League, where two men will be particularly worried about this new development in an already volatile world situation�
…Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) and Lex Luthor.
Each of those two human beings, each representing the ultimate potential for a human being without super-powers can be, forming their own armies to take on their own angles against the new Justice League.
It's men versus gods.
However, Lex Luthor possess the wild card in this apocalypsing crisis�
…Captain Marvel, the Earth’s Mightiest Mortal!
This is a war�
…and in a war, ALWAYS there are deaths�
…lots of them.
Kingdom Come is upon us�
…let’s pray�
…for everybody!
This TPB edition collects “Kingdom Come� #1-4, plus an epilogue (exclusive of the collected TPB edition), an introduction by Elliot S. Maggin (who did the prose novelization), and a Sketch gallery (including a guide of the characters portraited on each individual cover of the original comic book issues).
Creative Team:
Writers: Mark Waid & Alex Ross
Illustrator: Alex Ross
Letterer: Todd Klein
ROAD TO KINGDOM COME
This epic tale showing the last days of the DC Super-heroes risen from two separate ideas.
First, an unpublished proposal by Alan Moore titled “Twilight of the Super-Heroes� (when naing something with the word “twilight� didn’t left you with a bitter taste of shinin� vampires) where precisely was about a grim future where the main powerhouses of DC have formed clans and they were in war with each other (you can watch in the direct-to-video animated film Justice League: Crisis in Two Earths some of this developed there, and which that said animated movie was originally a “bridge� between the animated TV series Justice League and its following seasons renamed Justice League Unlimited).
Second, Alex Ross had done Marvels for Marvel Comics and he wanted to make a similar project for DC Comics, but where Marvels is a portrait of the first days of Marvel Universe, here, it’s a study of how the last days of DC Universe may look. (Later, Alex Ross would define the parameters for Earth X, a project to show the last days of Marvel Universe).
WHEN BEING GOOD GOT OUTDATED
Superman was the first super-hero and he “wrote� the book for all the super-heroes (not matter the publishing house) that follow him, creating a new literary genre on its own right.
While Batman has been adapted (quite successfully) for each era (grim, campy, dark, friendly, dark again, etc),�
…it seems that the core elements of what makes Superman tick where so tight attached to his 1938’s roots that, while his super-power levels had been changed from time to time, his very never-ending image of truth, justice and freedom, inspiring hope to all mankind, it was something that without a doubt, if you take out that, he isn’t Superman anymore�
…but the future, OUR future as society will have space for something so good hearted as Superman?
Alex Ross and Mark Waid show us the grim scenario (quite ready-witted) where new generations of super-heroes take in their own hands what they see as justice without remorse of the loss of lives.
Magog, the new prototype of super-hero, makes what Superman couldn’t do, and what’s worse, there isn’t any reprimand or consequence for Magog’s actions by the law of men, which a broken-hearted Superman (more broken-hearted that you can imagine) left society in a self-imposed retirement leaving behind any trace of humanity and embracing his original Kryptonian heritage.
If hope left us�
…is there any reason to live in the future?
BLOOD AND THUNDER
Ten years later, without hope among humankind, a new generation of super-heroes without morals, without any code, without rules, without responsability for their actions, without any role model to follow, is becoming so threatening that The Spectre is ready to impart judgement over Earth, since�
…Kingdom Come, the armageddon is upon us!
However, The Spectre was Jim Corrigan so many time ago that he “forgets� how to be human, so he choses a guide�
Enter: Norman McCay
Norman is a preacher, a man of God, which it seems like the best option to guide the incoming judgment for the “gods� among men with powers and abilitities far beyond of mortals.
Wonder Woman forces Superman to return to a world that desperately needs hope again, soon enough a new Justice League risen, recruting as many power houses as possible.
However, not everybody, especially those without special powers will take kindly the intervention of this new Justice League, where two men will be particularly worried about this new development in an already volatile world situation�
…Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) and Lex Luthor.
Each of those two human beings, each representing the ultimate potential for a human being without super-powers can be, forming their own armies to take on their own angles against the new Justice League.
It's men versus gods.
However, Lex Luthor possess the wild card in this apocalypsing crisis�
…Captain Marvel, the Earth’s Mightiest Mortal!
This is a war�
…and in a war, ALWAYS there are deaths�
…lots of them.
Kingdom Come is upon us�
…let’s pray�
…for everybody!
January 1, 2013
"Kingdom Come" is one of the most boring, overrated, and simply bad "event" books from DC I've read. It lacks a coherent narrative, competent writing, strong characterisation, and, maybe most basic of all, an interesting story. Mark Waid's writing on this book is truly abysmal. The saving grace of this book is Alex Ross' artwork which may be the reason so many people think it's a "classic" of the superhero genre. But even Ross' photo-realistic art can't save it from the literary quagmire it drives itself into and fails to leave for the entirety of this book.
The story setup is most baffling of all. Superman has "retired" for 10 years because he lost his parents and Lois. He just felt he couldn't be Superman anymore. Uh... ok. But then everyone else in the Justice League, except Batman, decide to call it a day too! Green Lantern builds himself a giant green space station and sits on his throne, Hawkman flies about the Pacific North-West, Wonder Woman disappears back to her island, Flash runs endlessly in circles. Why?! Just because Superman hung up his blue and red costume? It doesn't make sense and it's never explained. So in the vacuum the JLA left, a new, younger generation of superhero arrives. These guys aren't really superheroes, they don't care about honour or protecting the innocent, they just fly about the place, smashing things up, firing off lasers, doing all kindsa nutty things - for no reason. It's never explained just why these new superheroes have no conscience - except that that's what Mark Waid wrote in his script, so that's it. Great. Arbitrary nonsense.
So after Magog - who is now the superhero the world deserves, I suppose? - makes a mess by accidentally killing the Atom, thus triggering an atomic explosion that destroys Kansas, Superman finally returns. Why? Because it's his "home state"? There have been other terrible incidents in the 10 years he's been away but this causes him to return, which consequently brings the rest of the JLA back at the same time! They basically do whatever Superman tells them to do, I suppose, they're not individuals, at least not in the hands of Mark Waid.
Now it's Superman and the JLA, the "classic" superheroes who stand for truth, honour, justice, etc. against the arbitrarily stupid, evil, ignorant, and conscience-free "new" superheroes. For some reason, their fighting will bring about Armageddon. But not really because it's humanity who will do this because they don't much like superheroes anymore. The humans, led by Lex Luthor, have had enough of superheroes or "meta-humans" and have decided to build an army to fight them so that humanity will be left alone to make their own decisions (and mistakes). An old and battered Bruce Wayne, held together by an exo-skeleton, joins Luthor and promises to build an army of Bat-robots like the kind he uses to police Gotham. But it doesn't matter because the United Nations decide to fire a nuke into the heart of America at the superheroes who are gathered at the site of Superman's gulag to fight, thus bringing about Armageddon. So it's the humans' fault, not the superheroes'.
But before going into how utterly stupid this scenario is, let's talk about the unnerving undercurrent of right wing politics appearing in this book. Superman and co. are "old" therefore "good" while everything "new" is instantly portrayed as "bad". Superman reiterates that "all life is sacred", he destroys a bar's alcohol because "it doesn't help", and he builds a gulag - yes, it's called a gulag in the book! - to house the rebels! Their stance on crime is extreme. There's a scene where some kids mug a man and run off only to be cornered by not one, not two, but four giant Bat-robots! Police state = good. And throughout the book are quotes from the Bible. So, in this book at least, we have pro-life, prohibitionist, security obsessed Christians as the heroes. Sounds pretty conservative and damned repulsive to me. I don't know Waid's political views but judging from this book I'd say he's an ardent Republican.
If Superman's characterisation is disturbing, it's nothing compared to Wonder Woman who pushes for military action right from the start, urging Superman to build a prison as an answer to any kind of theological opposition. Democracy's bad I guess, Stalin had the right idea! Two of DC's flagship characters behaving like fascists is very disturbing to read but at least they got to speak - Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman? They never say a word. They silently stand about, helping Superman, like colourful goons and then disappear when he doesn't need them. They are simply ciphers. And the book is filled with weird character moments that were so out of place they took me out of the story like, why does Superman need an oxygen mask to breathe in space, or why is Red Robin piloting the UN's nuke?
Batman is maybe the one character I thought Waid did justice to. Despite being some kind of Transformers-obsessed creator, his personality was right even if his Batman outfit was basically a robot suit and, besides one scene, he's never in costume but he's still called Batman, not Bruce Wayne, which is kinda weird.
There's also the framing device of the Spectre taking an elderly preacher called Norman McCay on a ghostly trip through the book, so they're constantly in the background witnessing events unfold. This is because we're told by Spectre that Norman is to decide the fate of everything - are the superheroes to be saved or damned? It's up to Norman. Who? Why? But in the end this premise proves completely redundant as it's actually Billy Batson who decides. Shazam! Yup, another narrative dead end.
Alex Ross' artwork is great and I always enjoy it. He employs real people wearing real superhero costumes to pose as models and then paints them onto the page, giving his work that photo-realistic look that's much lauded. And it's great, except when you have people pose for each panel, you don't get a good sense of motion in the book. Every pose is static because it has to be in order for Ross to paint it. He doesn't do movement very well - and this book is full of movement! Not once does it seem like the characters are actually moving. Also, as great as his art is, I feel like there can be too much of a good thing, like eating a ton of lobster and garlic butter and making yourself feel sick. I like seeing Ross' work on covers and maybe the occasional short, but a 212 page book? The "wow" factor really diminishes by the end.
The story made no sense. Superman's story arc from retired superhero to returning hero to fascist leader to saviour again made no sense and was horrible to witness. Luthor's plan made no sense. The UN's behaviour made no sense - nuking Superman does not work, yet they do it anyway. And of course afterwards he shows up and trashes the place (it was this scene in particular that made me see where Waid got his inspiration for his "Irredeemable" character, Plutonian, from) and could easily have killed them all if he wasn't stopped and reminded of who he is. Yeah, there's one of those scenes included here. The story of the old and new superheroes fighting one another made no sense and the whole point of Armageddon was really forced. Nothing that happens in this book has any relevancy in later, or earlier, story arcs. It stands alone as an empty, pointless, uninspired and directionless disaster. Everything about this book is flawed beyond belief and beneath it all beats the cold dead heart of conservatism and a fear and hatred of modernity and changing attitudes.
It's another example of the kind of superhero book that tries to be relevant by being as "real" as possible. But the biggest problem for me was the basic requirement I have for any piece of fiction: entertainment. This book is SO BORING! Once you get past the nonsensical plot, there is nothing here that is of any interest. The characters are bland and despicable, the tone is joyless and morbid, and the plodding "story" is utterly bland and uninteresting. If nothing else, this book should be avoided due to it being so purely dull.
For comics fans who've read and enjoyed the wide range of superhero comics DC offer, coming to "Kingdom Come" is a jarring and unpleasant experience that throws up too many questions, offering no answers, and manages to create a miserable, soggy piece of storytelling with some of the most interesting characters ever created. It's bad on every level and serves as one of the nadirs of crap comics - "Kingdom Come" is to be avoided by any and all readers.
The story setup is most baffling of all. Superman has "retired" for 10 years because he lost his parents and Lois. He just felt he couldn't be Superman anymore. Uh... ok. But then everyone else in the Justice League, except Batman, decide to call it a day too! Green Lantern builds himself a giant green space station and sits on his throne, Hawkman flies about the Pacific North-West, Wonder Woman disappears back to her island, Flash runs endlessly in circles. Why?! Just because Superman hung up his blue and red costume? It doesn't make sense and it's never explained. So in the vacuum the JLA left, a new, younger generation of superhero arrives. These guys aren't really superheroes, they don't care about honour or protecting the innocent, they just fly about the place, smashing things up, firing off lasers, doing all kindsa nutty things - for no reason. It's never explained just why these new superheroes have no conscience - except that that's what Mark Waid wrote in his script, so that's it. Great. Arbitrary nonsense.
So after Magog - who is now the superhero the world deserves, I suppose? - makes a mess by accidentally killing the Atom, thus triggering an atomic explosion that destroys Kansas, Superman finally returns. Why? Because it's his "home state"? There have been other terrible incidents in the 10 years he's been away but this causes him to return, which consequently brings the rest of the JLA back at the same time! They basically do whatever Superman tells them to do, I suppose, they're not individuals, at least not in the hands of Mark Waid.
Now it's Superman and the JLA, the "classic" superheroes who stand for truth, honour, justice, etc. against the arbitrarily stupid, evil, ignorant, and conscience-free "new" superheroes. For some reason, their fighting will bring about Armageddon. But not really because it's humanity who will do this because they don't much like superheroes anymore. The humans, led by Lex Luthor, have had enough of superheroes or "meta-humans" and have decided to build an army to fight them so that humanity will be left alone to make their own decisions (and mistakes). An old and battered Bruce Wayne, held together by an exo-skeleton, joins Luthor and promises to build an army of Bat-robots like the kind he uses to police Gotham. But it doesn't matter because the United Nations decide to fire a nuke into the heart of America at the superheroes who are gathered at the site of Superman's gulag to fight, thus bringing about Armageddon. So it's the humans' fault, not the superheroes'.
But before going into how utterly stupid this scenario is, let's talk about the unnerving undercurrent of right wing politics appearing in this book. Superman and co. are "old" therefore "good" while everything "new" is instantly portrayed as "bad". Superman reiterates that "all life is sacred", he destroys a bar's alcohol because "it doesn't help", and he builds a gulag - yes, it's called a gulag in the book! - to house the rebels! Their stance on crime is extreme. There's a scene where some kids mug a man and run off only to be cornered by not one, not two, but four giant Bat-robots! Police state = good. And throughout the book are quotes from the Bible. So, in this book at least, we have pro-life, prohibitionist, security obsessed Christians as the heroes. Sounds pretty conservative and damned repulsive to me. I don't know Waid's political views but judging from this book I'd say he's an ardent Republican.
If Superman's characterisation is disturbing, it's nothing compared to Wonder Woman who pushes for military action right from the start, urging Superman to build a prison as an answer to any kind of theological opposition. Democracy's bad I guess, Stalin had the right idea! Two of DC's flagship characters behaving like fascists is very disturbing to read but at least they got to speak - Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman? They never say a word. They silently stand about, helping Superman, like colourful goons and then disappear when he doesn't need them. They are simply ciphers. And the book is filled with weird character moments that were so out of place they took me out of the story like, why does Superman need an oxygen mask to breathe in space, or why is Red Robin piloting the UN's nuke?
Batman is maybe the one character I thought Waid did justice to. Despite being some kind of Transformers-obsessed creator, his personality was right even if his Batman outfit was basically a robot suit and, besides one scene, he's never in costume but he's still called Batman, not Bruce Wayne, which is kinda weird.
There's also the framing device of the Spectre taking an elderly preacher called Norman McCay on a ghostly trip through the book, so they're constantly in the background witnessing events unfold. This is because we're told by Spectre that Norman is to decide the fate of everything - are the superheroes to be saved or damned? It's up to Norman. Who? Why? But in the end this premise proves completely redundant as it's actually Billy Batson who decides. Shazam! Yup, another narrative dead end.
Alex Ross' artwork is great and I always enjoy it. He employs real people wearing real superhero costumes to pose as models and then paints them onto the page, giving his work that photo-realistic look that's much lauded. And it's great, except when you have people pose for each panel, you don't get a good sense of motion in the book. Every pose is static because it has to be in order for Ross to paint it. He doesn't do movement very well - and this book is full of movement! Not once does it seem like the characters are actually moving. Also, as great as his art is, I feel like there can be too much of a good thing, like eating a ton of lobster and garlic butter and making yourself feel sick. I like seeing Ross' work on covers and maybe the occasional short, but a 212 page book? The "wow" factor really diminishes by the end.
The story made no sense. Superman's story arc from retired superhero to returning hero to fascist leader to saviour again made no sense and was horrible to witness. Luthor's plan made no sense. The UN's behaviour made no sense - nuking Superman does not work, yet they do it anyway. And of course afterwards he shows up and trashes the place (it was this scene in particular that made me see where Waid got his inspiration for his "Irredeemable" character, Plutonian, from) and could easily have killed them all if he wasn't stopped and reminded of who he is. Yeah, there's one of those scenes included here. The story of the old and new superheroes fighting one another made no sense and the whole point of Armageddon was really forced. Nothing that happens in this book has any relevancy in later, or earlier, story arcs. It stands alone as an empty, pointless, uninspired and directionless disaster. Everything about this book is flawed beyond belief and beneath it all beats the cold dead heart of conservatism and a fear and hatred of modernity and changing attitudes.
It's another example of the kind of superhero book that tries to be relevant by being as "real" as possible. But the biggest problem for me was the basic requirement I have for any piece of fiction: entertainment. This book is SO BORING! Once you get past the nonsensical plot, there is nothing here that is of any interest. The characters are bland and despicable, the tone is joyless and morbid, and the plodding "story" is utterly bland and uninteresting. If nothing else, this book should be avoided due to it being so purely dull.
For comics fans who've read and enjoyed the wide range of superhero comics DC offer, coming to "Kingdom Come" is a jarring and unpleasant experience that throws up too many questions, offering no answers, and manages to create a miserable, soggy piece of storytelling with some of the most interesting characters ever created. It's bad on every level and serves as one of the nadirs of crap comics - "Kingdom Come" is to be avoided by any and all readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2021
and 's story that spans years in the future dystopian DC universe where the heroes have gone (away) and all that remains are countless reckless metahumans who have little regard for humanity. Events lead to the return of the old guard and to what could be potentially mankind's end. Highly rated, but not that exceptional to be honest, although definitely a good read. 7 out of 12.
April 8, 2021
Three words: Alex Ross' artwork. Wow! The detail in this is beautiful, and the way he aged these iconic heroes without making them appear creepy was amazing! (Which begs the question, "Why do so many artists equate aging with disfigurement?". Ahem. *steps down from soapbox*)
Mark Waid really does a good job at telling this what-if tale. It's not perfect, but it definitely has its moments. All in all, the art is so incredible that even if the story sucked (which it doesn't), you'd be an idiot to miss out on it. I'd recommend that this one go in your TBR pile if it isn't already there!
Mark Waid really does a good job at telling this what-if tale. It's not perfect, but it definitely has its moments. All in all, the art is so incredible that even if the story sucked (which it doesn't), you'd be an idiot to miss out on it. I'd recommend that this one go in your TBR pile if it isn't already there!
January 12, 2019
This is such a layered story that it almost makes no sense to write a review after only one reading. On the other hand, despite being very good (and make no mistake, it’s very good), this is probably one I won’t be re-reading soon. It’s a demanding story, and occasionally unsettling, much like . There’s even a novelization (), which I may even seek out at some stage, to fill in the gaps.
The story deals with the premise of a world filled with superhumans who have no regard for human life. Even though they’re self appointed protectors of the people, they often do more harm than good, and get involved in squabbles that tend to lead to lots of collateral damage and loss of life. But what would happen if the original champions should return from retirement to restore order? It’s not as simple as it may sound. The story is told from the perspective of pastor Norman McCay and The Spectre, and is driven by apocalyptic inevitability as events hurtle toward judgment day. There are a number of religious parallels drawn here, often to great effect. It’s a moody but quite brilliant story that, in essence, asks the question: where do you draw the line?
As far as continuity is concerned, there are some interesting contradictions. Waid has confirmed that the Flash featuring here is, in fact, Wally West. However, he is dressed in the costume worn by the original “golden age� Flash, Jay Garrick. By the same token, the Green Lantern featuring here is Alan Scott, even though there are numerous references to “New� Oa and one panel depicts a Guardian. This is interesting because Alan Scott’s ring was powered by magic and he doesn’t have anything to do with Oa or the Guardians (as far as I know). Well, it is an Elseworlds tale, so it technically shouldn’t affect (or be affected by) DC continuity; I’m certain if you look at the story closely enough you’re going to find all sorts of interesting oddities.
The driving force behind Kingdom Come is , who also did the interior artwork. The idea, as far as I can discern, was to create a work that focuses on a realistic extrapolation of the Golden / Silver age of DC comics, and how ordinary people would be affected by a world full of meta-beings (similar to but taken to a whole new level). I’ve been reading comics since I was a kid and we do tend to take this kind of thing for granted, but what would it really be like to live in a world where some people can fly� and others can’t?
Kingdom Come is enormously popular, and it’s easy to see why: it’s truly good and the art is, well, it’s Alex Ross. The series also won a number of awards. If you’re a fan of graphic novels, don’t delay the inevitable, read this.
The story deals with the premise of a world filled with superhumans who have no regard for human life. Even though they’re self appointed protectors of the people, they often do more harm than good, and get involved in squabbles that tend to lead to lots of collateral damage and loss of life. But what would happen if the original champions should return from retirement to restore order? It’s not as simple as it may sound. The story is told from the perspective of pastor Norman McCay and The Spectre, and is driven by apocalyptic inevitability as events hurtle toward judgment day. There are a number of religious parallels drawn here, often to great effect. It’s a moody but quite brilliant story that, in essence, asks the question: where do you draw the line?
As far as continuity is concerned, there are some interesting contradictions. Waid has confirmed that the Flash featuring here is, in fact, Wally West. However, he is dressed in the costume worn by the original “golden age� Flash, Jay Garrick. By the same token, the Green Lantern featuring here is Alan Scott, even though there are numerous references to “New� Oa and one panel depicts a Guardian. This is interesting because Alan Scott’s ring was powered by magic and he doesn’t have anything to do with Oa or the Guardians (as far as I know). Well, it is an Elseworlds tale, so it technically shouldn’t affect (or be affected by) DC continuity; I’m certain if you look at the story closely enough you’re going to find all sorts of interesting oddities.
The driving force behind Kingdom Come is , who also did the interior artwork. The idea, as far as I can discern, was to create a work that focuses on a realistic extrapolation of the Golden / Silver age of DC comics, and how ordinary people would be affected by a world full of meta-beings (similar to but taken to a whole new level). I’ve been reading comics since I was a kid and we do tend to take this kind of thing for granted, but what would it really be like to live in a world where some people can fly� and others can’t?
Kingdom Come is enormously popular, and it’s easy to see why: it’s truly good and the art is, well, it’s Alex Ross. The series also won a number of awards. If you’re a fan of graphic novels, don’t delay the inevitable, read this.
January 29, 2021
This story is about the children and grandchildren of the Old Guard superheroes (think Justice League and the like), who are lacking in finesse, compassion and an overriding need to protect the regular people. Instead, they bicker, brag about wiping out Old Guard villains and then proceed to become the villains by having gang fights out in public, putting the humans at risk amidst flying cars, crumbling buildings and all types of energy blasts.
Superman has since withdrawn from things after a younger superhero did something horrible in the eyes of some and was acquitted by the courts. Now he resides on a farm in the midwest and has lost touch with humanity as his wife, coworkers and parents are long gone and buried. But continued recklessness by those young superheroes compels Superman and other former Justice Leaguers to come out of retirement to end it all. Fortunately for him he and Captain Marvel are the apparently the strongest of all the superheroes and Superman also has enough charisma to get many of the younger types to join up. All said, though, there are a large number of younger superheroes who refuse to change and are put into a superhero prison.
Things heat up unsurprisingly in the latter part of the story as the imprisoned superheroes threaten to break out and the humans get involved as well. A plethora of known and unknown superheroes are present in this graphic novel. There are so many that they have a few picture pages of all their names. Other than the Justice Leaguers I knew less than a dozen. True fanbois/girls of the superhero genre will know more.
The artwork is startling lifelike and the senior citizen Justice Leaguers are grayish but mostly dignified (though Robin looked like the gimp but that's another story). Throughout the story there's a pastor who travels with Spectre to watch like a ghost from the sidelines. He represents a humanity that has put so much of its trust in the Old Guard that later generations have learned to look up to them but now of course they're in fear of the younger breed and they question their lives and the choices they have made. I felt the pastor was a hit or miss experience. Several spinoffs sprouted from this title.
The wiki claims that this tale took place on Earth 22 (revealed in the "52" series).
ARTWORK: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; ADVANCES SUPERHEROES IN SOME WAY: B plus to A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus; WHEN READ: early February 2012.
Superman has since withdrawn from things after a younger superhero did something horrible in the eyes of some and was acquitted by the courts. Now he resides on a farm in the midwest and has lost touch with humanity as his wife, coworkers and parents are long gone and buried. But continued recklessness by those young superheroes compels Superman and other former Justice Leaguers to come out of retirement to end it all. Fortunately for him he and Captain Marvel are the apparently the strongest of all the superheroes and Superman also has enough charisma to get many of the younger types to join up. All said, though, there are a large number of younger superheroes who refuse to change and are put into a superhero prison.
Things heat up unsurprisingly in the latter part of the story as the imprisoned superheroes threaten to break out and the humans get involved as well. A plethora of known and unknown superheroes are present in this graphic novel. There are so many that they have a few picture pages of all their names. Other than the Justice Leaguers I knew less than a dozen. True fanbois/girls of the superhero genre will know more.
The artwork is startling lifelike and the senior citizen Justice Leaguers are grayish but mostly dignified (though Robin looked like the gimp but that's another story). Throughout the story there's a pastor who travels with Spectre to watch like a ghost from the sidelines. He represents a humanity that has put so much of its trust in the Old Guard that later generations have learned to look up to them but now of course they're in fear of the younger breed and they question their lives and the choices they have made. I felt the pastor was a hit or miss experience. Several spinoffs sprouted from this title.
The wiki claims that this tale took place on Earth 22 (revealed in the "52" series).
ARTWORK: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; ADVANCES SUPERHEROES IN SOME WAY: B plus to A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus; WHEN READ: early February 2012.
August 9, 2022
This is absolutely stunning. Where to even start?
The closest thing I can compare this to is Crisis On Infinite Earths. It's on a much smaller scale setting wise, just the one Earth, but the cast of characters is immense, so complex and otherworldly I won't even get into it. And the writing is ripe with social criticism and politics. And there are many plots.
The story, much like Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross's Marvels, is told from a bystander's perspective, a pastor who has lost faith and begun to envision the end of days. He eventually guides Spectre through the destruction to cast judgment on humanity, and whether humans or superhumans are responsible.
One subplot is humans versus superhumans. Humans have suffered from the belligerence of the new guard and the resignation of the old guard. While the war rages, the humans are forced to become involved and protect themselves. And are they guilty for having overstepped and become involved in a war of gods, or have the superhumans reaped what they've sown?
Another subplot is Superman's path to redemption, which could be applied to all the superhumans for failing to protect the humans and uphold a higher moral code. While they fight among themselves they commit a gross disservice and injustice, disgracing the name of "hero."
Social criticism? Themes, to name a few: Fascism. Totalitarianism. Democracy. Capital punishment. War and peace. Ageism. Capitalism. Oligarchy. America. The list goes on and on.
Mark Waid killed it on the writing. And Alex Ross, as usual, had me drooling over the artwork. Overall an incredible DC event.
November 7, 2014
I write this with some trepidation since on the ŷ List of Best Graphic Novels of all Time, Kingdom Come is one of the very top books. It was maybe the only one in the top fifty I had never read, so when a student who loves it brought it to me to read, well. .. anticipation, but yes, I began with trepidation. High expectations. But consider this context: I am teaching a graphic novels/comics class, and had just read books at the very top of the Best GN list, Dark Knight Returns, Fun Home, Maus, and am in the process of rereading Sandman, so when you are told you are operating in this elite territory, well, you gotta read it, of course. I glanced at the high GR average rating, which at 4.24 is very high, but gulped and formed my own opinion:
It sort of looks like this is Mark Waid's and Alex Ross's attempt to do their very own Sandman and Watchmen and Dark Knight, their own Magnum Opus. A Grand Statement for All Time, in case they get hit by lightning and never get to create again, or something. And I appreciate the impulse, I'm a professor, hey, and I think ambition is a good thing, of course. I just think sometimes you reach, and you mostly fail to grasp with that kind of ambition, and this one just fails for me.
And there's another thing that occurred to me in the process: Ross didn't just do the art work; he co-wrote the script with Waid, and he models, both visually and ethically, the narrator, a minister, Norman McKay, the non-superhero character, the one we humans are all able to relate to or look up to, on his father. So this is ethically and in terms of hope for the world a tribute to his good father, and I like that. But the effect of the script is a sermon, it's didactic! It's a tribute to Ross's father's hortatory approach! And the Bible is quoted throughout, it has the aspirations of Biblical proportions, and is in fact ambitious in this way, but no: I would say it is an Epic Fail for comics to preach, by and large. Do Moore and Gaiman also do this sometimes, pontificate? Yeah, and I don't like it when they do it, either, but by and large they write and conceptualize much better than these boys (Waid and Ross) do.
And tell me if I am wrong: almost nothing happens in the first half of it, almost nothing at all! Just talk, pontificating. We know Superman for some reason stopped being a superhero, and then the rest of the JLA stopped, and we are debating about what to do about (ala Miller, I guess) a World Gone Wrong, with a whole host of new superheroes that, compared to the JLA, I guess, just suck on the ethical level. We need to get back to the Garden, we need to take control of our lives and Do the Right Thing is the point of the Sermon Waid and Ross deliver. And there we are, facing Armageddon and Nuclear Holocaust and Death (ala Gaiman and Miller and Moore's Cold War story), but honey, you boys (Waid and Ross) ain't no Gaiman and Moore! And all of their stories are better stories with more real characters and action than this one. The story in Kingdom Come is really, really flat, it is mostly talk, and narrated action, it is mostly a lot of telling and reflecting and not much showing, not much story at all, in fact, and while the art is often beautiful and realistically rendered and colored impressively, the effect is very flat, there's no movement, it feels like all the scenes are posed, it feels like they are all tableaux. So it looks pretty and is ambitious and I like the Dad Tribute aspect of it, but I think it is not a great story. Really, it is not engaging on the story or character level, which is basically where comics live.
It sort of looks like this is Mark Waid's and Alex Ross's attempt to do their very own Sandman and Watchmen and Dark Knight, their own Magnum Opus. A Grand Statement for All Time, in case they get hit by lightning and never get to create again, or something. And I appreciate the impulse, I'm a professor, hey, and I think ambition is a good thing, of course. I just think sometimes you reach, and you mostly fail to grasp with that kind of ambition, and this one just fails for me.
And there's another thing that occurred to me in the process: Ross didn't just do the art work; he co-wrote the script with Waid, and he models, both visually and ethically, the narrator, a minister, Norman McKay, the non-superhero character, the one we humans are all able to relate to or look up to, on his father. So this is ethically and in terms of hope for the world a tribute to his good father, and I like that. But the effect of the script is a sermon, it's didactic! It's a tribute to Ross's father's hortatory approach! And the Bible is quoted throughout, it has the aspirations of Biblical proportions, and is in fact ambitious in this way, but no: I would say it is an Epic Fail for comics to preach, by and large. Do Moore and Gaiman also do this sometimes, pontificate? Yeah, and I don't like it when they do it, either, but by and large they write and conceptualize much better than these boys (Waid and Ross) do.
And tell me if I am wrong: almost nothing happens in the first half of it, almost nothing at all! Just talk, pontificating. We know Superman for some reason stopped being a superhero, and then the rest of the JLA stopped, and we are debating about what to do about (ala Miller, I guess) a World Gone Wrong, with a whole host of new superheroes that, compared to the JLA, I guess, just suck on the ethical level. We need to get back to the Garden, we need to take control of our lives and Do the Right Thing is the point of the Sermon Waid and Ross deliver. And there we are, facing Armageddon and Nuclear Holocaust and Death (ala Gaiman and Miller and Moore's Cold War story), but honey, you boys (Waid and Ross) ain't no Gaiman and Moore! And all of their stories are better stories with more real characters and action than this one. The story in Kingdom Come is really, really flat, it is mostly talk, and narrated action, it is mostly a lot of telling and reflecting and not much showing, not much story at all, in fact, and while the art is often beautiful and realistically rendered and colored impressively, the effect is very flat, there's no movement, it feels like all the scenes are posed, it feels like they are all tableaux. So it looks pretty and is ambitious and I like the Dad Tribute aspect of it, but I think it is not a great story. Really, it is not engaging on the story or character level, which is basically where comics live.
February 12, 2025
Everything about this was great!
November 18, 2016
"They move freely through the streets� through the world, but unopposed. They are, after all� our protector."
I wasn't expecting to like this. I really wasn't. It was just one of those days when I have no idea what to read, then remembered someone recommending this, so I picked it up. Imagine my surprise when I ended up loving it. I'm pretty iffy with older comics because of how they are written. I don't really enjoy the way it's written as some of them are written in a very dated way. I prefer the writing a bit more modern and contemporary. Kingdom Come may be a bit dated, but holy crap, the story was great and so was the art.
THE STORY/WRITING: The story focused on the divide between the older heroes, the ones we all know and love (Superman, Wonderwoman, Green Lantern� you know who they are), and the newer ones, mostly the decendants of the older heroes. The divide between them is caused by the difference in their view on saving people. It kind of reminds me of Millar's Civil War for Marvel, only this one has a more interesting aspect to it being the narrator isn't really a superhero but a bystander who can see what was happening. That part, I really, really liked.
As for the writing, as I mentioned earlier, reading older works causes a bit of a nuisance for me. I find that some older stuff are harder to read because of the way they are written. Kingdom Come was published back in 1996 but the story is still pretty much relevant. The writing and the story definitely is something that still be relevant for future generations to read. It definitely is a classic despite it being an Elseworld story.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS: Oh my god! The illustrations were divine. I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved looking at each frame. It was magnificent. They look like real people. They look so alive. I fucking loved it. I'm going to look for more Alex Ross illustrations. I need more of that shit.
THINGS I LIKED:
- The illustrations. Duh. It's beautiful!
- I liked that the narrator being someone from the outside and not someone close to the Justice League. It was like we were watching the events unravel with him and not just reading something on paper.
- It raises questions. It makes you ask the question what it really mean to be just. Is it allowing people to have equal rights? Villains and civilians. Should one life be worth than others? Should we give way to what the majority ones even if you know that it will only end up with a much bigger problem? The stories that makes you think and reflect are the best ones. This is definitely one of them.
- I liked how it used passages from the bible as a parallel to what was going to come. I thought that was a nice touch.
- It was easy to get into. If you have no clue about whatever was happening with the canon story line, you'd still be able to follow the story since this is a standalone run. There's no pre-requesite comic book that you need to read in order for you to appreciate this.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
- There were some slower moments where I wish more was happening. This is really more of a nitpick than anything else.
- While I loved the story, this definitely suffered from some plotholes. Why did it take them a really long time for them to realize something was wrong with what the newer generation of heroes were doing? And what the hell were the other's doing anyways? Did they all rely that much with Superman?
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Overall, this was an amazing read. I loved what it represents. I loved the story it chose to tell. The artwork for me was the greatest part of Kingdom Come. Would definitely be looking for more Alex Ross work in the future.
April 6, 2023
The painted art in this volume by Alex Ross is gorgeous.
March 6, 2015
This is just about as bad a book as DK2.
There is a Power Girl Boob joke at the end, almost as if Waid read this and realized it had not a single moment of levity.
This is dark and right wing reactionary garbage. It's scary because it doesn't seem far off. Everything new or different or changed is bad. Also everyone in the justice league except batman and flash just abandon everyone.
Throw in the weird religious blunt hammering over the head...just NOT my cup of tea.
I've now read 2 horrid books in a row...both from Warner Bros...hmmm...
Sam hit all the nails on his review. Mark Waid, what the fuck? You have obviously grown. Thank god. Just move to Marvel...look what happens.
This just feels like every other stupid dark reactionary DC book of the last 30 years...Alex Ross art just seems like an excuse for the writer to just take a turd on the pages, and hope no one reads it. Honestly, Ross' art isn't amazing anymore. It's the same every time, and just seems tired. It also seems like this is Justice all over again.
I'm sure Alan Moore and Frank Miller would love it.
Please, do NOT read this. You'd be better served poking yourself in the brain with a rusty spoon.
The cover was green..but I won't drag my beloved Green Theme Week into this...
December 14, 2015
Beautiful art, deep and interesting story full of twists and truths hidden behind truths.
And really how do you control a world full of meta humans and how do you keep faith.
If you're a fan of super hero comics this one is almost essential.
And really how do you control a world full of meta humans and how do you keep faith.
If you're a fan of super hero comics this one is almost essential.
October 12, 2019
(1) Why is Green Lantern's custom design looks so much like Parallax's!? Did the artists run out of custom design or something!? LOL
(2) Well! It's mentioned that the daughter of Red Arrow and the mercenary Cheshire, has become Red Hood.
(3) I can't stress this enough but Alex Ross' artwork and the characters' design is so, so exquisite! Glorious! Amazing! You are welcome to take a look at the example of said artwork here.
(4) Plus the middle-age to old-age Justice League members are so damn badass!!!! *fangirl's screams*
(5) Not to mention the old Bruce Wayne/Batman is also a total badass too (though he is still a jerk). XD
(6) I didn't know Dick Grayson is the original Red Robin before, now I know!
My fanarts:
(Link: )
(Link: )
Batman: Under the Red Hood review: /review/show...
Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) #38 Review: /review/show...
(2) Well! It's mentioned that the daughter of Red Arrow and the mercenary Cheshire, has become Red Hood.
(3) I can't stress this enough but Alex Ross' artwork and the characters' design is so, so exquisite! Glorious! Amazing! You are welcome to take a look at the example of said artwork here.
(4) Plus the middle-age to old-age Justice League members are so damn badass!!!! *fangirl's screams*
(5) Not to mention the old Bruce Wayne/Batman is also a total badass too (though he is still a jerk). XD
(6) I didn't know Dick Grayson is the original Red Robin before, now I know!
My fanarts:
(Link: )
(Link: )
Batman: Under the Red Hood review: /review/show...
Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) #38 Review: /review/show...
May 2, 2024
A superhero story told so mythically and powerfully, as only Alex Ross's art could express. In a way not an original story, but broadly speaking so perfectly expressed. Still a classic for damn good reason
February 10, 2022
#ThrowbackThursday - Back in the '90s, I used to write comic book reviews for the website of a now-defunct comic book retailer called Rockem Sockem Comics. (Collect them all!)
From the October 1998 edition with a theme of "Limited Series":
INTRODUCTION
One of the greatest innovations of the last two decades has got to be the limited series. My two favorite comics of all time, for instance, are limited series: WATCHMEN and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Even my favorite independent title, CEREBUS, is a 300-issue limited series. In a field where comics like X-MEN can leave plotlines dangling for fifteen to twenty years, it's wonderful to come across the occasional story with a beginning, middle, and -- this is the best part -- an end!
Of course, not all limited series start out with a limit. A series can become a limited series retroactively if it's canceled before reaching, say, #13. In this column, for example, we have FATHER & SON which only made it to issue #3. And the Marvel Knights group of comics have the potential to become Heroes Reborn-style limited series, what with 1) the one-year contractual commitment of Event Comics, 2) the poor track record for timeliness of artists like Jae Lee, 3) the multitude of distracting movie commitments of star writer Kevin Smith, and 4) Marvel's insatiable desire for new #1s. I hope I'm wrong, but I reserve the right to say, "I told you so."
ART IN HEAVEN
KINGDOM COME #1-4 (DC Comics)
GOG #1 (DC Comics)
KINGDOM COME is to comics as "Titanic" is to film. You go into both knowing that by the end, a lot of people are going to be dead. Both have epic-style visuals and a cast of thousands. Both rely on those visuals to carry a story which is otherwise fairly lean and rather ordinary. I left "Titanic" marveling at its achievement while willingly glossing over its weaknesses. By the same token, I'm going to give story in KINGDOM COME an easy ride because of the spectacular artwork.
KINGDOM COME is the best looking comic to be published since MARVELS (Marvel Comics). Coincidentally, both books were painted by the same man: Alex Ross. Ross is the single best painter working in comics today, bar none. Even his recent UNCLE SAM (DC Comics/Vertigo) mini-series was gorgeous despite being totally unreadable. And his covers for KURT BUSIEK'S ASTRO CITY (Image Comics) are the perfect cappers for a nearly perfect superhero comic. I'm going to start talking about the story of KINGDOM COME next, but frankly, you can stop reading this review right here and simply buy KINGDOM COME based solely on Ross' art. Really, it's that good.
KINGDOM COME is an apocalyptic tale of the DC Universe. Published under DC's Elseworlds imprint, this story is not necessarily part of DC's official continuity. Instead, the Elseworld tales take place in alternate dimensions or timelines or whatever. Usually, the stories plop Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent far in the past or out in space or somewhen else and reinterpret the Batman and Superman mythos from a completely different perspective. KINGDOM COME, however, hews more closely to current DC continuity and simply projects a possible future 12-15 years down the road.
In this bleak future, the Spectre -- a vengeful wraith empowered by God himself to inflict His justice -- recruits an everyman named Norman McKay to help him bear witness to unfolding Armageddon. The Spectre is relying upon McKay's common sense and handy-dandy premonitions of the future to help him decide who will be punished for bringing about the end of the world.
The Spectre and McKay watch as Superman is coaxed out of retirement by Wonder Woman's urgings and a tragedy that destroys Kansas. Supes hung up his cape ten years previous when he realized that people preferred bloodthirsty, grim-and-gritty heroes who weren't afraid to execute a few bad guys. Now, the bad guys are gone and the "good guys" are riding roughshod over humanity, thoughtlessly and accidentally killing more people than they save -- including Superman's home state. Superman decides it's time for a return to good, old-fashioned values. Or else.
KINGDOM COME's central theme is that old saw about the ends justifying the means. Once he has recruited a new Justice League, Superman finds himself having to create and run a secret super-maximum prison for the "heroes" he has decided are unworthy to be running free. His arbitrary decisions and actions begin to alienate the very humans he believes himself to be protecting. As the United Nations helplessly watches power over mankind's destiny slip out of their control, two men step forward to form an unlikely alliance against the Man of Tomorrow: Lex Luthor and Batman. Luthor's secret weapon is the World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel. Unfortunately, in Norman McKay's visions of the apocalypse, Captain Marvel is cast as the harbinger of doom.
While the story covers the same ground as Mark Gruenwald's SQUADRON SUPREME (Marvel Comics) limited series of many years back, writer Mark Waid makes it fresh and fun by throwing in a bevy of nifty tidbits about the DC Universe of the future. It was damned clever of Waid, for example, to have the warden of Superman's prison be Scott Free, a/k/a Mister Miracle. Who better to foil prison breaks than the world's greatest escape artist? And the series is littered with new characters who are the grown-up sons and daughters of DC's current stable of heroes. Waid seems intent on creating a game called "Can you guess who my daddy is?"
My only reservation about Waid's story is what it lacks for the general reader. Basically, KINGDOM COME is written by a DC Comics fan for DC Comics fans. Lacking footnotes or a scorecard, I don't see how a casual reader could understand one-tenth of what's going on in the panels. With the exception of the big three -- Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman -- most of KINGDOM COME's cast are new or obscure characters. And the majority of them are not even named in the story. There are dozens of characters bouncing around in the background whose backgrounds, names, and powers are never revealed. I can only imagine how frustrated I would be by KINGDOM COME if I didn't have a Bachelor's Degree in History of the DC Universe. And if KINGDOM COME weren't drawn by Alex "I'm a God" Ross.
Well, DC and Waid are taking advantage of all the untold tales of the KINGDOM COME limited series by making KINGDOM COME the basis of the latest DC Event. Beginning earlier this year with the prequel one-shot, GOG #1, Waid is tying the Elseworlds continuity of KINGDOM COME into the current continuity of the official DC Universe. Twenty years after the end of KINGDOM COME, a man has been chosen to travel into the past to prevent the coming of the Apocalypse. Unfortunately, with great power comes insanity, and the man, Gog, travels back to the past -- to the present day DC Universe -- to speed up the events which will bring about the twilight of the superheroes. As usual, DC's promotions department is claiming that the DC Universe will be drastically and irrevocably changed . . . again.
The KINGDOM Event has me curious but cautious. While Alex Ross will not being handling the art, I am happy that Waid will be given a chance to explore KINGDOM COME's minor and unnamed characters in greater depth. While I'm sure Waid has some major and dramatic revelations in store, I can't forget that he was the mastermind behind the DC Comics UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED non-Event of a few years ago. Mostly, though, I'm going to rely upon Waid's proven track record as the reliable storyteller behind such titles as Event Comics' ASH; Marvel Comics' CAPTAIN AMERICA, CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY, and KA-ZAR; DC Comics' FLASH, JLA, JLA: YEAR ONE, and VALOR; and Acclaim Comics' X-O MANOWAR. This guy is "on" more often that he is "off."
So this month, buy KINGDOM COME for the stellar art of Alex Ross, for the decent story, and as a primer for the KINGDOM Event. And hey, don't forget to pick up a copy of "Titanic" at your local video story for the magnificent visuals of James Cameron, for the decent story, and as a primer for "Titanic II: Jack's Back!" Hey, if Waid can do a sequel to the Apocalypse, Cameron can surely do something with a sunken ship, right?
Right?
Grade: B+
From the October 1998 edition with a theme of "Limited Series":
INTRODUCTION
One of the greatest innovations of the last two decades has got to be the limited series. My two favorite comics of all time, for instance, are limited series: WATCHMEN and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Even my favorite independent title, CEREBUS, is a 300-issue limited series. In a field where comics like X-MEN can leave plotlines dangling for fifteen to twenty years, it's wonderful to come across the occasional story with a beginning, middle, and -- this is the best part -- an end!
Of course, not all limited series start out with a limit. A series can become a limited series retroactively if it's canceled before reaching, say, #13. In this column, for example, we have FATHER & SON which only made it to issue #3. And the Marvel Knights group of comics have the potential to become Heroes Reborn-style limited series, what with 1) the one-year contractual commitment of Event Comics, 2) the poor track record for timeliness of artists like Jae Lee, 3) the multitude of distracting movie commitments of star writer Kevin Smith, and 4) Marvel's insatiable desire for new #1s. I hope I'm wrong, but I reserve the right to say, "I told you so."
ART IN HEAVEN
KINGDOM COME #1-4 (DC Comics)
GOG #1 (DC Comics)
KINGDOM COME is to comics as "Titanic" is to film. You go into both knowing that by the end, a lot of people are going to be dead. Both have epic-style visuals and a cast of thousands. Both rely on those visuals to carry a story which is otherwise fairly lean and rather ordinary. I left "Titanic" marveling at its achievement while willingly glossing over its weaknesses. By the same token, I'm going to give story in KINGDOM COME an easy ride because of the spectacular artwork.
KINGDOM COME is the best looking comic to be published since MARVELS (Marvel Comics). Coincidentally, both books were painted by the same man: Alex Ross. Ross is the single best painter working in comics today, bar none. Even his recent UNCLE SAM (DC Comics/Vertigo) mini-series was gorgeous despite being totally unreadable. And his covers for KURT BUSIEK'S ASTRO CITY (Image Comics) are the perfect cappers for a nearly perfect superhero comic. I'm going to start talking about the story of KINGDOM COME next, but frankly, you can stop reading this review right here and simply buy KINGDOM COME based solely on Ross' art. Really, it's that good.
KINGDOM COME is an apocalyptic tale of the DC Universe. Published under DC's Elseworlds imprint, this story is not necessarily part of DC's official continuity. Instead, the Elseworld tales take place in alternate dimensions or timelines or whatever. Usually, the stories plop Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent far in the past or out in space or somewhen else and reinterpret the Batman and Superman mythos from a completely different perspective. KINGDOM COME, however, hews more closely to current DC continuity and simply projects a possible future 12-15 years down the road.
In this bleak future, the Spectre -- a vengeful wraith empowered by God himself to inflict His justice -- recruits an everyman named Norman McKay to help him bear witness to unfolding Armageddon. The Spectre is relying upon McKay's common sense and handy-dandy premonitions of the future to help him decide who will be punished for bringing about the end of the world.
The Spectre and McKay watch as Superman is coaxed out of retirement by Wonder Woman's urgings and a tragedy that destroys Kansas. Supes hung up his cape ten years previous when he realized that people preferred bloodthirsty, grim-and-gritty heroes who weren't afraid to execute a few bad guys. Now, the bad guys are gone and the "good guys" are riding roughshod over humanity, thoughtlessly and accidentally killing more people than they save -- including Superman's home state. Superman decides it's time for a return to good, old-fashioned values. Or else.
KINGDOM COME's central theme is that old saw about the ends justifying the means. Once he has recruited a new Justice League, Superman finds himself having to create and run a secret super-maximum prison for the "heroes" he has decided are unworthy to be running free. His arbitrary decisions and actions begin to alienate the very humans he believes himself to be protecting. As the United Nations helplessly watches power over mankind's destiny slip out of their control, two men step forward to form an unlikely alliance against the Man of Tomorrow: Lex Luthor and Batman. Luthor's secret weapon is the World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel. Unfortunately, in Norman McKay's visions of the apocalypse, Captain Marvel is cast as the harbinger of doom.
While the story covers the same ground as Mark Gruenwald's SQUADRON SUPREME (Marvel Comics) limited series of many years back, writer Mark Waid makes it fresh and fun by throwing in a bevy of nifty tidbits about the DC Universe of the future. It was damned clever of Waid, for example, to have the warden of Superman's prison be Scott Free, a/k/a Mister Miracle. Who better to foil prison breaks than the world's greatest escape artist? And the series is littered with new characters who are the grown-up sons and daughters of DC's current stable of heroes. Waid seems intent on creating a game called "Can you guess who my daddy is?"
My only reservation about Waid's story is what it lacks for the general reader. Basically, KINGDOM COME is written by a DC Comics fan for DC Comics fans. Lacking footnotes or a scorecard, I don't see how a casual reader could understand one-tenth of what's going on in the panels. With the exception of the big three -- Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman -- most of KINGDOM COME's cast are new or obscure characters. And the majority of them are not even named in the story. There are dozens of characters bouncing around in the background whose backgrounds, names, and powers are never revealed. I can only imagine how frustrated I would be by KINGDOM COME if I didn't have a Bachelor's Degree in History of the DC Universe. And if KINGDOM COME weren't drawn by Alex "I'm a God" Ross.
Well, DC and Waid are taking advantage of all the untold tales of the KINGDOM COME limited series by making KINGDOM COME the basis of the latest DC Event. Beginning earlier this year with the prequel one-shot, GOG #1, Waid is tying the Elseworlds continuity of KINGDOM COME into the current continuity of the official DC Universe. Twenty years after the end of KINGDOM COME, a man has been chosen to travel into the past to prevent the coming of the Apocalypse. Unfortunately, with great power comes insanity, and the man, Gog, travels back to the past -- to the present day DC Universe -- to speed up the events which will bring about the twilight of the superheroes. As usual, DC's promotions department is claiming that the DC Universe will be drastically and irrevocably changed . . . again.
The KINGDOM Event has me curious but cautious. While Alex Ross will not being handling the art, I am happy that Waid will be given a chance to explore KINGDOM COME's minor and unnamed characters in greater depth. While I'm sure Waid has some major and dramatic revelations in store, I can't forget that he was the mastermind behind the DC Comics UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED non-Event of a few years ago. Mostly, though, I'm going to rely upon Waid's proven track record as the reliable storyteller behind such titles as Event Comics' ASH; Marvel Comics' CAPTAIN AMERICA, CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY, and KA-ZAR; DC Comics' FLASH, JLA, JLA: YEAR ONE, and VALOR; and Acclaim Comics' X-O MANOWAR. This guy is "on" more often that he is "off."
So this month, buy KINGDOM COME for the stellar art of Alex Ross, for the decent story, and as a primer for the KINGDOM Event. And hey, don't forget to pick up a copy of "Titanic" at your local video story for the magnificent visuals of James Cameron, for the decent story, and as a primer for "Titanic II: Jack's Back!" Hey, if Waid can do a sequel to the Apocalypse, Cameron can surely do something with a sunken ship, right?
Right?
Grade: B+
August 4, 2012
I love Alex Ross's superhero art, especially on a book like Kingdom Come. There's the right mix of epic pages with awe-inspiring visuals and panels that use realism to show these still larger-than-life characters as flawed and human, in their own ways. The character design, both aging up existed DC characters and creating new ones, is almost flawless.
And yes, there's a story, too. And the story is perfectly suited for the art, or vice versa. It's a story with larger-than-life, almost godlike heroes, who are at the same time flawed humans who make sometimes catastrophic mistakes. Yes, perfect fit with the art. The poor pastor being dragged along by the Spectre to bear witness to it all grounds the story by being the reader's surrogate, and it worked for me. Somebody needed to be merely lifesized, and it wasn't going to be Bruce. I did like the not-so-subtle jabs at violent anti-heroes. Be careful what you wish for, fanboys.
And yes, there's a story, too. And the story is perfectly suited for the art, or vice versa. It's a story with larger-than-life, almost godlike heroes, who are at the same time flawed humans who make sometimes catastrophic mistakes. Yes, perfect fit with the art. The poor pastor being dragged along by the Spectre to bear witness to it all grounds the story by being the reader's surrogate, and it worked for me. Somebody needed to be merely lifesized, and it wasn't going to be Bruce. I did like the not-so-subtle jabs at violent anti-heroes. Be careful what you wish for, fanboys.
November 26, 2022
This book, first published in the 90s, provided some much needed criticism of the excesses of superhero comics in those days. That message combined with the beautiful artwork of Alex Ross make this a classic.
However, I'm not usually a fan of comics that kill off a lot of heroes to make a point, and I also felt that the characterizations of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman were a bit off. So, the lower rating that I give this is a rating based on my personal preferences rather than on the quality of the work, which is higher than my rating indicates.
However, I'm not usually a fan of comics that kill off a lot of heroes to make a point, and I also felt that the characterizations of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman were a bit off. So, the lower rating that I give this is a rating based on my personal preferences rather than on the quality of the work, which is higher than my rating indicates.
January 30, 2019
Following the departure of Superman and the old guard of heroes, a new generation is content to play judge, jury and execution by killing its enemies. 10 years have passed and a battle in the heartland of America results in a nuclear explosion that wipes out millions of people and effectively obliterates stockpiles of America’s food supply. At the urging of Wonder Woman, Superman returns to try and sort out the mess, but the world is a very different place from when he left. Can Superman relax tensions between humans and meta-humans or are we on the road to Armageddon?
One of the big draws to this book is Alex Ross� artwork. Ross has a very distinct style that complements the epic scale of this story. The heroes look larger than life, the worlds appear lush and fully realized and it just looks.. real. Because of this, there are a few scenes that certainly benefit from this type of realism. My jaw dropped on a few occasions. That being said, this is not something I would want in all my comics. Ross� style can certainly elevate a story, but it definitely wouldn’t work for everything. However, after finishing this book, I immediately requested his acclaimed 1994 series MARVELS that tells the stories of heroes through the eyes of an ordinary citizen.
I didn’t care much for the ending. I was all set for things to get unapologetically dark before things seemed to wrap up a little too nicely for my taste. I had the same problem with Superman: Red Son where the author felt the need to make the ending much longer than it needed to be. I had sitting in a darkened theatre at three in the morning questioning my sanity by choosing to go see Return of The King at midnight when I had to work at 8am.
In the end, I really did like this, but would have preferred they took things in a darker direction for the finale. I am a sucker for these “Elseworlds� stories where authors get to take liberties with characters and establish alternate realities where things truly go off the rails, like in Flashpoint where Bruce Wayne’s father ends up as Batman. Also, can we talk about Superman’s ponytail? What’s up with that?
One of the big draws to this book is Alex Ross� artwork. Ross has a very distinct style that complements the epic scale of this story. The heroes look larger than life, the worlds appear lush and fully realized and it just looks.. real. Because of this, there are a few scenes that certainly benefit from this type of realism. My jaw dropped on a few occasions. That being said, this is not something I would want in all my comics. Ross� style can certainly elevate a story, but it definitely wouldn’t work for everything. However, after finishing this book, I immediately requested his acclaimed 1994 series MARVELS that tells the stories of heroes through the eyes of an ordinary citizen.
I didn’t care much for the ending. I was all set for things to get unapologetically dark before things seemed to wrap up a little too nicely for my taste. I had the same problem with Superman: Red Son where the author felt the need to make the ending much longer than it needed to be. I had sitting in a darkened theatre at three in the morning questioning my sanity by choosing to go see Return of The King at midnight when I had to work at 8am.
In the end, I really did like this, but would have preferred they took things in a darker direction for the finale. I am a sucker for these “Elseworlds� stories where authors get to take liberties with characters and establish alternate realities where things truly go off the rails, like in Flashpoint where Bruce Wayne’s father ends up as Batman. Also, can we talk about Superman’s ponytail? What’s up with that?
June 20, 2020
You can find my review on my blog by clicking .
If there is one thing that heroes are for, it is to inspire the people and the upcoming generations by being the voice of reason, truth, and justice. Not only do they tend to speak the maxims of life that humans should abide by, they also display concrete actions that present unquestionable proof of their moral and ethical values as beings who are the living embodiment of Good. Their exemplary behaviour becomes a norm that is difficult to ignore, a psychological pressure on the conscious of individuals to strive to be their best, and one that is even more difficult to ignore when these heroes possess abilities that places them on the same pedestal as Gods. How else are they to be perceived if not Gods of a reality in which nothing seems impossible? But what happens if these heroes are not there to inspire, to guide, and to judge? Winner of multiple Eisner and Harvey Awards, legendary writer Mark Waid and superstar painter Alex Ross join forces to delivers the quintessential classic masterpiece known as Kingdom Come.
What is Kingdom Come about? This Elseworlds story presents a future where the legendary heroes of the DC Universe, from Aquaman to Superman, have retired from their days of heroism when mankind has grown accustomed to the killing ways of superhero Magog. This lack of reluctance towards the act of taking the life of those pursuing criminal behaviours made way to a new generation of superpowered metahumans who have completely lost their moral compass. Unable to distinguish right from wrong, their recklessness leads to violent confrontations while mortals cower in fear as they abandon their freedom to those capable of stripping them of life in the blink of an eye. By following an omniscient narrator, a pastor named Norman McCay, and his spiritual guide the Spectre, the story exposes a terrible tragedy that will surge the rebirth of the Justice League led by Superman himself but the world is not ready for the reform that he will lead them into as a conflict in ideologies will bring the world to the brink of apocalypse.
With the narrator serving as a human vessel for the reader through a tale of judgment and redemption, the story quickly takes the form of a legendary prophecy imbued in a theological and political exploration of humanity. Clearly distinguishing superpowered beings from mortal creatures and establishing the distinctive hierarchical differences between one and the other, the story is an in-depth analysis of power and morality, as well as their overlapping necessities that allow a society to strive towards peace, success, and progress. The stark contrast between the Old and New Guardians also accentuates the generational conflict in terms of faith, belief, and hope. The absence of the latter is at the core of the narrative and paves the way towards the clash of ideologies that fuels the two camps of vigilantes in this story. This is where this graphic novel obtains its absolute relevance in its quest to deliver a cautionary tale that seeks to inspire hope regarding the future of mankind.
In a world where the mightiest of heroes are unable to see the consequences of their actions, where they do not take any form of responsibility to the decisions they make, it becomes trivial to ponder the nature of their actions and to distinguish good from evil. This is where the freedom of choice and the judgment of the Other are but a luxury accessible to those with power. And power is something that painter Alex Ross phenomenally illustrates in his characters with what might be one of the greatest displays of artistic talent in the comic book industry. With his unique and stylish character designs, he conveys incredible and godly features to every single character while also capturing powerful emotions with a single stroke of a brush. The epic scale he perfectly attributes to this four-issue miniseries couldn't have been more suitable to this twilight of Gods that relentlessly takes your breath away from panel to panel.
Kingdom Come is an indisputable and unprecedented masterpiece exquisitely portraying a devastating future where the finalities of war and peace are brought upon humanity through questionable means.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog:
December 6, 2018
Every once in a while you run across a truly spectacular comic book. This is certainly the case with Kingdom Come. Wonderful story, great artwork, and a thought-provoking premise.
This may strike many as the same basic idea behind Injustice. I'd say Injustice borrowed the concept from this far better work.
It takes place in the rather nebulous "Elseworlds" universe of DC. But do not hold that against it. In this dystopian branch of the timeline, society has become progressively morally decayed. The traditional values of the Superheros such as Superman and Wonder Woman were seen as outmoded and behind the times. A new breed of villain required a new breed of super-hero. Enter Magog. Magog kills where Superman does not. In light of the fickle public's reaction the old-breed retire.
This is the setting for the main story which takes place decades later- the time of the super-hero is now. The grand-children of the old heroes and villains have now spread out amongst humanity and are rather common (a strange jab at the sheer number of different comic heroes of today's comic market?). Violence is rampant and these beings fight for the sake of fighting without a care for the "lesser" humans around them. A dying man makes an apocalyptic prophecy and it ushers in the return of the old heroes. But power does corrupt no matter who wields it and for what purpose. Even the good and the brave are not immune. That's all I shall say.
If you've not read this truly great comic- do so. Waid deserves credit for a thought-provoking tale. From start to finish this is a serious look at the powers of these beings and the potential consequences of such power regardless of the morality underpinning it. Few comics manage this. The artwork? Gorgeous! Beautifully painted scenes really capture the grandeur of this story. Highly recommended.
This may strike many as the same basic idea behind Injustice. I'd say Injustice borrowed the concept from this far better work.
It takes place in the rather nebulous "Elseworlds" universe of DC. But do not hold that against it. In this dystopian branch of the timeline, society has become progressively morally decayed. The traditional values of the Superheros such as Superman and Wonder Woman were seen as outmoded and behind the times. A new breed of villain required a new breed of super-hero. Enter Magog. Magog kills where Superman does not. In light of the fickle public's reaction the old-breed retire.
This is the setting for the main story which takes place decades later- the time of the super-hero is now. The grand-children of the old heroes and villains have now spread out amongst humanity and are rather common (a strange jab at the sheer number of different comic heroes of today's comic market?). Violence is rampant and these beings fight for the sake of fighting without a care for the "lesser" humans around them. A dying man makes an apocalyptic prophecy and it ushers in the return of the old heroes. But power does corrupt no matter who wields it and for what purpose. Even the good and the brave are not immune. That's all I shall say.
If you've not read this truly great comic- do so. Waid deserves credit for a thought-provoking tale. From start to finish this is a serious look at the powers of these beings and the potential consequences of such power regardless of the morality underpinning it. Few comics manage this. The artwork? Gorgeous! Beautifully painted scenes really capture the grandeur of this story. Highly recommended.
January 29, 2022
80% | B+ | Great
"The future...like so much else...is open to interpretation"
Wow. This is comicbook storytelling at its finest. The writing is superb and the art is absolutely immaculate, emulating that of a beautifully crafted painting in every panel. There is a strong focus on morality and moral conflict between characters who were once aligned, as well as you as a reader as you progress through the story. It's a journey about acceptance, heroism and righteousness which isn't afraid to delve into social commentary that still rings true to this day.
Noteworthy things:
� Superman with a rat tail, sorry, ponytail, is something I didn't know I needed to see in my life
� In the one year later part, there is a waiter dressed as Superman who looks strikingly like Brandon Routh so, I guess that was meant to be
� The moment where Kal puts the glasses back on and accepts being Clark again is *chefs kiss*
� Never really been a big fan of Clark and Diana, but here we are I guess
"The future...like so much else...is open to interpretation"
The Justice League are retired, living normal lives out of the spotlight. However, they are thrust back into their former lives as they make a final stand to save the planet they used to diligently protect
Wow. This is comicbook storytelling at its finest. The writing is superb and the art is absolutely immaculate, emulating that of a beautifully crafted painting in every panel. There is a strong focus on morality and moral conflict between characters who were once aligned, as well as you as a reader as you progress through the story. It's a journey about acceptance, heroism and righteousness which isn't afraid to delve into social commentary that still rings true to this day.
BONUS:
Noteworthy things:
� Superman with a rat tail, sorry, ponytail, is something I didn't know I needed to see in my life
� In the one year later part, there is a waiter dressed as Superman who looks strikingly like Brandon Routh so, I guess that was meant to be
� The moment where Kal puts the glasses back on and accepts being Clark again is *chefs kiss*
� Never really been a big fan of Clark and Diana, but here we are I guess
June 2, 2016
This wasn't easy to judge. I know it's Legendary status, I know people swear by it, and I know it's super respected.
Saying that I didn't love it, just enjoyed it.
The idea of having all the old heroes "retire" or "retreat" and having the world overrun by new heroes who are violent. I believe when written in the 90's it was talking about the state of all heroes becoming gritty in the 90's, which is nice to talk about it, but not all that important in this day and age. Anyway, I was let down by the big reveal or twist towards the ending and felt very cliche. I also didn't love the art. It's nice to read at the start, very different, but then it becomes meh as it goes on.
However, I did really love some of the dialog. Mostly anything with Superman and Batman was handled very well. The ending was sweet, and really made my score jump almost a whole star. I liked the bond you get from all these old heroes, and the fights are entertaining, but overall was kind of disappointed with this one. It's solid but I couldn't help but think certain aspects could have had more impact. More dialog with the original heroes, instead of just really having Superman and Wonder Women being the only two talkers.
SO yes, it's good, but I've honestly read a lot better.
Saying that I didn't love it, just enjoyed it.
The idea of having all the old heroes "retire" or "retreat" and having the world overrun by new heroes who are violent. I believe when written in the 90's it was talking about the state of all heroes becoming gritty in the 90's, which is nice to talk about it, but not all that important in this day and age. Anyway, I was let down by the big reveal or twist towards the ending and felt very cliche. I also didn't love the art. It's nice to read at the start, very different, but then it becomes meh as it goes on.
However, I did really love some of the dialog. Mostly anything with Superman and Batman was handled very well. The ending was sweet, and really made my score jump almost a whole star. I liked the bond you get from all these old heroes, and the fights are entertaining, but overall was kind of disappointed with this one. It's solid but I couldn't help but think certain aspects could have had more impact. More dialog with the original heroes, instead of just really having Superman and Wonder Women being the only two talkers.
SO yes, it's good, but I've honestly read a lot better.
October 15, 2021
WOW.
This was just next level storytelling..
It starts with Superman being retired after the incident with MAGOG and like what he did and him thinking his ways, following the code has been done with and when he returns after the metahuman incident and what the superpowered people have been doing.. his return sends the world in a frenzy and from there we follow the league as to what are they planning, are they with him or against him, what are politicians deciding, the idea of the gulag and the big war between Luthor and Superman (indirectly) and the coming of Cap Marvel/Billy and a sacrifice and rage and getting over them and realizations and friendships and love and hope for a better tomorrow.
This book handles so many themes and is a post apocalyptic story but its more than that, its a love letter to DCU and its impact across generations and legacy and centering Superman as the ray of hope and giving Superman such an awesome moment and Billy's sacrifice and Bruce being the way he is but its ALEX ROSS whose art is just majestic and real and at the same time godly like wow. Its one of those reads that make you love the DCU more. A MUST MUST READ.
This was just next level storytelling..
It starts with Superman being retired after the incident with MAGOG and like what he did and him thinking his ways, following the code has been done with and when he returns after the metahuman incident and what the superpowered people have been doing.. his return sends the world in a frenzy and from there we follow the league as to what are they planning, are they with him or against him, what are politicians deciding, the idea of the gulag and the big war between Luthor and Superman (indirectly) and the coming of Cap Marvel/Billy and a sacrifice and rage and getting over them and realizations and friendships and love and hope for a better tomorrow.
This book handles so many themes and is a post apocalyptic story but its more than that, its a love letter to DCU and its impact across generations and legacy and centering Superman as the ray of hope and giving Superman such an awesome moment and Billy's sacrifice and Bruce being the way he is but its ALEX ROSS whose art is just majestic and real and at the same time godly like wow. Its one of those reads that make you love the DCU more. A MUST MUST READ.
December 31, 2010
4.0 to 4.5 stars. Excellent graphic novel with incredible art by Alex Ross and a compelling storyline set in the near future of the DC universe in which the "old guard" super heroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern) retired from service and were replaced by a much more brash, violent and careless group of meta-humans who are not so easily distinguished from the bad guys they fight. The story involves Superman being lured out of retirement in order to help get the world back on the right track.
I liked it a lot and certainly recommend it for fans of the genre.
I liked it a lot and certainly recommend it for fans of the genre.
June 12, 2012
easily the best artwork I've seen so far in a comic book. Alex Ross may use models and photographs and Photoshop intensively in order to obtain this photorealistic effect, but I don't really care as long as the final product is something like this. He's abusing a little the trick of illuminating a face from bellow to increase dramatism, but I love the color palette and the dynamism of his scenes.
The decision to depict the superheroes as mature / older versions of their established images is another point in favor for Kingdom Come , as well as the adult script with the focus on war and personal responsibility. However, I feel I lost a lot of the salient points, because I'm quite unfamiliar with the Superman and Batman canon and couldn't recognize even a fraction of the numerous supporting cast of superheroes. And, for all the magnificent artwork, this is still a story about men wearing spandex and what looks suspiciously like oversized pampers and women with prominent chests wearing very skimpy costumes.
The decision to depict the superheroes as mature / older versions of their established images is another point in favor for Kingdom Come , as well as the adult script with the focus on war and personal responsibility. However, I feel I lost a lot of the salient points, because I'm quite unfamiliar with the Superman and Batman canon and couldn't recognize even a fraction of the numerous supporting cast of superheroes. And, for all the magnificent artwork, this is still a story about men wearing spandex and what looks suspiciously like oversized pampers and women with prominent chests wearing very skimpy costumes.
February 14, 2025
Firstly, the Alex Ross artwork is just perfection.
That said, I felt the story accompanying it was a little too weak by comparison.
It was fine - there are some interesting ideas here, and I love how massive the cast of characters is. It raises some contemplative questions and keeps the pace steady throughout.
But the artwork is so next level that it almost takes all the attention from the story.
I enjoyed it, I'd happily recommend it, but it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.
That said, I felt the story accompanying it was a little too weak by comparison.
It was fine - there are some interesting ideas here, and I love how massive the cast of characters is. It raises some contemplative questions and keeps the pace steady throughout.
But the artwork is so next level that it almost takes all the attention from the story.
I enjoyed it, I'd happily recommend it, but it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.
March 5, 2021
یکی از بهترین کمیک های تاریخ دی سی چه از نظر طراحی،چه از نظر داستان بدون شک همین کمیکه. مارک واید و الکس راس افسانه ای با همکاری هم تونستن اثری ماندگار رو برجا بگذارن که تا دهه های آینده همچنان میتونه خوندنی و جذاب باشه. داستان از جایی شروع میشه که بیش از یک دهه از منحل شدن لیگ عدالت گذشته و نسل های بعدی جانشین قهرمانان معروف دنیای دی سی شدن؛ غافل از این که این قهرمانان جدید آمادگی لازم برای پذیرفتن این مسئولیت ها رو نداشته و اصلا پیرو اصول اخلاقی قهرمانان گذشته نیستن و اینجاست که دنیا به سمت هرج و مرج و نابودی حرکت میکنه. از طرفی هم اکثر قهرمانان سابق لیگ عدالت دیگه اون انسان های سابق نیستن و هر کدوم بازی خودشون رو به راه انداختن که وضعیت رو پیچیده تر میکنه
نکته ای که این کمیک رو خیلی حائز اهمیت میکنه، علاوه بر طراحی های فوق العاده واقع گرایانه اش در هر
پنل، وفادار بودن به پیشینه شخصیت های دی سی در عین روایت داستانی جدیده
در اینجا ما با دنیایی طرفیم که دیگه اکثر ابرشرورها از بین رفتن و این قهرمانان و انسان های عادی هستن که جاشون رو پر کردن. دیالوگ ها هم بسیار خوب کار شده بود و اون حس مصنوعی یا شعار زده بودن رو که در برخی از کمیک ها شاهدش هستیم نداشت. در پایان اگر اهل کمیک یا مانگا هستید و هنوز هم در مطالعه اش شک دارید با یک سرچ ساده داخل گوگل میتونید طراحی های اون رو مشاهده کنید و پس از مقایسه تفاوت هاش با اکثر کمیک های دیگه تصمیم بگیرید
نکته ای که این کمیک رو خیلی حائز اهمیت میکنه، علاوه بر طراحی های فوق العاده واقع گرایانه اش در هر
پنل، وفادار بودن به پیشینه شخصیت های دی سی در عین روایت داستانی جدیده
در اینجا ما با دنیایی طرفیم که دیگه اکثر ابرشرورها از بین رفتن و این قهرمانان و انسان های عادی هستن که جاشون رو پر کردن. دیالوگ ها هم بسیار خوب کار شده بود و اون حس مصنوعی یا شعار زده بودن رو که در برخی از کمیک ها شاهدش هستیم نداشت. در پایان اگر اهل کمیک یا مانگا هستید و هنوز هم در مطالعه اش شک دارید با یک سرچ ساده داخل گوگل میتونید طراحی های اون رو مشاهده کنید و پس از مقایسه تفاوت هاش با اکثر کمیک های دیگه تصمیم بگیرید
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