The New Gods #1 – Ram V, Writer; Evan Cagle, Jorge Fornes, Artists; Francesco Segala, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: One of the most anticipated books of All In and definitely the most-hyped title that isn’t a continuing A-list book, this is the big follow-up to Ram V’s acclaimed Detective Comics run – as well as the first major book dealing with the New Gods since Tom King left his mark on the characters at the dawn of his time at DC. After all, the worlds of New Genesis and Apokalips are sort of at the core of this new era of DC, with Darkseid’s attack on the Watchtower – and the resulting universal schism – kicked this whole new era off. While we’ve seen a lot of Apokalips over the years, New Genesis often gets short shrift in comparison, and the creative team wastes no time changing that. After all, their arch-nemesis is dead at last – so why does Highfather seem so unsettled? Why is he so testy with his old friend Metron? And worst of all, why does he summon his adopted son Orion to task him with a horrific deed for the greater good?
I’m always fascinated by stories about the corruption lurking below the glittering surface of a utopia, and this story opens with some dazzling images delving into the past and possible future of the worlds beyond this one. Ram V has always done a great job of combining meta stories with very human ones, and for those early pages I wasn’t sure how he would do that here – until Orion heads to Earth to explain to Mister Miracle exactly why he can’t complete this mission. Interestingly, this version of Scott Free feels very much like a follow-up to Tom King’s – a new father, exhausted and plagued with doubts, but still clear-eyed enough that he’s the only person Orion trusts. The concept of the series becomes very real and very human in the last few pages, as the creative team grounds this epic story in one that’s all too familiar and very human, and sets off what’s likely to be one of the most explosive chases we’ve seen in the DCU in some time.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
