The New Gods #12 – Ram V, Writer; Evan Cagle, Phil Hester/Ande Parks, Artists; Francesco Segala, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: A lot has changed since this series began. In the aftermath of the death of Darkseid, Ram V gave us a cerebral, epic tale that took the focus off epic space battles and back on the cosmic tragedy of Apokalips and New Genesis that Jack Kirby first weaved – and since then, Darkseid has returned and the scale is bigger than ever. But this isn’t the place to look for DC KO tie-ins, as the story wraps up exactly as it was intended to. This book has made excellent use of guest artists over the issues, and this issue is no exception, as Phil Hester kicks off the issue with a split-screen segment that shows us Scott and Orion’s dual childhoods. In the paradise of New Genesis, Orion fears nothing – except the rage within him. And on Apokalips, Scott Free proves far harder to break than anyone expected as he escapes one trap after another and endures the punishments of his captors, never losing faith.
And in the present day, Kamal’s fate hangs in the balance. The mysterious child from India, filled with cosmic powers no one fully understands, has been turned over to the forces of Apokalips by a traitor and is being transformed in unpredictable ways. While Big Barda finally gets to act out the decades of aggression she has towards her former masters, Orion leads the charge to rescue the boy – but comes up short. And so, fittingly, it comes down to Scott Free to enter the void and try a different path. In many ways, this series winds up feeling like a proper sequel to the incredible Mister Miracle series by Tom King from the beginning of his DC career, picking up on a lot of the themes he worked with. And that’s why the ending here is so satisfying. It really feels like a true changing of the guard for New Genesis, just in time for another huge shake-up for the entire Fourth World as DC KO kicks off.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
