February Book Club Review

Kingdom Come

Average rating : 9.58

Kingdom Come is a DC universe story which follows the Justice League as they attempt to restore peace in a future where Superman has quit and the world is on the verge of the apocalypse.

Exit Sandman

Kingdom Come opens by introducing Norman McCay, a pastor beginning to lose hope . He serves as a narrator after receiving visions from a dying friend Wesley Dobbs, the original Sandman. Removed from the actual events McCay observes the Justice League, primarily Superman and Wonder Woman, as they attempt to avoid a war which will lead to armageddon.

“The entire story is essentially a comic book interpretation of Revelations” - Mark

The Brave and The Bold

The circumstances of the story revolve largely around Superman’s retirement from crime fighting and the Justice League being largely disbanded and replaced by the Justice Battalion prior to the opening of the book. Superman is convinced to return after his replacement Magog and the Justice Battalion cause a major disaster killing millions of people and seriously damaging an entire state.

“The writing is Waid at his most perfect” - Remi

With Superman back the Justice League reforms and attempts to curb the ever increasing metahuman violence and restore costumed heroes back to the moral and righteous standards they were held to in the Leagues glory days. The idea however proves unpopular even with former members of the League like Batman who now runs Gotham as a martial state and initially appears to side with villains like Lex Luthor to stop the Leagues agenda and oppose their metahuman prison.

“The book shows how Superman is really the greatest hero of all time” - Matt

In the end things come down to a near apocalyptic battle between several factions which is only ended in a showdown between Superman and Captain Marvel, fighting finished Superman finds himself even more lost than when his mission began. In the end it is McCay who helps him see what really needed to be done all along. Their faith in the world mutually restored McCay returns to his church and is finally able to give a sermon of hope.

Artwork

The artwork in this book is nothing short of stunning. The art is colorful, detailed, and makes excellent use of light and shade. The real wow factor is in characters expressions they are flawless and capture a wide range of emotions. There really isn’t a way to do the art justice in words.

“The art elevates the material “ - Mathieu

Some of us found the splash pages a little heavy but if you enjoy hunting in the background for Easter Eggs you will find a deep appreciation for the level of thought and detail that went into each frame.

“The panels are busy but the detail work is excellent” - Rene

Summary

This was the highest reviewed title yet for the book club and with good reason. The story was compelling and combined elements from classic literature with a universe of costumed heroes in a flawless way. At first glance the book appeared a bit crowded but the story had excellent pacing and was a faster and easier read than expected. We had a good mixture of people who had read Kingdom Come before and those who hadn’t and everyone agreed it is an endlessly re-readable story that appeals to both hardcore DC fans and those of us who didn’t know Wonder Woman could fly. If you haven’t read it go out and get it, now.

“First impression was "not one of these books" but it flowed extremely well” - Colin

“The best thing I’ve ever read out of DC, I couldn’t put it down” - Ray


“Infinitely enjoyable read” - Brad

Ratings

Picked the book : Mark - Rating 10

"I try not to offer a perfect score lightly , but I feel Kingdom Come definitely deserves it"


Harshest Critic: Gabriel - Rating 8.5

“Alex Ross shines with his ultra clean and crisp style” - Gabriel

Besting Rating: Rick /Ray/Matt/ Scott/ Brad / Remi - Rating 10

Next Months selection : Halcyon

Pick up a copy and join us March 28