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“The DC superheroes at war…with each other!” …
Kingdom Come
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Alex Ross
Published by DC Comics
Set in a future timeline where traditional superheroes are being replaced by violent vigilantes, KINGDOM COME is the magnum opus of superstar artist Alex Ross. Teamed with critically acclaimed writer Mark Waid (known for his passion of DC’s long history), Ross imagined a superhero epic in the same scope as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s WATCHMEN, but featuring DC’s wholesome cast of Superfriends instead of Moore and Gibbons’ line-up of sexual deviants and psychopaths. Taking further inspiration from Moore’s MARVELMAN (aka MIRACLEMAN) and the unpublished ‘Twilight of the Superheroes’, Waid and Ross used the narrative to critique the contemporary popularity of amoral anti-heroes like Cable, Lobo and Youngblood.
In this story, the Justice League members have been retired for almost a decade, forced to abdicate their roles because of the rising popularity of a superhero named Magog. A pastiche of the Image Comics-type characters made popular by Rob Liefeld, Magog was a cold blooded killer who inspired a new generation of superpowered metahumans to follow in his wake. Wonder Woman manages to convince Superman to reform the Justice League in order to combat the looming threat of Magog and his vigilantes. Superman and Wonder Woman then recruit Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkman and even Dick Grayson (now calling himself Red Robin). They meet resistance from one of their old teammates however, as Batman explains that Superman’s idealism is outdated and ineffective. His ultimate solution is to assemble a superhuman army of his own to battle Superman’s Justice League.
Nearly every one of DC’s superheroes is eventually brought into the conflict, including the ultimate icon of comics’ Golden Age: Captain Marvel (in perhaps the stories most spine-tingling moment). A loving tribute to the Justice League comic and the SUPERFRIENDS cartoon of their youth, Mark Waid & Alex Ross construct a story around the warring ideals of left wing and right wing justice. Peppering the comic with dozens of easter eggs and biblical allusions, they elevate the war between Superman and Batman to its appropriate magnitude: an epic conflict between gods.
Check out the Syndicate’s full review of KINGDOM COME right here:
or click here to take you to visit the episodes permanent home on the website.
Available in many different formats, keep an eye out for the First Printing of the book. It’s the only one with a special fold-out cover!
You can buy a New Edition copy of the book here: http://amzn.to/UdNxqS
OR the Absolute version here: http://amzn.to/V8nRYb
Here’s a gallery of images from the book, try not to drool:
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