The New Gods #3 – Ram V, Writer; Riccado Federici, Evan Cagle, Artists; Francesco Segala, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Ram V’s comics always have a sense of scale that’s hard to match, from the centuries-spanning power struggle of his Detective Comics to the cosmic battle of wills that unfolded in Swamp Thing. But none has ever matched what unfolds in this run, as the legacies and sins of past worlds come back to haunt the new one. Evan Cagle gets some rest this issue, as he draws less than half the issue – but he packs a lot into the present day segments. As a ruthless new leader takes the throne of Apokalips by brute force and prepares to launch a war on New Genesis, Scott and Barda find an unlikely partner – Oberon, the eccentric dwarf who was a key part of the old Justice League International run that they played a part in. Barda is less than amused, but he joins them as the search for the little boy who might just be the key to the upcoming war escalates.
So what makes up the rest of the issue? Only a cosmic battle of Gods long gone, from the dying days of the Second World. These chapters of the DCU are only briefly glimpsed in the past, but they’re brought to live brilliantly here through the pens of Riccardo Federici, the painterly artist known best for his world on The Last God, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s acclaimed dark fantasy-horror series. Here, he gets to lean into many of those same instincts, with some of the Gods being pretty far from human and some of the betrayals and tortures being on the extreme side. But this story leans more into classic mythology for its vibe, with brilliant visuals and haunting secrets. Along the way, the truth of just how this ties into the events of the current world come into focus, and the stakes seem higher than ever. This is definitely one of the most fascinating and ambitious books on the stands right now.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
