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What is a life worth to a god? High-Father has given Orion a deadly mission. A young child has emerged with powers. The elder of New Genesis has deemed him a threat. Orders are simple. The mission carries a heavy burden on Orion. This leads him to enlisting Mr. Miracle for “help”. How this web has spun….
The New Gods #2 by Ram V., Evan Cagle, Jesse Lonergan, Francesco Segala & Tom Napolitano continues Jack Kirby’s cosmic characters into their latest adventure.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the moral burden at hand.
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Even in his absence, Darkseid still IS, Ram V. orchestrates quite the power vacuum with Apokolips in peril. The writing walks readers through the treacherous landscape. High-Father is shaken to his core. Desaad is in denial.
On Earth, it is more grounded around the mysterious child. There are many vested parties interested. This includes a familiar face of Jack Kirby’s world joining the fray. Even with the new and old faces, one pair stands head and shoulders above all else for this tale.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW
Mr. Miracle and Big Barda have been the early breakout characters of this series. Seeing how Scott Free deals with being drawn into this issue provides a unique perspective. The letter he leaves for Barda is jam packed with emotion. Ram V’s writing here floods the pages with the self guilt and frustration of his task. The result leads into a fitting and strong conclusion. It offers a bright spot in comparison to the final act. With a haunting lead, the beginning of the end starts in an unlikely place.
Lonergan starts the chapter with a brief intro for Karok. The imagery reflects the dark overtones this character exudes. Led by a strong two-page splash, readers can connect as to the danger level this new player brings. From here, Cagle takes over for the remainder of the book. The visions of High-Father take on a whole new gravity. Each panel carries the dooming feel of loss. This carries into the Mr. Miracle portion of the chapter.
The struggles in dealing with his issue take center stage. Readers watch the letter come to life as Free tries to prepare. Orion is in contrast as he lets his aggression fly. It breaks the somber feel and leads to a bold near-full page. Backed by Napolitano’s lettering, Big Barda crashes Free’s self doubt. There are many reactions to how the couple plays this. It’s an easy win for readers before the brooding feel covers the remaining characters. The art makes each sub-plot sand out right to the last panels. There is no question events are just getting started on a very high level.
OVERALL GRADE : 9.1/10
The race against time becomes center stage for Scott Free in the second installment of Kirby’s Fourth World revival. Ram V. pens a deeply seeded emotional chapter. Cagle, Segala and Napolitano piece together the fear of today with the promise of tomorrow. Many moving points are in motion that only spell win for the readers.
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