This is a gorgeous graphic novel with a very interesting premise and fun extras. I think this would appeal to young and old comic book fans, or anyone wanting to see a classic in the graphic novel format. Sweet.


A Feast For Longtime Comic Readers.   August 6, 2002
 36 out of 42 found this review helpful

Kingdom Come, through it's generation gap tale of Batman, Superman, and various other classic DC Super-Heroes fighting for humanity against the new breed of "Heros" that are indifferent to Human suffering, also functions as an allegory/wish fulfillment for creators Mark Waid & Alex Ross: Their hope that modern fans will stop embracing mindless walking-death-machine characters (Note the Liefeld-esque "Americommando", preceeding the Liefeld Captain America revamp by years, and the character of Magog, instigator of Kingdom Come's Kansas disaster, a thinly veiled jab at Marvel's Liefeld-created Cable.).

Ultimately, despite the apocalyptic premise, Kingdom Come is a very hopeful and optimistic tale, with good prevailing over evil, and Waid and Ross get their point across quite well: Do we REALLY want heroes to act less-than-heroic? Would you rather entrust your life to Superman or Wolverine?

Ross' art is lovely, and Waid does a fine job on the script, maybe his best ever. The only problem was, unlike other "Iconic" graphic Novels, like Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, I think a strong knowledge of the DC Universe and it's denizens is a must for understanding the story. Thinking back, I don't think there were any expository captions in the book at all, and the cross-generational connections can be very overwhelming, even to a comic-geek like me.

Overall, I think fans will be in heaven, and newcomers will at least get taken on a great thrill ride.


Alex Ross and Mark Waid do the Twilight of the Superheroes   January 2, 2005
 20 out of 30 found this review helpful

It is rather ironic that "Kingdom Come" was artist Alex Ross's first major work for DC because he had been developing the idea of an epic, apocalyptic super hero story which would re-examine what the DC characters meant and how their role in the world they were protecting would change for over a decade. The idea of an older generation of warriors forced out of retirement to face down a more violent new generation is not exactly news, but what Ross and writer Mark Waid brought to this project was an acute sense of the why the mythos of Superman, Batman, and the others DC characters have become a part of American popular culture. But there is also something more than the mere act of reaffirmation being played out here, especially given that this is not a battle, but a war, with a high casualty count that gives the narrative its necessary weight.

We begin with Superman in retirement, having lived in seclusion for a decade in his Fortress of Solitude. We learn in time that the Joker murdered Lois Lane and was then killed himself by Magog, a new meta-human who personifies the new generation of super heroes who act as judge and jury, and who have replaced the Justice League. But then Wonder Woman shows up to convince Superman to come out of retirement after Magog destroys Kansas in an effort to get the Parasite. Superman brings the Justice League back together and issues an ultimatum to the younger meta-humans to do things the right way or suffer the consequences of their actions. While all the super heroes choose sides the United Nations works on a way to destroy all of the meta-humans, Lex Luthor has Captain Marvel under his control, and Bruce Wayne (outted as Batman long ago) recruits his own army because he does not trust Superman, especially now that Dick Grayson has become Red Robin and the Man of Steel's side kick.

It is in the character of Norman McCay that we get the best insights into how Ross wants us to consider the story of "Kingdom Come." McCay is a minister in the big bad city who is visited by the Spectre, who warns of a coming catastrophe that has to be prevented. I find it interesting that Ross would take the Superman mythos in the direction of its more religious elements by going back to "The Divine Comedy" and have the Spectre play Virgil and lead the Dante-like McCay around the levels of the story. But there is a significant difference in that McCay is not merely an observer, but a pivotal actor in the drama. There was a time when it would have been a young kid saying the right thing at the right time, but the ideas here require an older voice and someone whose vocation is given to ethical judgments. The pivotal speech does have an element of pomposity, but when you are trying to do a modern American comic book version of the Twilight of the Gods I think it is inevitable you will fall a bit short of the mark. But you have to admire the aim and audacity.

However, the more immediate inherent problem in reading "Kingdom Come" in that you need a rather encyclopedic knowledge of the DC universe, not to mention the company's legal battle with Fawcett over the Captain Marvel character, to really appreciate everything that is going on or the particular tensions that exist between specific sets of characters. Besides, I can make the argument that it is Marvel, rather than Superman, that is the more interesting character here, unable to accept the hyper violence of the contemporary world because he has been trapped in a time bubble. You will find other tantalizing elements of this futuristic DC universe, such as Knightstar, the progeny of Nightwing and Starfire. If there is a comic book graphic novel that would benefit from an annotated edition, "Kingdom Come" would be it, and absent of that you can find friends and discussion boards who can help glean additional insights into the mythological density of the work.


Truly magnificent graphic novel...   February 19, 2002
 16 out of 21 found this review helpful

First of all, I do not read comic books, I am simply familiar with many of the more famous ones and enjoy the superhero mythos portrayed in comic books.
I generally hesitate in considering most comic books as anything other than pulp fiction with graphics, but "Kingdom Come" is on a level all its own. The main story is a struggle between the 'old guard' of DC superheroes (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and many, many others) and a new group of superheroes who are far more violent and far less principled than their esteemed forebears. This struggle brings up a host of issues, which I will not delve into, because of the length of time involved in such a discussion.
But what makes this superb story even better is the unbelievable artwork of Alex Ross, which looks like sculpture on canvas, vividly painted and beautifully realized. The characters are gorgeously rendered and the artwork alone makes this a worthwhile purchase for the average comic book reader and even the casual fan of the superhero mythos.
Highly reccomended.


"Kingdom Come" is "The Watchmen" of the '90s--Revolutionary.   February 11, 1999
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

"Kingdom Come" is a brilliant hybrid of top-notch writing from Mark Waid and unparalleled art work by Alex Ross. "Kingdom Come" is to comic books in the 1990s as "The Watchmen" and "The Dark Knight Returns" were to comics in the 1980s. The story focuses on how "old-school" heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman handle the problem of a new, more violent breed of super-heroes. The main story of "Kingdom Come" is an ages old struggle between generations that improves on the theme in several ways, but what really makes "Kingdom Come" stand out is the intricate details and subplots that Waid and Ross weave into the story and art. The creators of "Kingdom Come" give the readers many startling and imaginative insights into what has happened to our favorite heroes after several years in the trenches. Batman, for instance, lives with a battle-ravaged body that has suffered from fight after fight with his enemies. His body is supported, now, by an exo-skeleton. Superman and Wonder Woman have a brilliant conversation in the middle of the book during which they discuss their differing ideologies concerning the use of violence to control the violent new breed of heroes. It's as well written and important as any dialogue you might find in a "normal" book. Waid and Ross even throw in a older, drunkard version of "Marvin" from the old Super Friends cartoon and a Planet Hollywood type of restaurant whose servers all dress up as super-heroes. Perhaps the greatest moment in "Kingdom Come," and maybe all of comics, is the fight between Superman and Captain Marvel (Shazam) toward the end of the story. Check out the smile on Captain Marvel's face as he is about to lay a beating on Superman and the way the text describes Superman as Superman should truly be written. Comic books have routinely taken a beating in terms of their place as "literature." "Kingdom Come" is an amazing story, well-written with brilliantly defined characters that just happens to be accompanied by unbelievable paintings. Readers who want read something different, but still want to read something with high-quality writing, should not be so quick to dismiss the comic book form and what it can contribute to the world of literature. Any reading is good reading despite what some people would have you believe. It helps you establish what you like from what you don't. "Kingdom Come" does have pictures. It also has deeper characterization than most books today, fantastic settings, and a strong thematic structure woven throughout. "Kingdom Come" gets the highest possible recommendation.