Thursday, January 16, 2025

New Gods #2 Review




  • Written by: Ram V

  • Art by: Evan Cagle, Jesse Lonergan

  • Colors by: Francesco Segala, Jesse Lonergan

  • Letters by: Tom Napolitano

  • Cover art by: Nimit Malavia (cover A)

  • Cover price: $3.99

  • Release date: January 15, 2025


New Gods #2, by DC Comics on 1/15/25, unveils the importance of the god-child hiding on Earth, prodding an assortment of forces to take action on Earth, Apokalips, and beyond.



Is New Gods #2 Good?




Recap


When last we left High-Father and his kin in New Gods #1, the recent death of Darkseid led to a prophecy about a child recently born who would bring calamity. High-Father's solution? Send Orion to find and kill the child. The issue ended with Orion seeking Mister Miracle's help to prevent him from completing the mission orders he's compelled to obey. 

Plot Synopsis


In New Gods #2, a myriad of forces are introduced and take steps toward their respective goals.

Karak the Scavenger is made aware of the Darkseid's death and the hubris of so-called gods who seek to maintain their positions of power. Karak embarks on a mission to wipe out their hubris, starting with the destruction of Apokalips.

On Earth, Mister Miracle writes a heartfelt letter to his wife explaining why he must leave them to undertake Orion's request to save a special child. Big Barda surprises her husband by preparing to accompany him, whether he likes it or not.

Meanwhile, the adoptive parents of the god-child move from town to town in India to avoid capture by Mr. (Maxwell?) Lord's forces. The child is feverish after the explosion of power he used to save his parents at the end of the last issue. Through a flashback, we learn that Mr. Lord was mandated by Metron to find the child, and his work is currently overseen by Serifan.

The issue ends with Desaad learning the god-child may be fated to restore order to Apokalips as Darkseid's heir. To retrieve the child, Desaad must abandon Apokalips to the imminent arrival of Karak.

First Impressions


New Gods #2, from writer Ram V, is the point where you'll either get hooked on what Ram V is trying to do or be prompted to drop it entirely. Ram V's attempt to weave a grand tapestry of mythology waffles between intricate and convoluted, bogged down by Ram V's obsessive need to narrate the issue through flowery, pretentious language. If that sounds like a hoot to you, you're in for a treat.

How’s the Art?


The art, as with the writing, is a contradiction you'll either love or hate. The prologue and epilogue are presented through the Euro-futuristic lens of Jesse Lonergan to present a weirdly asymmetric creation in Karak the Scavenger. Thankfully, Evan Cagle's cleaner, more polished (cleaner than Lonergan's) art presents an ethereal view of the assorted conflicts in motion. Does that sound like gobbledygook? That's because that's what you get in the art, a mishmash of everything that tries to be fancy in multiple ways without achieving cohesion.

What’s great about New Gods #2?


If you peel back the layers of plodding pretentiousness, there is a strong idea at the heart of this issue - the universe is experiencing increasing chaos due to Darkseid's absence, so a child has come to take his place... maybe.

I like that idea. It feels important and could have big ramifications for the future of DC. If Ram V can pay off the setup, New Gods could turn into the must-have series for years to come.

What’s not great about New Gods #2?

Unfortunately, consistent with Ram V's writing style, you have to do more work than should be necessary to dig through the layers of plodding pace, convoluted focus, and pretentious language to get to that cool idea. Good ideas are king, but clarity is god, which is a truism Ram V has never adhered to.




About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Final Thoughts


New Gods #2 builds on the good idea of issue #1 but falls victim to bad writing habits. At the heart of the issue, Ram V is constructing a tale that could create a new balance of power in the DC universe, but you have to wade through a convoluted, poorly paced plot to find it. Further, using two artists with weirdly dissonant styles imbalances rather than corrects for Ram V's plodding story.

5.8/10



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