Review – The New Gods #7: Unlikely Alliances
Ray: When it comes to books starring characters who are more cult fixtures of the DCU, writers can easily shake up the status quo – sometimes permanently. And that seems to be what happened in this issue of New Gods – as the conflict has led to the planet of New Genesis shattering, sending a massive refugee ship down to Earth carrying just about every major figure from the planet – including its leader, Highfather. The Justice League gets an alert that there's about to be a crash landing, thanks to Cyborg and Miss Martian, and they spring into action. After stopping the populated meteor from hitting the Earth thanks to the stronger hero, there's a bigger question – what to do with the thousands of New Genesis residents? Cameron Chase quickly wants to step in and take the warriors into custody for processing, but Orion naturally has an issue with that – and it falls to John Stewart to find a solution. Crisis on the Watchtower. Via DC Comics.
This issue obviously has some pointed things on its mind, with Ram V making some great commentary on the refugee crisis in a way that feels universal. There are also some fantastic quiet moments as the war between the New Gods is temporarily called off and Orion is allowed to express his humanity again. There's a scene where he learns of Lightray's death that's packed with genuine emotion. But of course, the New Genesis survivors aren't the only arrivals – and the Apokalips visitors are found by another DCU figure who might have much less benevolent intentions. This issue doesn't have much of the action of the first arc past the first few pages, but it's no less compelling. It's easy to forget that New Genesis and Apokalips are essentially long-estranged brothers, and there are some fascinating new implications to come out of this issue that hint at some big things going forward.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
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Winnipeg Free Press
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Movie Review: The villains steal the show in ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps'
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Geek Dad
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Review – The New Gods #8: The Gathering
The New Gods #8 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: The first arc of this series was a no-holds-barred cosmic war, showing the New Gods in a battle for survival on both New Genesis and Apokalips like we rarely do. After Lightray fell i combat, the fallout forced both factions to decamp to a safe zone – Earth. There, they found refuge – the New Genesis refugees with the Justice League, and the Apokalips survivors with an opportunistic Maxwell Lord. It's clear that all the residents of New Genesis are grieving – but none more than Highfather, who viewed Lightray like a son. A flashback shows this isn't the only loss he's grieving, and that leads him to make a dramatic decision – he's stepping down as Highfather, and allowing someone else to lead New Genesis into its new era. Now named Izaya once again, he seeks quiet contemplation rather than leadership – and the most peaceful planet in the galaxy is suddenly thrown into flux. Love lost. Via DC Comics. To calm nerves, Mister Miracle proposes a ceremonial feast traditional on New Genesis, and that gives us the opportunity to see these alien heroes in a very unusual setting – at peace, as well as bringing in some lesser-used Kirby creations. There are a lot of great character bits along the way, especially for Big Barda. But at the same time, the Justice League's representatives are investigating the other arrivals that have gone to ground – and Max Lord is becoming involved with them in a way I didn't expect. He's always the type to make deals with devils – but if the last panel of this segment is what it looks like, this may be a new low for him. This issue has plenty of suspense, but it definitely is the lowest-key issue of the run so far. I think that's something that works very well, as after the chaos of this first arc, pulling back on the impact of the war was essential. I think this run is going to become essential read for fans of the Fourth World. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
