The Wicked + The Divine #11By Jon Evans
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I'm pretty sure Issue 11 of The Wicked + The Divine is unreviewable without spoiling it. So, this month I'd like to review the (non-variant) front cover and speculate as to which particular character has been given the smoking neck treatment in a 'Who shot J.R.?' style. It gives us a chance to review what's happened so far, as well as try and predict (terribly) where The Wicked + The Divine will go in the next story arc. I wrote these musings before reading the issue as a bit of fun, but soon became a solution to writing something which wouldn’t ruin the story.
As we know, the exploding head is the favourite final sentence given to the gods by Ananke. If you follow the story to the letter, this punishment is given out not because Ananke has been displeased. It’s made clear that necessity requires it. This has a big impact on how you decipher the plot. Also note that below are multiple references to previous issues, so if you’re a trade-only reader, have a giggle at this once you’ve finished Act 2, Fandemonium. Who is dead?
1) Baphomet - Quite likely. We know he's already tried to murder Inanna in issue 10. Ananke has warned what will happen if gods are killed. With his attempted Inanna-assassination antics, his return to the underworld was the only thing that saved him from explosive decapitation thanks to...
2) Badb/Morrigan/Gentle Annie - Guilt by association is still a crime in Ananke's books, despite Morrigan actually quelling the battle between the boys. Nevertheless she has a black mark next to her name, making her a possible candidate. She's still a rank outsider though. Ananke has promised to hunt down and kill any god who murders, which might sound like hypocrisy, but remember Ananke isn’t a god. She lost her place in the pantheon to be the curator of the gods.
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3) Inanna - There's always a slim chance that Ananke is not the perpetrator of the crime. Baphomet wants to extend his life by killing another god and steal his remaining years. Whether this actually works, we do not know. This has already been tried by mortals in previous issues but the so called Prometheus Gambit has already been disproved. Nevertheless, if it were a true phenomenon among the gods, it would certainly spice the story up and add tension (Woden seems pretty certain this is not the case too). Issue 11's variant cover also seems like a pretty big clue to another Baphomet/Inanna confrontation.
4) Baal - Another slim outsider and, to be honest, the shoulders and neck do not look to much like Baal's, however in the glorious word of Matt Wilson's colours anything is possible. Baal does seem to be very unlikely, though. He's a powerful god, with some seemingly hidden strong alliances and it doesn't seem likely he'd let himself get taken. He’s pretty much Ananke’s right hand man too, at her beck and call. There is still room for a nice little plot twist of switched alliances, however, and no god would be spared, should necessity dictate. Perhaps Ananke doesn’t like his secret dalliances with a mortal?
5) Woden - He hasn't been around for a while and frankly this doesn't seem his style, although he is one mixed-up individual. He’s pretty pissed off about his lack of powers. The last time he tried to used them it caused him to be horribly disfigured under that helmet and, despite the terrible stump, those are some pretty normal shoulders.
6) Minerva - She's withdrawn and focussed on her own misery about dying. Since Minerva is equated with wisdom, perhaps she is aware of her fate, or the way things are playing out and this is making her sad. Don't be fooled by her child-like exterior, however. As we saw from issue 7, Minerva can be dangerous with her powers and also careless about how she deals them out. She is an underdeveloped character and may be a bit of sleeper. I can see Gillen pulling some sort of surprise out of the bag with her (she's due a front cover without Cassandra getting in the way anyway).
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Variant Cover
Variant Cover by Fiona Staples
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7) Urðr - I feel that the Norns have somewhat of an unfair advantage here. They are only freshly made gods, so it would seem churlish of Ananke to take them out. A couple of clues to rule them out is that there is only one smoking corpse (although Urðr could have been individually killed), but also the Norns have insight into the fate of the gods. Surely they would see their own death? Does this explain their morbid message in issue 10? As daughters of Ananke would they also be less likely to killed? As we know from this series, the roles and powers of the gods are not as clear cut as their wikipedia descriptions. This is part of the allure of the series, so there is a chance they could do somthing wrong to influence the events, but again they seem unlikely. To be fair, too, the front cover isn't a snapshot, it's a stylised treatment, so perhaps we shouldn't take it's nature too literally...
8) Lucifer - I know, I know, she's 'dead'. However perhaps issue 11 will treat us to a flashback story or a different point of view narrative? It's been done before and would make for an interesting take on the plot with more reveals. One thing Gillen and McKelvie haven't done, so far, is have a character on the front cover more than once (apart from some variant covers) so this, too seems unlikely.
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9) Amaterasu - Again, we should never rule out characters who have not been around much, but Amaterasu seems so wistful and harmless that it is doubtful that she should be involved. Perhaps she could be collateral damage in the battle between the big boys? This lacks impact and isn't Gillen's style, so again is unlikely.
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10) Sakhmet - We know she has a pretty explosive personality. She’s another henchman for Ananke, so probably an unlikely corpse. She’s also quite a loose cannon. Like Amaterasu, there's a chance she could get caught in the cross fire. Based on previous battles, the method of death is normally more impressive than a mere decapitation. The head explosion is a punctuation mark in the story, much like the french guillotine, it is designed as a method 'pour encourager les autres'. Nevertheless, I'd like to see more of Sakhmet. She's a colourful, interesting character who I'm hoping will be explored in the third act.
11) Dionysus - Lets be honest - He’s just going to party like it’s 2016. He’s having too much fun. With less character development, it also seems unlikely that he has irked another god. He's still fodder for extra years if Baphomet has no joy with Inanna. Again this is clunky and doesn't fit with the elegance of Gillen's script.
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12) Tara - she hasn't featured in the story yet, other than in London underground posters and a few slight references from other characters. It would be a shame to see her so fleetingly, before she dies, so this is highly unlikely. We look forward to finding out more...
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So there you go. Does Ananke have a hidden agenda? Does she have any free will? Her role is to oversee the events and banish the darkness, ensuring the mortals can bathe only in the celebrity-fueled light of the gods. Much like the terrible savageness of nature, Ananke is doing what she must to protect the validity of the Pantheon. Sometimes these events, which are perceived from a purely personal level, are horrifying and cruel (such as Laura’s trauma over Luci) but is Ananke merely ensuring that the show must go on? As Chuck Palahniuk once said, "“All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring.”
Listen, Issue 11 is bloody good. Apart from finding out who is in on the front cover, it is an epic, jaw-dropping conclusion to to a great story arc that leaves you wondering what Gillen and McKelvie have in store for us next. You really, really need to read issue 11.
The Wicked + The Divine #11 can be bought in print and digital from Image Comics from the 3rd of June.
