Review - The Wicked + The Divine #4 and #5Review by Jon Evans
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If you've been following these reviews, you'll know I try to unravel the complexities of each comic with varying degrees of success. This time round, I'm actually writing this after Mr Gillen has published his usual panel-by-panel break down of WicDiv #4. Do feel free to read it after my article to see how close (or far) I am from his vision.
WicDiv#4 gives us more of Baal, who we have met in earlier issues. He has turned up just as Laura is implicating him in murder. Can you imagine bad-mouthing Kanye West with superpowers, while he was standing behind you? Ouch. Baal is a good looking chap, of which he knows very well. His character very much exemplifies what you would do if were a handsome, all powerful being with only two years left to live. You wouldn’t give a fuck about anyone and you would generally enjoy life’s pleasures to the fullest while you could. Here, Baal takes Laura and Cassandra to Valhalla to meet the gods. Why do they go? Obviously under the threat of being inflicted by Baal’s lawyers, but it is a chance neither a journalist nor a fan can pass up. The central story of The Wicked + The Divine is Laura’s search for the killer who has framed Luci. This can only be another god due to the means of death. What are Laura’s motivations to do this? The reader is left to guess. Is it love for Luci? Is it to be special, to deviate from the norm and humdrum of her life? Is it a way to become part of the inner-circle of gods? Lucy has promised Laura a ‘gift’ should she be successful and perhaps this motivates her the most, however the more she uncovers the deeper the mystery goes, in fact to the point that perhaps there is no mystery. What is made clear is that Luci is not going to get any help from her equals. More to the point, they intend to resolve the situation by doing nothing but leave her in jail. Is Luci going to be happy about this? Um…no. WicDiv veterans will be familiar by now with the use of colour in the comics. Trying to search for consistency or a pattern to the colour, other than to show potency of power, is as fruitful as Laura’s search, however each issue of the comic has a distinct flavour or personality. The Tron-esque setting of Woden’s crib is not a coincidence, as is the Daft Punk stylings of Woden himself. Turning Valhalla into a neon paradise is an inspired choice, as well as keeping the comic visually interesting. So now the Daft Punk imagery fits well with the rest of the Rock Star aspirations: Luci resembles Bowie, Baal harkens to Kanye or Tiny Tempah, Sakhment is the spitting image of Rhianna. Music is such a central part of the Wicked and The Divine, it permeates everything from the quotes, to the locations, the looks and the ever teasing ‘1,2,3,4’ which is always uttered before any sort of unleashing of power (still trying to work out this reference - perhaps 1,2,3,4 by Feist? ). Music is important, as it reflects the adoration we have for Rock-Stars. Gillen is using the celebrity culture as an allegory of the way the Gods are treated. The love, energy and devotion that the Gods invoke is their actual purpose, to inspire. Luci is breaking the rules, causing people to fear her, rather than love her and this is why her fate is sealed. The fallen angel. |
Issue Rating; 5/5The Comic is available in both print and digital from Image comics. Follow this link for more details.
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WicDev#5 Is the culmination of the Volume 1 story arc. The trade of Vol 1 is released in November, so do watch this space when we review it, however devotees of The Wicked + The Divine will be entirely satisfied and shocked by #5. In essence we don’t want to spoil what is the most exciting and revealing episode so far, so here’s a glimpse of what to expect:
We know Luci has escaped from prison, so expect to follow her story as it plays out and watch the ramifications of her decision to rebel. Laura has become bolder with her dealings with the gods, but is her ultimate goal worthy of her efforts? We know that Ananke stated in #4 that the gods should not be drawing attention to themselves. She has hinted that Luci is different, that she could upset the balance of whatever seems to be out of kilter, but how are the gods going to deal with a loose cannon like Luci? What of Tara and Inanna? The cipher above is made unsymmetrical by their absence, so are we going to see them in the current cycle? What is the importance of the meeting at the beginning of #1 and are we going to see more gods like Susanoo? After all, there are plenty from which to choose. #5 is a great issue, with buckets of action, some great reveals and a fabulous conclusion, which leaves plenty open for the next set of comics. Part of the draw of this series is the speculation; The story is challenging and intriguing, with the most fundamentally believable supernatural beings I've seen for a while. Beautiful, gripping, seductive stuff. Issue Rating; 5/5The Comic is available in both print and digital from Image comics. Follow this link for more details.
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