Written by Mark Waid
Art by Mike Zeck; John Beatty; Phil Felix; John Kalisz; & Digital Chameleon
Cover Art by Mike Zeck
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for February 1999, the finale of this two-part sequel to Kingdom Come is entitled “Mighty Rivers.” The present-day Superman investigates a nuclear catastrophe in Kansas to find Gog using a captive Captain Atom to bait him into a deathtrap. Rescued by Kingdom Come’s aging Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman, a bewildered Man of Steel summons his own Wonder Woman and Batman. Seeking to rescue Kingdom Come’s infant Jonathan Kent from Gog, the six heroes are ultimately aided by Rip Hunter and four young allies from Kingdom Come’s reality.
Mystically watching from afar are Gog’s misguided ‘enablers:’ Highfather; Ganthet; Phantom Stranger; the wizard Shazam; and Zeus. A cataclysmic showdown vs. Gog leads into DC’s ‘greatest’ secret ever, as an enigmatic figure emerges to make a stunning revelation.
Notes: This mini-sequel was accompanied by six Kingdom one-shots: Gog # 1; Offspring # 1; Kid Flash # 1; Nightstar # 1; Son of the Bat # 1; and Planet Krypton # 1(February 1998-1999). Further, fans should recognize precursors (intentional or not) of Infinite Crisis and Justice Society of America’s extensive “Thy Kingdom Come” storyline that were written years later.
REVIEW:
Keeping in mind DC’s subsequent continuity shifts, it’s a good read despite contemporary fans will likely deem it outdated.
Considering what he is tasked with, writer Mark Waid does a competent job … no matter how preposterous his script’s peripheral details become. More specifically, the hyper-time concept is a reasonable alternative for a seemingly infinite number of DC’s alternate ‘Elseworlds’ realities on one Earth vs. re-activating the parallel-earth concept (as DC’s super-muddled Infinite Crisis would do six years later).
Anchored by decent artwork that doesn’t bother trying to emulate Alex Ross, Waid offers good surprises to reward patient readers, including another ‘Planet Krypton’ restaurant sequence. Perhaps best of all is a worthy wink at the Golden Age Superman. It’s a classy contrast to the Infinite Crisis creative team’s dubious handiwork six years later.
Without the first issue, The Kingdom # 2 recaps enough of the convoluted storyline to enjoy this issue for its own merits.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
None.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6½ Stars
