[font=Verdana,Helvetica]Synopsis:
Kingdom Come is an Elseworlds title that examines a possible future where the children of today's heroes are the ones calling the shots. All super-villains have been eliminated by these meta-humans, and with no-one else left they regularly turn on each other, with little regard for humans that suffer because of their actions.
The story is told through the lens of Pastor Norman McKay. Acting as an all-seeing narrator McKay bears witness to an earth where hope has evaporated. The innocence and heroism engendered by the original heroes is non-existent. This profound fear culminates with the nuclear destruction of Kansas caused by Superman's successor Magog. This pushes Superman to re-instate the JLA, to rid the world of rogue meta-humans by any means necessary.
Comments:
Mark Waid and Alex Ross weave an intricate examination of both political ideals and failures within this story elevating it above what easily could have become a four-issue fist fight between the old and new meta-humans.
Waid sets up a number of interesting dichotomies during the course of the story. Probably the most affecting is the problem that Superman faces as leader of the JLA - he needs to enforce peace, yet he finds himself resorting to violent means to achieve it. How far into violence can someone descend in the name of peace? By placing Superman in a situation that causes both himself and readers to question such lofty ideals, Waid has imbued a sense of humanity into a character whose personality is usually as well-rounded as a cardboard cut-out.
The book examines both Communism (the JLA set up a gulag for dissenting meta-humans to "re-educate" them) and Police states (Gotham as ruled by the Batman) very broadly. Once again these pose many questions but provide little answers, making the reader contemplate and question their pre-conceived notions of these ideals.
The character of Norman McKay is the crowning glory of this book. He acts as the all-seeing narrator through which we experience the events that unfold. Waid cleverly evokes a Socrates-Plato dynamic between the Spectre and McKay (and earlier between Sandman and McKay). The Spectre provided no answers, only questions, and leaves both McKay and the reader to find answers, and even more importantly to form opinions.
In terms of artwork this book is amazing. Alex Ross works from photo-references (some examples of which are in the back of the book) and his characters jump from the page as real believable people. The close ties with reality that Ross' artwork evokes only strengthens the dilemmas that the characters experience through the course of the story.
Final Word:
This is a book that no-one with even a passing interest in comics, politics, or philosophy should pass up. It has a sophistication and intelligence that sticks in your mind and leaves niggling questions and doubts, as all good literature should.[/font]
