Kingdom Come

世代交代したのに力の使い方があっちこっちダメで世界の均衡がぐっちゃぐちゃ→助けてスーパーマンから復帰に四苦八苦するお話ですなんかもう神々の戦！しかも凄いやつ！ってグラフィカルの極みみたいなシーンの連続の中で圧倒的に圧倒的な、脳とか心臓とか視神経とかを同時攻撃してくる本です引退してのんびりしてたのにな‥みんなマゴッグのほうがいいとか言ってたし‥あいつリーグ入んないし‥と牧場で余生を送るはずだったスーパーマンなのにご苦労だなあと思いながら読んでましたLet Your kingdom come は現世の惨状と混沌を解くためにかけられた言葉なのかカル・エルさんの残された時間にかけられたものなのかみんな登場シーンがばばーん！！ってかっこよくて、集合するとめっちゃ興奮するし一枚絵としてどのページも繰り返し楽しめます是非なんかない、ヒーローとしてのチョイスだよってクライマックスから泣きっぱなしでしたバットマンが出てるんで買った本だったんですが、おすすめです

I originally bought this title when it came out as a four-part mini series in 1997 and it is still one of the favorites in my collection. Kingdome Come is an Elseworlds (what if) story set approximately ten years after the retirement of Superman and subsequently nearly every other super hero of that generation. As the story unfolds, the reason Superman quit is revealed. A rival hero named Magog killed the Joker and was put on trial for murder. When the public cried out for his aquittal and it was granted, Superman quit in disgust. The results of the public choosing a hero that would kill are very apparent in the future. The children of the super heroes we know are everywhere. They hold society in a state of terror as they enforce justice and fight each other in the way they see fit, destroying property and causing chaos. The last straw is when Magog's Justice Battalion corners and tries to kill the Parasite in Kansas. Parasite lashes out in self-defense and splits Captain Atom open, turning the Midwest into a radioactive wasteland. Wonder Woman approaches Superman in his self-imposed exile in the Fortress of Solitude and asks him to return and lead the older heroes in returning order. When Superman returns to the public eye in issue #2, it sets into motion an Apocalypse as described in the Bible, but with Superheroes being the catalyst. The new Justice League rounds up every violent super human and puts them into a prison designed by Mister Miracle(The world's greatest escape artist) called the Gulag. All this is shown from the viewpoint of Norman McCray, a disillusioned pastor and friend of the Golden Age Sandman. He is led on his journey by the Spectre (DC's Angel of Death) Issue #3 has Superman finally confront Magog, though their meeting doesn't end the way one might think. The issue ends in a cliff-hanger with all the villains rioting and breaking out of the Gulag. As Superman races to the scene, he is thrown to the ground by the only person left that could, Captain Marvel (who has been brainwashed by Lex Luthor). I still remember waiting for issue #4 to come out. The fight scene between Captain Marvel and Superman at the beginning of issue #4 was voted one of the top five comic fights of all-time by Wizard magazine and is worth the price of this trade alone. As Marvel keeps Superman from stopping the Gulag breakout, the U.N. has decided to not take any chances. They dispatch jets to drop nuclear bombs on the warzone. As the jets approach, Superman tries to reason with Capt. Marvel and stop the bombs, leaving Marvel to decide the fate of all the heroes.I absolutely love this story by Mark Waid. The way he wraps comic characters and events into a Biblical epic is brilliant. Even his descriptions of the heroes are grandiose. Batman and Superman are called the greates heroes because "One, the zenith of human fortitude and ambition... the other, the pinnacle of other-worldly power". The painted art by Alex Ross is jaw-dropping in it's realism. The re-imagined characters are god-like in their depiction. Green Lantern has created a city orbiting the Earth and sits in a throne observing the events below him. Hawkman as become a Hawk-god protecting the forests of the Northwest. The Flash is shown as a red blur wrapped in lightning wearing a winged Greek helmet and moving to fast to be seen by those he protects. The only possible negative to this series is that you have to already know something about comics to fully appreciate all the subtleties Waid and Ross weave into this story. Nearly every DC character is pictured at least once.(A geek's paradise I guess) After reading this I actually liked Captain Marvel, who I had always seen as an even cheesier version of Superman. The fear the other heroes have of him and his power level make him hard to laugh at, despite Jerry Ordway's Power of Shazam monthly series to the contrary. I hope my description of the story has led any undecided mind to pick this up. Fabulous art and incredible writing. (This should be 5 stars, but I can't seem to edit my rating)

A disillusioned pastor questions his faith when Kansas is destroyed in a nuclear explosion cauased by the "superhero" Magog. He is summoned by the Spectre (DC's Angel of God's Wrath) to witness the unfolding of the events involving Superman's return after Magog killed the Joker, which led Superman into an self imposed exile.THe story involves the return of the Justice League and a scheming Lex Luthur. It's a very good book and shows pastors in a good light. The main character, Pastor Norman McCay is very down to Earth and real. Mark Waid doesn't make him "Holier than Thou" and it's really great.As for the artwork, it's top notch. Alex Ross is one of the best illustrators out there, he does for painting what Jim Lee does for illustrating. The pictures are so life like that you feel like you're looking at photographs and not actual paintings. All the characters look realistic and are painted wonderfully.The story isn't a fast-paced, rock 'em sock 'em slugfest like other comics that focus on the fight scenes. This story focuses on the characters, mainly Superman and Batman. The story is grounded in character development and the fighting mainly takes place near the end of the story.Kingdom Come is an excellent book for fans of Batman and Superman. A well told story, combined with fantastic artwork makes for an entertaining read.

Kingdom Come is the first graphic novel I have purchased in well over 20 years (note that I did not say comic book).I found myself completely enthralled by Alex Ross' absolutely brilliant illustrations. Ross is a visual artist who's work gloriously recalls the great illustrators from the past. With this work, Ross proudly joins the ranks of folks like Frazetta, Wyeth(!) and maybe even Fredric Remington in his sense of drama, framing and colorful rendering.Waid's script is full of all the wonderfully geeky self important and self conscious hyperbole and ploting that makes illustrated novels so fun to read. I especially appreciated Waid and Ross' full realization that America's canon of superheroes is very much a part of world mythology and legend. Superman, Wonder Woman (I love Ross' depiction of this uber-Tuetonic sex goddess. Gone are the overtones of lesbianism and all too present is WW's athletic sexuality) are depicted here as gods on earth, worthy of addition to Valhalla and Mt. Olympus.Warner Brothers would be wise to employ Ross and Waid as screenwriters and designers to resurrect their moribound Batman franchise.Part of a graphic novel, or escapist film's lure has always been its ability to serve as a ticket to another place. Kingdom Come successfully transports the reader to an often frightening, ultimately heroic and always colorfully exciting and captivating alternative universe.Kingdome Come is the graphic novel for folks who don't usually read graphic novels.

If you like alternative history, this is a great graphic novel for you. The artwork is wonderful and the story idea that superheroes' values have changed over time with those of society is very thought-provoking.I'd highly recommend this one, especially for someone who maybe isn't normally into comix.