Comic Info
Comic Name: Divinity III: Stalinverse
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Trevor Hairsine
# of Issues: 4
Release Date: 2017
Divinity III: Stalinverse #3 Variant
Reprints Divinity III: Stalinverse #1-4 (December 2016-March 2017). The Motherland means everything. Heroes like Aric, Bloodshot, Shadowman, and the Red Brigade fight for the might and power of the Soviet Union. It is Colin King’s job to keep checking the loyalty of the USSR’s agents, but King has a secret. As Ninjak, he remembers the world that existed before the Stalinverse and knows the only hope to restore it could be in Divinity…but Abram Adams is institutionalized and doesn’t seem capable of even saving himself!
Written by Matt Kindt, Divinity III: Stalinverse is the final part in Valiant Comics’ acclaimed Divinity Trilogy. Following Divinity II, the series features art by Trevor Hairsine, and the issues in the volume were also collected as part of Divinity: The Complete Trilogy.
The Divinity storyline is a rather entertaining “event” series in a world where event series are rather blasé. It isn’t a true event series in that there aren’t crossovers and spin-off titles that appeared throughout the run of the three series, but it is an event series in that it feels bigger than the standard comic book (especially for the rather youthful Valiant). While Divinity III: Stalinverse does a lot of what other comic book series have done, it does a good job (if not better) than some of Marvel and DC’s similar stories.
Divinity III: Stalinverse #4
The series essentially creates a big “What If/Elseworlds” storyline. It is reminiscent of House of M, 1602, or Flashpoint, but due to the fact that it is a lead-up of three four issue limited series, Divinity III’s world altering storyline feels a bit more justified through the build-up. Like many of these stories, few people remember the natural world, and it is up to an underground network to restore order.
While many Marvel Comics hinge around a team fixing everything, Ninjak kind of only has one goal and one mission…get Divinity up and running again. The event is too big for most of the heroes to do anything legitimately. I always find it ironic in movies like The Avengers where someone like Black Widow or Hawkeye is going up against a powerhouse like Thanos. Here, you get characters like Ninjak and other superhumans realizing their actions and success are rather inconsequential…and the bigger game is the only powerhouse that can fix things.
Divinity III: Stalinverse is a solid ending to the Divinity trilogy. The series demonstrates Valiant’s potential, and its ability to rival DC and Marvel in telling a good story. By not rushing Divinity and allowing it to unroll at their own place, Valiant shows a lot of control…something that Marvel and DC used to do better. If Valiant can keep producing solid storylines like this (even if it is only one or two a year), it could have a long future ahead of it.
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