Comic Info
Comic Name: Kingdom Come
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Alex Ross
# of Issues: 4
Release Date: 1996
Kingdom Come #1 Cover Art
Reprints Kingdom Come #1-4 (May 1996-August 1996). Norman McKay has been given a vision of the future after the death of his friend Wesley Dodds. It is a vision of death and destruction. Now, with the Spectre of his guide, McKay is watching a series of events unfold which could lead to something that could change the course of humanity. Superman, after a self-imposed exile, has returned and facing off against a new generation of heroes led by Magog. With a prison to hold superhumans constructed in the wastelands of Kansas, the pressure is building and the leaders of the world must make a decision. With Captain Marvel as his agent, Lex Luthor is making a power play and it could be the last stand.
Written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Alex Ross, Kingdom Come was a DC Elseworlds story. The four issue prestige format comic was critically acclaimed and collected in multiple versions with expanded story.
Kingdom Come #2 Cover Art
Kingdom Come was Ross’s second big series. He came up with the concept during his work on the Marvel Comic equivalent Marvels which was released in 1994. The series presents a possible “end” to the DC Universe but has since spun into a few other series like The Kingdom and other various references.
Kingdom Come bases a lot of its writing in the Book of Revelation and each issue features quotes from the scripture. Honestly, the story isn’t very strong. I know that it has aged and that there have been countless other “end of times” stories but this just seems like a mesh of things like The Dark Knight Returns and other Elseworld stories.
Kingdom Come #3 Cover Art
The real push of Kingdom Come of course isn’t the writing, it is the art. Ross is very good at dynamic heroes and with Superman and Captain Marvel at odds in the story, he has the perfect two heroes to work with. In addition to perfect leads, Ross populates the story with tons of cameos of modernized characters and their descendants which are just fun to look at.
Kingdom Come is a rather quick read. Don’t go in expecting much from the tale of the end of DC’s superheroes, but just stop to visit and enjoy the art. Alex Ross sometimes feels a bit repetitive, but both here and with Marvels, he’s at his peak.
