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Exalted Permission
Title: Kingdom Come
Series:
Elseworlds
Author:
Mark Wade
Artist: Alex
Ross
Rating: 1 of 5 Stars
Genre:
Graphic Novel
Pages: 232
Words: 23K
From Wikipedia
In
this Elseworlds story, Superman and the Justice League abandon their
roles as superheroes after the rise and strong public support of a
superhero named Magog, who has no qualms about killing—notably the
Joker, on his way to trial for the mass murder of the Daily Planet
staff, including Lois Lane. In the ensuing years, a newer generation
of superpowered metahumans arise; they engage each other in
destructive battles with little distinction between "heroes"
and "villains." The narrator, a minister named Norman
McCay, receives apocalyptic visions of the future from a dying Wesley
Dodds. The Spectre appears to McCay and recruits him to help pass
judgment on the approaching superhuman apocalypse.
An
attack on the Parasite, led by Magog, goes awry when Parasite tears
open Captain Atom. As a result, much of the American Midwest is
irradiated, killing millions and destroying a large portion of the
United States's food production. Coaxed back into action by Wonder
Woman, Superman returns to Metropolis and re-forms the Justice
League.
He
recruits new heroes along with older ones. The most prominent
exception is the Batman, who resents Superman for leaving the world
10 years ago. Batman warns Superman that his idealist notions are
outdated and his interference will only exacerbate the world's
problems, insisting that strategy is required, not force. In response
to Superman's Justice League, Batman activates his network of agents
called the "Outsiders", made up largely of the younger
second and third-generation heroes, while trusted veterans, such as
Green Arrow and Blue Beetle, are chosen as lieutenants. Lex Luthor
has organized the "Mankind Liberation Front". The MLF is
secretly a group of Golden Age villains, including Catwoman, the
Riddler, and Vandal Savage, as well as third-generation villains like
Ra's al Ghul's successor, Ibn al Xu'ffasch, who is Bruce Wayne and
Talia al Ghul's son. The MLF works to take control of the world from
the heroes.
Superman's
Justice League gathers more captives than converts, and his prison
(nicknamed "the Gulag") is filled to capacity almost as
soon as it is built. Superman works to persuade the inmates that
their methods are wrong-headed and dangerous, but his entreaties fall
upon deaf ears. With hostile heroes and villains locked up together,
pressure builds. Meanwhile, Superman learns that Wonder Woman's
ardent militant stance may be influenced by her recent exile from
Paradise Island: in the eyes of the Amazons, her mission to bring
peace to the outside world has failed, and she has thus been stripped
of her royalty. Batman and his Outsiders seem to enter into an
alliance with the MLF as a united front against the Justice League.
Luthor plans to exacerbate the conflict between the League and the
inmates of the Gulag; the ensuing chaos will afford Luthor an
opportunity to seize power. Batman uses the Martian Manhunter to
discover that an adult Billy Batson is under Luthor's control.
Batson, as Captain Marvel, is the only metahuman capable of matching
Superman's power. When the Gulag's inmates riot and kill Captain
Comet, Luthor unwittingly reveals to Batman he intends to use the
brainwashed Batson to break open the Gulag. Batman's forces ambush
Luthor and his conspirators, but they are unable to restrain Batson,
who transforms into Marvel and flies off. While Wonder Woman leads
the Justice League to the superhuman prison riot, Superman confronts
Batman. Batman tries to justify inaction, saying the world would be
better off if all the metahumans destroyed each other. Superman
points out that if all human life is sacred, then logically that
includes superhuman life. Superman knows that Batman will act,
because his entire crimefighting life is based upon the desire to
prevent the loss of human life.
Moved
by Superman's sentiments, Batman tells Superman that Captain Marvel
is under Luthor's control and is on the way to the Gulag. Superman
races to the Gulag, but upon arrival is struck down by Captain
Marvel. The Gulag is breached, freeing the population, and inciting
war between Wonder Woman's Justice League and the metahuman
prisoners. The Spectre and Norman look on as Wonder Woman's League
engages with the prisoners and Superman is kept at bay by Captain
Marvel. Batman's army arrives on site as an intervening third party.
Batman is unable to stop Wonder Woman from killing the supervillain
Von Bach, which increases the fury of the riot.
As
conditions worsen, United Nations Secretary General Wyrmwood
authorizes the deployment of three tactical nuclear warheads,
hardened against metahuman powers. In the middle of their fight,
Batman and Wonder Woman see the incoming stealth bombers piloted by
the Blackhawk Squadron. They break off fighting and manage to stop
two bombs, but miss the third. Captain Marvel uses his magic
lightning bolt as a weapon against Superman. Superman manages to grab
Marvel and allow the bolt to transform him into Billy. Holding
Batson's mouth shut, Superman tells him he is going to stop the
remaining bomb, and Batson must make a choice: either stop Superman
and allow the warhead to kill all the metahumans, or let Superman
stop the bomb and allow the metahumans' war to engulf the world.
Superman tells Batson he must be the one to make this decision, as he
is the only one who lives in both worlds: a man (as Batson) and a god
(as Marvel). Batson, his mind now clear of Luthor's influence, turns
back into Captain Marvel. He flings Superman to the ground and flies
after the missile. Marvel intercepts the missile and shouts "Shazam!"
three times in rapid succession, detonating the bomb prematurely, and
killing Batson in the process.
Despite
Marvel's sacrifice, most of the metahumans are obliterated in the
explosion. Superman is unharmed, but does not realize that there are
any other survivors. Enraged at the tremendous loss of life, Superman
flies to the U.N. Building and threatens to bring it down atop the
delegates as punishment for the massacre. The surviving metahumans
arrive, but McCay is the one who talks him down, pointing out how his
appearance and behavior are exactly the sort of reasons that normal
humans fear the superpowered. Superman immediately ceases his
rampage. He is handed Captain Marvel's cape, and tells the U.N. that
he will use his wisdom to guide, rather than lead, humankind.
Superman ties Captain Marvel's cape to a flagpole and raises it among
the flags of the member nations of the U.N., suggesting that this
role of guidance will be more political and global in nature than the
classic crime-busting vigilantism of the past.[6] In the epilogue,
the heroes strive to become fully integrated members of the
communities. Wonder Woman's exile from Paradise Island ends, and she
becomes an ambassador for super-humanity, taking the survivors of the
Gulag to Paradise Island for rehabilitation. Batman abandons his
crusade and becomes a healer, rebuilding his mansion as a hospital to
care for those wounded by the destruction of the Gulag. He reconciles
with both Dick Grayson/Red Robin and his son, Ibn al Xu'ffasch.
Superman begins the task of restoring the Midwestern farmlands
devastated in Magog's attempt to capture the Parasite. He comes to
terms with his past as Clark Kent by accepting a pair of glasses from
Wonder Woman, and shares a kiss with her before she returns to
Paradise Island. Norman McCay resumes pastorship of his congregation,
preaching a message of hope for humanity. Among the congregation is
Jim Corrigan, the Spectre's human host.
Where do I start? I liked the idea and the presentation.
But the damnably perverted and shallow philosophy absolutely killed
this for me. I knew this wasn't going to go well right from the
introduction by Elliot Maggin when he starts talking about us all
being modern gods and how he takes inspiration from Gandhi saying he
would be a Hindu, Muslim, Jew, Christian or Buddhist, the idea being
that he would do anything to advance his generic ideals even to the
profanation of the very religions he's claiming to want to represent.
Then we get the main narrator, a Christian pastor. Unfortunately,
this “pastor” is of the
God is just a name and simply
represents a higher power to help us become better” variety. He's
not a Christian, he's a Unitarian. Not once was the name of Christ
mentioned. Even during the many, many, MANY out of context quotes
from the book of Revelation (which by the way is the Revelation of
Jesus Christ) God as a Force was what was shoved down the readers'
throats. I am finding that the older I get, the less patience I have
for misrepresentations of Christianity. I'm not talking about
differences of opinion of a hard to interpret Scripture, but blatant
misuses of Scripture to forward a storyline while claiming TO
represent Christianity. Sadly, most of these misrepresentations come
from real life people doing the misrepresentation. Can anyone say Jim
Bakker or Joel Osteen?
Next, you have Superman, Batman and Wonderwoman. All are portrayed as
having been broken by the events of a new world. One thing that
really stuck out was the various stances shown on superheroes taking
lives. Superman and Batman are known for their stance on not taking
lives. It is one of the defining characteristics of who they are.
The authors here use that and the new heroes willingness to take
lives at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, killing, for any reason,
even by the lawful authorities is show as something evil. One of the
villains, Magog, killed the Joker in the past and that is portrayed
on the same level as him killing Captain Atom and pretty much nuking
the American midwest and killing MILLIONS of people. Things are just
not that simplistic and I HATE when something serious is portrayed so
unreasonably. This got into Message Territory instead of good story
telling.
Then the ending. Everyone pretty much just agrees to get along.
Pollyana much? I mean, the whole freaking story wouldn't have
happened if the characters had acted in the beginning like they did
at the end. But there was no real mechanism to propel their changes.
Everything, from beginning to end, got my goat. This was an
Elseworlds story that could have been great, could have been
fantastic but completely failed in its execution and was completely
bogged down by Message Politics.
You know what is really funny though? I read a review of this on
another site where the person went off the rails because they were
convinced this was all right wing politics, because it featured a
“Christian” main character, had Superman, Batman and Wonderwomen
as the good guys. They also claimed it was pro-gun, pro-life and
pro-death sentence. Oh, oh, they also stated that from this they
figured Wade was a Republican and thus this was a complete piece of
garbage. Isn't that awesome? I have no idea how they came to the
conclusions they did but it made me do a little happy dance inside.
Call me sick, but seeing someone else being miserable just made my
day.
Just so you can get an alternate take, ie, a more positive one, feel
free to visit's
Lashaan
Review.
★☆☆☆☆
