The New Gods #12: Revelations

For every beginning, there must come an end. That sums up the cycle of the New Gods. Every cycle of death and rebirth seemed to be the same with no signs of variation, until now. From issue one, the New Gods were living on borrowed time that they didn’t know they had. With Darkseid seemingly gone forever, the beings that comprise the fourth world found themselves on the run, but when the dust settled, eternal changes had been made to what felt like certainties. 

Ram V has been carefully weaving this tale since issue one, creating this grand space opera that was as much internal as it was external for the characters involved. That mindset was especially prevalent between Mister Miracle and Orion. Orion was always a slave to his blood, having to control the blood of Darkseid that flowed within him. Scott on the other hand, is free (no pun intended). With faith in no one else but himself Scott transcended the chains placed upon him and was able to truly live a life without limits.

“But I have no fear. No fear at all. Don’t you see? That’s what it means to be free.”

Scott and Orion are both sides of the same coin, both reaching for something the other can’t have. That struggle is also part of the young Kamal, who both Scott and Orion form attachments to in their own ways. In many ways their stories are reflected in the young boy as well, both of them running from responsibilities they know are only theirs to bear. Though by the end of the story all three of them are exactly where it is they need to be.  

Opening with some good pages by Phil Hester that show just how different the two brothers are, New Gods ends on more of Evan Cagle’s breathtaking illustrations. The locations are awe-inspiring, the characters feel real, and the book is elevated because of it. If this book is at least not nominated for an Eisner based on the art alone, then we know it’s rigged.