Divinity #1
Man meets....God?
WRITER: Matt Kindt
ARTIST: Trevor Hairsine
PUBLISHER: Valiant
Abram Adams is a devoted citizen of the USSR. Abram Adams is the first man to travel beyond the know expanses of our universe. Abram Adams is something different now that he’s back. David Camp, a lost hiker, may be about to find out just exactly what Abram Adams is now.
This first issue of the new Valiant published story shows, simply and effectively, why you can’t write publishers like this off. Divinity is a unique and challenging story that allows these creators to flex their muscles while staying firmly in a classic comic trope (man changed by divine being) area.
Kindt establishes the story quickly, moving in bounds. I’m more than thankful that we skip relatively quickly over just WHO Adams is for now. I think in a book like this, the backstory should come later, Kindt seems to understand that, establishing the now alongside the past instead of one or the other. It should be mentioned too, that there is a great deal of mystery established in a intriguing and un-frustrating way unlike some of the more cryptic books out now. The only real complaint I can offer is that the narration, the book references in particular, seem unnecessary and forced. The differences between Camp and Adams are apparent enough themselves, the narration seems too “on the nose” simply put.
Hairsine does a great job playing with your expectations in this first issue. Adams new, benevolent form is wonderfully different from what you would expect. I appreciate too, that the Russian influences are there but subtle. There isn’t dramatic red and yellow color exploding off these pages or hammers and sickles dominating the imagery. Instead, is a realistic and admirable depiction of a changed man in a world that he once knew. The final “miracle” of sorts that he performs comes out of nowhere and is truly original and shocking in the best ways, too.
Ultimately, Divinity shows two things. One of them is that these old origin tropes still offer a lot of room for creativity and inspiration. The second, and more apparent, is that Valiant is fully capable of publishing heavy hitting books that, despite their flaws, are interesting and refreshing reads.
WRITER: Matt Kindt
ARTIST: Trevor Hairsine
PUBLISHER: Valiant
Abram Adams is a devoted citizen of the USSR. Abram Adams is the first man to travel beyond the know expanses of our universe. Abram Adams is something different now that he’s back. David Camp, a lost hiker, may be about to find out just exactly what Abram Adams is now.
This first issue of the new Valiant published story shows, simply and effectively, why you can’t write publishers like this off. Divinity is a unique and challenging story that allows these creators to flex their muscles while staying firmly in a classic comic trope (man changed by divine being) area.
Kindt establishes the story quickly, moving in bounds. I’m more than thankful that we skip relatively quickly over just WHO Adams is for now. I think in a book like this, the backstory should come later, Kindt seems to understand that, establishing the now alongside the past instead of one or the other. It should be mentioned too, that there is a great deal of mystery established in a intriguing and un-frustrating way unlike some of the more cryptic books out now. The only real complaint I can offer is that the narration, the book references in particular, seem unnecessary and forced. The differences between Camp and Adams are apparent enough themselves, the narration seems too “on the nose” simply put.
Hairsine does a great job playing with your expectations in this first issue. Adams new, benevolent form is wonderfully different from what you would expect. I appreciate too, that the Russian influences are there but subtle. There isn’t dramatic red and yellow color exploding off these pages or hammers and sickles dominating the imagery. Instead, is a realistic and admirable depiction of a changed man in a world that he once knew. The final “miracle” of sorts that he performs comes out of nowhere and is truly original and shocking in the best ways, too.
Ultimately, Divinity shows two things. One of them is that these old origin tropes still offer a lot of room for creativity and inspiration. The second, and more apparent, is that Valiant is fully capable of publishing heavy hitting books that, despite their flaws, are interesting and refreshing reads.
A Look Inside
