A New God has fallen. In the battle with The Nyctari, Lightray was killed in combat. His noble sacrifice sends High-Father and his supporters on a collision course to Earth. Waiting in the wings are Orion, Mister Miracle and Big Barda. All three are locked in combat over Kamal.
The young child is either a savior or destroyer. Their conflict as drawn the attention of The Justice League. Suffice to say, there’s a LOT happening for Jack Kirby’s Fourth World characters.
The New Gods #6 by Ram V., Evan Cagle, Filipe Andrade, Francesco Segala & Tom Napolitano continues its’ multi-leveled adventures of New Genesis’ finest.
Let’s take a closer look at the latest chapter.
The New Gods #6 by Ram V.,Evan Cagle, Filipe Andrade, Francesco Segala & Tom Napolitano (DC Comics) cover: Nimit Malavia
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
In dealing with death, Ram V. takes the audience into an unlikely view. The Black racer takes center stage as he guides the spirit of Lightray into his final place. Events do not go as planned as Racer’s plans are upset. V’s writing shows the true heart of Solis. It poses a bit of a philosophical question. Much like last chapter, Solis defies the excepted themes. In this chapter, his will might even have a greater impact than expected. Readers watch as the fallout with Racer spreads into a dangerous and exciting path.
As for the other characters involved, their portion doesn’t stand up with Lightray/Racer. The Justice League feels out of place with their story portion. Other than making Orion’s mission feel more important, their time feels misused. Judging by the final page, there appears to be a glimmer of hope for more. Readers won’t be too upset in the long-run. How Ram V. is structuring the Gods is too refreshing of a take to ignore.
Andrade’s art appearing in Ram V’s story is another smash hit for the pair. Fans know their work from The Many Deaths of Laila Starr and Rare Flavours. The watercolor style is fitting for the afterlife. Black Racer’s moves through this landscape starts with a strong two page splash. It locks readers in as events seem to disrupt his latest journey.
The art also provides an emotional depiction of a broken High-Father. His somber loo conveys the same pain as Shadowfall’s tears. This leads into a perfect flashback of Orion and Solis’ younger days. What evolves from this portion leaves with a haunting promise. It’s a stark contrast of tone in comparison to Orion/JL’s time. Cagle constructs a steady rescue attempt. This comes off the heels of a strong opening full page. In the end, the afterlife images carry much more weight and impact as all roads head to Earth.
OVERALL GRADE: 9.5
A fallen God’s next phase takes center stage as a fan-favorite creative team reunites. Ram V’s writing poses a unique vision of life and death. Andrade & Segala amaze and impress with their breathtaking art. Combine this with Cagle and Napolitano & this chapter hits big marks while progressing an ever engaging tale.
Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on The New Gods #6. Thanks for reading!