The New Gods have fallen. They have been ousted from their home by The Nyctari. Lightray was killed in their attack of New Genesis. High-father has been broken. This has led for a drastic retreat to Earth. It has not been an easy transition. This all centers around a prophesized boy.
Kamal could be a savior or destroyer. Mr. Miracle and Big Barta have protected the child. Other invested parties have interest in the child. Even with help from the Justice League, it may not be enough.
The New Gods #9 by Ram V., Evan Cagle, Simon Parr, Francesco Segala & Tom Napolitano continues its’ space odyssey.
Let’s take a deeper dive into what unfolds now.
The New Gods #9 by Ram V., Evan Cagle, Simon Parr, Francesco Segala & Tom Napolitano (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Ram V. gives some payoff for the construction of the past issues. With the Nyctari, they haven’t made a huge impact in recent chapters. Karok Ator gets a brutal flashback moment. It gives some insight into the thinking of the warrior. His dialogue with Grayven is sharp and direct. It sends a clear message to the readers of the dark vision. Cagle and Segala helm the art duties here and leave a cold impression of Ator’s plans.
Events shift gears to the fallout of Sur Tuin. The planet has been conquered. Raker Quarrigat takes the lead for this portion. Ram V sets him up a solid conflict with the Nyctari. Adding in another New God does help for the mission at hand. It does take a step back to the major points of the chapter. Readers watch as Orion and High-Father make tough calls. It hides a traitor in the midst. Once revealed, pacing speeds up. It gets the story into a much needed space. The story has been playing the long game. Readers leave with a true sense of direction going into an eventual showdown.
Parr handles art duties for the majority of the book. The conflict on Sur Tuin is presented with a more traditional superhero tone. There are plenty of action scenes for fans to be excited about. With the amount of set-up, the art focuses in on the reactions to what is unravelling. This centers around a few key players.
Orion’s new role is given a noble look. Readers see his speech visualized with an added motivation panel. Seeing Lightray’s helmet is a constant reminder of Orion’s pain of losing him. Another character that stands out is Kamal. Watching his interactions with the traitor create the uncertainty needed for the move. This is capped off by a solid full page of a shot fired. Parr works in smaller images and red coloring to make the scene pop. This moves events to the final page. Readers get a near full vision of the evil coming. It’s a bold move but one that drops an exclamation point on what’s going on.
OVERALL GRADE: 8.6
With the Nyctari in pursuit, tough calls are made with a traitor lying in wait. Ram V gives a dire picture with the writing. Parr’s images craft the sense of impending doom with a great heroic flare. The stakes have never been higher than they are now.
Let me know your thoughts on The New Gods #9 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!