Writer: Ram V
Artist: Evan Cagle
DC Comics, December 2024
Here is DC Comics’ promotional copy for this new title:
An old god has died, and the reverberations of his passing are felt across the universe, setting forth the soldiers of an intergalactic army and awakening the latent powers of a mysterious child on Earth. But this has all been foreseen—prophesized by the Source and fed as enigmatic images to its agent, Metron. Now, as Metron brings word of this cosmos-shattering prediction to the residents of New Genesis and Apokolips, both worlds are thrown into chaos and conflict. On Earth, Scott Free and Barda find themselves unaware of this incoming chaos while consumed with their most daunting task yet: parenthood. Ram V and Evan Cagle bring the Fourth World to a whole new generation in this epic of cosmic proportions. An old god has died…the New Gods are born!
Warren Ellis nailed it. In his 2000 book Come in Alone Mr Ellis described Walt Simonson’s highly creative and entertaining work on the title Orion (published in 1999-2000) as servicing a wacky concept well-overdue for retirement. Orion is a brittle warrior character from The New Gods, a 1970s moment within the American superhero genre. The New Gods were space gods / superheroes, under the conceptual umbrella of “The Fourth World”, created by the legendary Jack Kirby during his four-year sojourn from Marvel Comics to DC Comics. Of The New Gods, there is a Zeus-like father figure called The Highfather, a light-themed superhero called Lightray, and an escape artist who could perform miraculous escapes called Mr Miracle. The forbidden source of all universal knowledge is called The Source. Perhaps, really, Mr Kirby was not stretching himself.
But The New Gods certainly have their adherents: “The Fourth World saga crackles with the voltage of Jack Kirby’s boundless imagination let loose onto paper,” said highly regarded comic book creative powerhouse Grant Morrison in his introduction to a New Gods omnibus reprint.
We think it is fair to say The New Gods are an acquired taste. It takes an enormous amount of skill to use these characters in other than a kitsch way.
Twenty-five years after Mr Simonson’s celebrated efforts, enter Ram V, a talent who has carved out a name for himself over the past six years. Ram V is the writer on this latest iteration of The New Gods. Significantly, Ram V was born and raised in India. In an interview for Forbes in November 2024, Ram V noted, “Many of the story elements come from my reading of Hindu mythology. The original work takes a lot from Greco-Roman mythology; the gods are modelled on archetypes. The Hindu gods that I grew up with are more nuanced and complex, often making silly mistakes because they are powerful, not because they are perfect. Their slightest whim has dramatic consequences.”
This issue is not what we expected. It is an amazing start to a series we assumed we would think was a waste of time. The plot is straight from Matthew’s Gospel. A new New God is destined to appear, a child destined to unleash momentous change. The news is born to The Highfather by Metron. Metron is a New God who craves information and is willing to mess with the forbidden to obtain it. This first issue opens with Metron, seated in his Moebius Chair, violently communing with one of the imprisoned gods who dared to seek out The Source. The data is delivered to Metron as a complex rune, in a stunning display of visualisation by artist Evan Cagle. Mr Cagle uses enormous scale to depict Metron is like a parasite of data, drawing precious blood from an infinitely larger beast: Metron dares not communicate directly with The Source.
The most intriguing story we have read of The Source was in Super-Team Family #15, published by DC Comics in April 1978. (This is an issue we read decades ago and we recently came back into possession of it thanks to eBay.) The long-forgotten series Super-Team Family is a strange vehicle for exploring the mysteries of the universe. Here, Orion has been secretly attacked by is sinister father, Darkseid. As a consequence, Orion is physically expanding to the point he may bridge the gap between the Earth and the Moon. The answer to the problem lies with The Source. But words carved into stone and set ablaze forever warn The New Gods: no god may seek The Source and live. The solution and how it is delivered by writer Gerry Conway is brilliant. The Flash is a superhero, who can run at light speed, yet is a mere mortal. After crossing the cosmos and witnessing things he can barely comprehend, he confronts The Source. But we are not privy to what The Flash sees. The Flash returns from The Source carrying a futuristic gun, but his memories of what he has met and has been told quickly fade like a dream. The New Gods use the enigmatic weapon to shrink Orion back to normal size. When Metron tries to examine the gun, it turns to dust. The preservation of the mystery is wonderfully executed.
The Source cannot be doubted, even if only a fragment of its secrets are delivered as a prophecy through the exploding mouth of a chained god. When Metron delivers his news to The Highfather, The Highfather dispatches his greatest weapon, Orion, to take care of the threat, and kill the child. But Orion is unhappy.
Orion is depicted as a force of nature. He knows what he has been commanded to do is wrong. But he must fulfil his duty. (Mr Cagle cleverly depicts the hulking warrior god on a park bench, surrounded by negative space so as to appear small, clutching his helmet between his knees and turning his face to the sky, simultaneously powerful and powerless.)
So, Orion turns to Mr Miracle. As with Mr Conway’s 1978 work in Super Team Family, the cosmos has rules and Orion is as bound by them as any other New God. But Orion perceives a way out.
Over on Medium The New Gods #1 Review-Is There A Future for New Gods? | by Nicholas Aaron Hodge | Dec, 2024 | Medium , reviewer Nicholas Aaron Hodge says, “The battle of wills in this scene is truly a thing of beauty, revealing just how intimately Ram V has acquainted himself with the motivations and stakes of these characters. Most importantly, the decision at hand is a difficult one, where neither character can win from a moral standpoint, presenting a classic conundrum of action versus inaction.” That we think, with respect, misconceives the fulcrum of the plot. Mr Miracle is in a corner and unhappy about it, but can be counted on to do the right thing as best he can. The wonderful tipping point here is that Orion can in fact reconcile his conscience with what he must do. Orion must kill the child as ordered, but gives the child a way out by appointing the best possible protector. Orion knows that Mr Miracle can escape even him, and he facilitates it. “Don’t let me do this,” Orion pleads with Mr Miracle.
Another critique of this comic at Weird Science DC Comics Weird Science DC Comics: New Gods #1 Review expresses the following view: “The flowery, pretentious, overwritten narration is terrible. Ram V just can’t help himself, so it’s to be expected.” We are not overly familiar with Ram V’s work. But The New Gods are meant to be pretentious, grand, and completely over-the-top. The cosmic balance is at stake! None of the characters are going to talk like they are stacking shelves at Walmart. We have no trouble with the tone of the characters’ dialogue at all.
This is an excellent title, very far indeed from being a waste of time. We will be avidly reading the forthcoming issues.