Kingdom Come

 You need to see this thing. The art is incredible. Period. It’s one of the best stories told and is a masterpiece on every panel.

Quick take on the story- Set in the 50-60’s. There have been a few decades of superheroes on the scene. The idea is so common, the children of heroes and villains eventually grew into heroes and villains themselves. The streets were under constant worry of the next battle of good and evil and the destruction it left behind. Superman is nowhere to be found anymore. The next ones try to fill his shoes, but it not the same… the regular humans felt insignificant to these “gods” around them. The previous heroes are just commercialized in consumer goods and restaurants like Planet Krypton.

Kansas explodes from the battles. A preacher is met with the Spectre, who takes him to see an aging Superman and Wonder Woman. The Preacher learns is the Superman replacement Magog is responsible for the Kansas issue. Superman wants no part of the news but watches the news broadcast. There is a moment where the villain, Parasite, surrenders but the team continues their assault. We learn Captain Atom, a being made of pure energy is compromised and explodes in a nuclear blast. A million people die instantly. Upset, Superman (hating being called Clark) returns to his chores in his Fortress of Solitude.

Cut back to a bridge, littered with a people, another battle ensues to hails of gunfire and screams. No one tries to save the people as a tram is pushed over the edge. In a flash, water funnels up and stops the tram. The people cheer as it appears that Superman has returned and made quick work of everyone. The Preacher then has visions of Superman in flames and agony.

Preacher blinks and finds himself at the feet of the Statue of Liberty. A madman rants about taking America back and opens fire on the surrounding people. Seven previous heroes appear. Superman, Hawkman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Powerwoman. In moments, the team ends the conflict. The team races to the UN to announce their return. Irate about the current heroes, Superman pledges to educate the new class of heroes about truth and justice, by force if needed.

The Preacher and Spectre appear at Wayne Manner. Superman searches for Bruce. Bruce Wayne is more metal than man at this point. The years of abuse have basically crippled Batman. The talk between Superman and Batman reveals the heroes and villains have continued to one-up each other becoming more ruthless and violent. Batman admits to converting Gotham to a police state under his control. Superman’s ranks grow around the country, and he starts to convert the other heroes by force.

After a scene displaying Lux Luther, Vandal Savage, Catwoman, The Riddler, and Kobra King’s plan to execute all metahumans and reclaim the world for humans, we find the Preacher and Spectre at a scene much like Herogasm. The place is loaded of intoxicated heroes partying. Seconds later, Superman shows up and destroys all the alcohol and shuts down the party. He says everyone will “willingly” join the Justice League and behave to his standard. The scene grows darker. Superman leaves and Green Arrow fires an arrow into the crowd gaining attention. “Here is the democratic response.”

Superman continues to build his ranks and unable to find Magog. He states, “we’re ending up with more captives than converts.”  This gets him to question why they fight so hard. He and Wonder Woman meet with Aquaman to discuss joining. Aquaman declines stating we is watching 70% of the world by himself. Wonder Woman goes onto admit, she has been stripped of her royalty/ambassadorship from Paradise Island and no longer welcomed by her own people. Wonder Woman begins to welcome the enslavement and capture of any hero not aligned with them. Superman calls it fascism. Just then, Magog is found to be in Kansas.

Magog is trying to move a house, but when it collapses, he destroys it outright. Magog starts to insult Superman. “Oh, get out of town. No, wait. You already did that.” Magog goes on to say Superman was old news and worthless. We learn the Joker’s last caper killed Lois Lane. Magog ended up beating both Superman and Batman to Joker’s location, where Magog immediately killed the Joker on sight.

The public had turned against Superman and acquitted Magog for Joker’s murder. Magog wanted them to have a fight over Metropolis to become its personal hero. That is when Superman left town. The argument continues until Magog attacks Superman and Magog falls to his knees and screaming “make the ghosts go away,” showing the Kansas event still haunts him. Time starts to fold in on itself, as the Preacher watches time pass and sees a prison built on the spot.

Batman meets with Lex Luther about the prison Superman builds.

The Preacher again sees the end of the world. There are images of Shazam. Returning the prison, now erect and full of non-converted heroes. The prisoners watch a hologram of Superman berating them about moral code. Each chime in questioning what is good and bad, siting the violent world was already here when they started. What else could they have done? Lex Luther’s group spies over the prison.

We follow the Spectre and Preacher into a place devoid of space and time where former gods meet to discuss Shazam. The Spectre interrupts the meeting the significance of humans. The Preacher then meets Deadman. Deadman tells Preacher the “angel” Spectre is an angel of death. They leave the space, and we see a nightmare shown to Shazam. He is pinned to a chair and infected with a mind worm to corrupt him. Batman’s gadgets oversee the event and learn part of Lex’s plan. Lex leaves the room, finds Bruce Wayne on a catwalk watching hundreds of bat-like war machines being built.

Superman and Wonder Woman sit outside the Green Lantern space station lamenting over the old days. Wonder Woman explains why she was banned from her home. The rulers sited that Wonder Woman did not change the land of men, but the land of men changed her. Wonder Woman complements Superman for being a better leader than her own home. Superman responds saying on Krypton, he would have been a plumber or a teacher. A normal person. Superman tries to walk back any nobility, asked for Wonder Woman’s gold lasso. He ropes up three small meteors and melts them together. “Out of many, one.” They continue to discuss their obligations from their power. Wonder Woman says combat. Superman says peace. “Only the weak succumb to brutality.”

Back with Lex, Batman, says the Bat-Knights are ready and in comes a dozen grown children of the older heroes. One of them is the Martian Manhunter, but the years are not kind to his mind. He shutters and is unable to stop the thoughts around him.

Back in the space station, Superman overlooks Europe for any remaining metahumans. Just then the Flash notices the Preacher and Spectre have appeared and captures the Preacher. Preacher spills everything he knows to Superman and the Justice League. The prisons start a riot and stop the conversation. In the confusion, Spectre grabs the Preacher and leaves. The riot leaves Wonder Woman to question Superman’s leadership.

Lex Luther and his team sit around a vast table. He states the endgame can begin as the prison riots are occurring and Batman’s Bat-Knight Army is in place. Lastly, he addresses Shazam to destroy the prison and release the “villains.” Just before Shazam transform into character, Batman punches and starts to choke out Shazam. Its revealed Lex had spent years corrupting Billy Batson’s mind and repeatedly brainwashed him. Batman unleashes his group of heroes to detain the boardroom members. Lex runs into the area of Bat-Knights and is caught. Billy runs off and Batman tries to talk Billy down. In terror, Billy calls out Shazam and escapes.

Preacher returns to the space station to find Wonder Woman in a gold suit and a magic sword that accidentally cuts Superman’s skin. The riot, on earth, escalates. Wonder Woman kisses Superman and says goodbye. It literally reads as devoid of passion.

Superman races to Batman. They catch each other on what has unfolded. Batman starts to argue this war might be for the best and just let the heroes all kill each other. Superman upholds his moral code and reminds Batman that no one must die. Batman tells Superman about Shazam’s brainwashing. Superman bolts out leaving Batman alone. “So that’s what that’s like.”

Rocketing to Kansas, Superman is too late to stop Shazam from impacting the prison and releasing the captors. This carnage allows the Preacher to watch his nightmares begin to come true. A giant battle ensues as the earth starts to shake from the landing blows. Shazam begins to win the fight against Superman. Superman tries to talk him down, but it all falls flat.

The Preacher and Spectre appear in the UN. UN is the ready to launch three missiles to the prison and eliminate every metahuman at once.

The fight swells as more metahumans kill each other. Shazam starts to use the lightening to change into the hero, but moves out of the way, striking Superman to his knees. Batman and his team arrive to take now more prisoners. Wonder Woman starts to kill off prisoners. Batman confronts her about these actions stating going this far will not restore her royalty it condemns her to a worse fate. Wonder Woman is hellbent on death.

Robin ends up face to face with his daughter. They try to convince each other the other is wrong and should work together. Robin gets injured and his daughter pulls him form the battle.

Wonder Woman and Batman lift into the sky to fight and see the planes carrying the missiles. They each take one down, but one remains and continues. Superman continues to be struck by lightning, until blood starts to pour from his ears. Superman finds his way up and covers Shazam’s mouth. In the moment of silence, Superman detects the last missile.

Spectre pulls the Preacher aside and we see his plan. Who will be blamed? The humans or the metahumans. it is left for the Preacher to decide what happens next.

Superman pleads with Shazam to stop and listen. He looks around at the destruction unfolding. Superman then admits he could stop it, but due what is happening, he questions if they all should die. Superman claims he is not a god and cannot decide. He asks Shazam (a man and god combined) what they should do. Tears fall from Shazam’s eyes. Superman tries to race to the missile, but Shazam pulls down Superman and attacks the missile. It explodes.

The Preacher stands in all white and silence. Moments pass and there is a pile of dead bodies surrounding them. Only a few heroes survive. Superman and a small group protected by Green Lantern’s ring. The war is over. Spectre is finished and tries to leave.

Superman attacks the UN in pure anger. The Preacher stops Superman and reminds the anger is not the right response. “The minute you made the super more than the man, you turned your back on mankind.” Just then a few remaining heroes arrive at the UN. Batman says it did nothing and they are still at the same impasse and danger. Superman admits that leaving and letting Magog rule was where he made his biggest mistake. He goes on to say he wants to include the humans in decisions and live amongst the humans in peace. Superman confesses he tried to live with them as Clark Kent. He says his wife Lois taught him so much about humanity and what that really means. Magog steps forward, holding a piece of Shazam’s cape. He realizes that Shazam had chose life and saved them for certain death. Superman then asks to join the UN and use the cape as their flag in joining humanity.

Time advances around the Preacher. Batman, now in white, helps at hospital. Panning over to Lex Luthor cleaning bedpans. Batman mutters the word Shazam at him. Green Lantern is said to be the representative for the metahumans.

 Superman stands in the field turned to a graveyard memorial for the lost lives. Wonder Woman tells she was re-welcomed by her people. She gives him glasses like Clark Kent’s. He proudly puts them on and looks “mild-mannered.” Wonder Woman kiss him, and he welcomes being called Clark again, noting the human side of him.

The Preacher asks the Spectre who is to blame for all of this. “No one need suffer any further for the tragedies we have witnessed. The Spectre lifts his veil and speaks as his former human self. The Preacher is then found at a sermon. He speaks to “hope being brightest, when it dawns from fear.”

One year later, Clark, Diana, and Bruce meet at Plant Krypton for lunch. They discuss the last year and spend a moment of silence to reflect on it. Batman orders a steak well-done. This is the worst moment in the whole thing. Diana reveals to Bruce that she is pregnant, but before she can say it, Bruce goes through that he deduced it in the last few minutes. It thus continues the cycle of another “demigod” in the world.

Diana asks Bruce to be the godfather. He responds that he is scared that he will mislead the child. Clark jumps in and confirms that it’s a good thing. He wants the child to be influenced by a mortal man that he could count on. Finally, they reflect on what a world the child will walk into.