The New Gods, Vol. 1: The Falling Sky

The New Gods (2024)

by Ram V, Jorge Fornés (Illustrator), Evan Cagle (Illustrator)

Following the death of Darkseid, a cosmos-shattering prophecy begins, as Ram V and Evan Cagle reshape the mythology of the DC Universe!

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.

The visionary team of writer Ram V (The Many Deaths of Laila Starr) and artist Evan Cagle (Superman and the Authority) 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!

Fans of these compelling and unconventional Jack Kirby creations will be thrilled by this new imagining of the mythos! And current DC fans will be stunned to see how The New Gods fits into the DC All In initiative—and serves as a bridge between the DC Universe and Absolute Universe.

This volume collects The New Gods #1-6, the first half of the 12-issue saga.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Fantasy

152 pages, Hardcover

First published August 26, 2025

About the author

Ram V (Ramnarayan Venkatesan) is an author and comic book writer from Mumbai, India. His comics career began in 2012 with the award-nominated Indian comic series, Aghori. A graduate of the City University of London’s Creative Writing MA, he has since created the critically acclaimed Black Mumba and the fantasy adventure series, Brigands.

Reviews

[Molly™☺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is...is the problem me? Because I couldn't tell you a single thing about any of the characters except for the ones I already know the backstory of, nor what is really happening outside of 'baby needs saving' and there are a ton of fights. However, the majority seem to think this is fantastic storytelling and the best thought-provoking politics piece since sliced bread. Barda and Scott are always fun together, and I would go so far as to say they are the highlight here, but when the competition involves Gods who repeat questions on life without giving more than surface level contributions (a very lazy way of trying to be deep), the bar for entertaining is low. If this was the Oscars, The New Gods Vol. 1 would certainly be nominated as 'poetic cinema' with its wacky visuals and experimental narrative, but it's also niche and abstract enough to feel isolating for the general public.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, is Ram V swinging for the fences with this one. I admit I'm not super well versed with The New Gods, but what I do know, is they are a big deal.

There is very effective use of multiple artists throughout this first half to tell important asides about our cast, and the core artist is used to tell Scott Free/Barda's quest to save the New God on earth. A mysterious new force arrives from deep space, and declares war. It's all truly epic in scope, and running with a pace that would make you think it has all the time in the world.

My biggest gripe is my fear I'm missing something others can see. I'm enjoying this, sure, but it's missing some glue, some connectivity to truly make it feel like something special. Maybe it's jumping around, maybe it's a bit esoteric, or maybe I'm just not in the know. But I truly do admire the artistry, and I should be reading this in much larger chunks. There's at least one or two quotes every issue that stick with me. Like Final Crisis, this saga will be one I'll have to revisit again and again to truly grasp the significance.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Kirby created the New Gods with his Fourth World metaseries in the early seventies, and thus became a major factor in the DC Universe, paving the way for other creators putting their own spin on these godly figures, whether it is the many Justice League comics or limited series like the recent Mister Miracle by Tom King and Mitch Gerads. Any tackling of the Fourth World should not be taken lightly and that is very apparent in the current series from the creators of Dark Horse’s Dawnrunner.

When it comes to the New Gods, Darkseid is the most recognisable of them all since he is often positioned as DC’s big bad and left enough of an impression with his brief screentime in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. If you have last year’s DC All in Special, you will know that Darkseid allowed himself to be killed in battle with the Justice League to become unbound from time and space, travelling to another universe and corrupting it with his influence, which is how we got the Absolute Universe.

The New Gods by Ram V and Evan Cagle explores how Darkseid's supposed death brings imbalance to the universe, particularly New Genesis and Apokolips as both worlds becoming targets of another intergalactic army, whilst Highfather fears a prophecy regarding a child on Earth that could either bring salvation or destruction.

The problem you have when writing the New Gods is how far you approach them as these characters on a cosmic level to the point you can’t engage them in an emotional human manner. While this isn’t a sequel to the aforementioned Mister Miracle – since that series was rather ambiguous with its realty-bending narrative – there is some continuing elements, most notably the marriage between Scott Free and Big Barda with their baby daughter. Any time the story focuses on them, you are reminded why you love them as a couple, particularly Barda who has always been head-strong whilst her husband is on diaper duties.

Whereas King and Gerads did a brilliant job in domesticising the New Gods with their series, Ram V goes through a more esoteric approach to the Fourth World, giving almost everyone a voice from Lightray to even Death himself that is the Black Racer. Whilst there are some interesting ideas going on, from Highfather who is not presented in a positive light as he sends Orion to kill the child to prevent the prophecy from coming to pass, Ram V’s writing can be too heavy in the worldbuilding and pretentious dialogue.

As Kirby’s Fourth World can be described as epic science fantasy, Ram V embraces his series in that way, along with artist Evan Cagle who maintains those classic Kirby designs though he brings his own sophisticated flourish that is closer to Geof Darrow’s hyper-detailed art. Cagle may serve as the primary artist, but there are also six guest artists, one for each of the six issues in this volume. From the likes of Jorge Fornés, Riccardo Federici and Filipe Andrade, they bring their own visual styles in showing how diverse the Fourth World is.

While this first volume is dense in its storytelling, I can appreciate The New Gods for taking big swings, as well as the artistry that visually rethinks this beloved world created by the King of Comics himself. It’ll be interesting to see where these cosmic characters go from here, some of which taking refuge on Earth, interacting with DC’s most iconic heroes.

[Vinicius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esse primeiro volume de Quarto Mundo, escrito por Ram V, pode ser descrito como uma história densa, repleta de construção e exploração de mundo, assim como, uma narrativa que mescla acontecimentos atuais dos personagens com um passado mitológico.

Na história, Ram V irá trabalhar as consequências do vácuo de poder deixado pela morte de Darkseid (que ocorreu no evento DC All In), tanto no que tange Apokolips, quanto em Nova Gênese. Assim, acompanhamos ambos os planetas sendo invadidos por outro povo intergalatico.

Enquanto isso, o Pai Celestial se preocupa com uma profecia a respeito de uma criança na terra que pode trazer a salvação ou a destruição, e por isso, ele ordena que Orion que mate a criança. Entretanto, o filho de Darkseid fica receoso e pede para o Senhor Milagre proteger e esconder a criança, dando a ele 7 dias de vantagem até que Orion retorne para terra.

Assim, Senhor Milagre, Grande Barda, sua filha e Oberon, partem em busca da criança, que ao que tudo indica , é um Novo Deus que nasceu.

Dessa forma, relacionado aos temas de morte e nascimento, Ram V dedica parte da HQ para contar - por meio do Cronista - a história de criação do Quarto Mundo, mencionando os antepassados, as mortes que ocorreram e demais elementos mitológicos que constituem a criação dos Novos Deuses.

Ademais, a história não finaliza nesse volume, tendo sua continuidade na próxima edição que irá trazer as últimas seis edições. Com isso, temos mais uma obra do Ram V que trabalha elementos folclóricos relacionados a vida e a morte.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ram V's storytelling method in The Falling Sky is catnip for me. Do I know who the New Gods are? Not particularly. But does Ram V have me caring about a god-like figure invading their homeworld? Oh, absolutely. Ram V does a near-perfect job of giving out just enough information about these characters that when the shit hits the fan, you're riveted.

Also appealing: the almost Dragon Ball Z quality to the battle scenes. One all-powerful being slams into another all-powerful being, apparently evaporating him... only for the second all-powerful being to level up and return! It's kinda stupid, but also gorgeous?

I would try to relay the general plot of The Falling Sky, but it's a tangled web of battling figures from the farthest corners of the DC universe. The Source Wall seemingly plays a key role, so you know we're getting weird. Really, there are two main threads: on Earth, Mister Miracle and Big Barda are trying to save the life of a (maybe) reborn god, and on New Genesis, Highfather and his family are fending off a different ancient god. (Perhaps it wasn't so complex after all?)

The battles are great, the tiny character moments are cool. Hell, I even liked the wildly variant art styles thrown into each issue. The whole book made my brain crackle, which is how I know something is really engaging me. More, please.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkseid’s death triggers a cataclysm for New Genesis, and Ram V takes the opportunity to revisit the origins of the New Gods.
It probably takes a bit too long to tell the story, but the beautiful prose and illustrations make it a pleasure to read nonetheless.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork! Don't really know what's going on.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between a 3 and a 4. This is a really solid story that uses tons of DC characters (the new gods themselves are like 10+) and I really enjoyed their interactions and the way each one felt distinct but connected to the whole. I am wondering how (or if) this can be wrapped up nicely, cosmic DC always seems to fall off and get so unraveled that it doesn’t feel conclusive, it feels like a blip- this story certainly COULD end this way, but I do love Ram V and hope he steers it home.

Big Barda and Mr. miracle are wonderful together, Orion is brutal and the JLA really feels like the classic team. The art throughout is great- it only rarely looks Kirbyesque, it does its own thing. It weaves watercolor and pencils in with high gloss comic art, really nice to look at- feels like you’re on outer space.

Ram V please finish this series and tie up the loose ends, I believe in you!

[Kamen Rider Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

amo como el comic usa varios estilos de arte distintos el principal para contar la historia "terrenal" en la tierra con Scott y Barda (que no sería meter la mano al fuego para decir que son los nuevos dioses más populares) para la misión del proteger al niño, mientras que tienes toda una gran cantidad de artistas variados con arte más experimental para los conceptos que quizá sean más alejados del lector promedio de lo que ocurre en el conflicto de nueva genesis y apokolipse luego de la caída de Darkside... realmente es un libro que me está gustando espero los nuevos capitulos

[Mariano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ram V haciendo lo que sabe hacer, salvo al final donde para mí le metieron mano

[Alex Sarll]

Ram V is one of the few who can write comics that have the appropriate mythic heft without stumbling into mere portentousness; Evan Cagle lives up to that in the art, giving us pages that have the bonkers science-fantasy scale of Kirby, without looking anything like Kirby, which is where so many artists go astray when taking on the characters most associated with him. And assisting him on assorted interludes are guest stars from cartoony Andrew MacLean to the dreamy pastels of Filipe Andrade, all appropriately deployed. In the modern comics field, I'm hard-pressed to think of a better team to handle the New Gods.

And yet.

The starting point for this story is that Darkseid, cosmic embodiment of evil, is dead. That should be an epochal event; perhaps not the end of all badness forever, but certainly a turning of the wheel. But, this being a shared superhero universe, obviously that can't happen, so instead a God Butcher type crawls out of the outer darkness, armada in tow, and everything gets worse, which feels like it undermines the whole concept of the characters. Nor does acknowledging that shared universe help; much like his Eternals at Marvel, Kirby slotting the New Gods into the DCU always felt like a compromise, except for when Grant Morrison in peak genius phase managed to divine the hidden threads to make sense of the coexistence. Absent that unique harmony, the best thing to do is just quietly ignore the rest of the gods and monsters knocking around, act like the only game in town, which is what the first four issues here do. But then the League turn up, which makes logical sense given events but undercuts the theme, all that talk of Old Gods falling and New Gods rising jarring once Diana, so firmly linked to old.gods, is sharing the page.

As for the Earthbound portion of the plot: leave aside that I'm of the cohort who will never be happy to see Maxwell Lord used as an outright villain; at least here we have reasons he might not be quite himself. But a story where a baby has been born who might have vast importance, and powerful forces are determined to take or kill it first? Yes, sure, it's a mythic archetype, it makes sense to use it in a story where the players are divine. But can an archetype nevertheless feel overused? Which said, that side of things does star Scott Free and Barda, and – bar that horrible Tom King series everyone else seems to love – it's always a delight to see that pair.

But of course, even while I'm complaining about the philosophical underpinnings of this series, I'm aware that, compared to a lot of the absolute crap I've been seeing from DC lately, comics which can't muster a speck of emotional substance despite being able to play with the second-greatest collective fiction humanity ever assembled, my problems with New Gods are good problems to have. I'm irritated on a philosophical level, but in terms of the fantastical action and crazy moments, it's doing good work.

I still say that Death losing his skis is chickening out, mind.

[Adam Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

(read in singles)

[Livvy Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this art! Also Jack Kirby's character designs are so good. I love Orion's look.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even as a kid these were weird stories.

Space aliens from another dimension with superpowers who think they are gods.

They are just aliens with powers.

Interesting story lots of battles

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

A perilously frivolous conversation with death in the realm in-between. The ascension of nightborn villains from the ashes of a decaying Apokolips. Loads of pre-historical, cosmic lore on the balance of light and dark. And deep in southwest India, a new god comes of age. A lot is going on in this book.

THE NEW GODS v1: THE FALLING SKY echoes the age-old query of what happens when an eternal balance is temporarily upset. Traditionally, light needs dark, and dark needs light. In the current book, Darkseid's fall necessitates a reorganization of the cosmic balance. That is to say, a vacuum emerges. What happens next?

As for the light/dark metaphor, when one pervades in the absence of the other, a presumption of superiority invariably leads to a corruption of a kind. And whatever agonies remain of the sundered, a more primal, visceral reaction surely waits its turn: the shrouded light will, eventually, burn brighter, and the blistered darkness will, eventually, suffocate with greater, graver efficacy.

On New Genesis, proclamations come quick and fast, and the Highfather must make some hard decisions: new gods are emerging (Save them? Kill them?); new foes are emerging (Repel them? Listen to them?); and questions persist about the sustainability of the light at a time when the will and influence of the gods are waning (Fight to the end? Give up?). THE NEW GODS v1: THE FALLING SKY proposes a curious dialogue on all things that permeate gods, death, and whether power itself is a conquerable characteristic. Unfortunately for readers, much of this rhetoric is buried beneath three or four backstories, multiple character points of view, and sluggish prognostications that are inscrutable by design and difficult to parse.

One wants to enjoy this book, but the story's structure makes the effort incredibly difficult from the outset. On its face, this is a comic book about Mr. Miracle and Barda running to save a random kid in India from being squashed by Orion. But one page in, readers are met with a slew of universe-scale worldbuilding that obfuscates matters entirely. Familiarity with the worlds of Kirby characters isn't essential, but is decidedly helpful. Characters like Mr. Miracle, Barda, Orion, and Metron flash prominently; but the comic's numerous, interwoven tales of millennia old deities, cosmic energy grifters, and archetypal eternal constants will roundly confuse.

Do readers need a 16-page pastel interlude articulating the interplay of death and darkness as the poetic wayfinding of individuals too weak to forge their own path? Probably not. Do readers need an overly cautious, six-page rumination on the intellectual virtue birthed by those born to shadowy ambitions, ever toiling in the dark? Maybe, but not likely. To wit, THE NEW GODS v1: THE FALLING SKY lays it on thick, and as such, it's very easy for readers to get lost in the process.

The end of something old and the origin of something wildly new shall herald a conflict (destruction?) on a cataclysmic scale. But will any of it make sense?

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ram V has become my favorite new talent in comics. It’s always fun, finding those. In his original work and his superhero stories, he extends the bounds of what’s possible…Or at any rate, he keeps things interesting. He does that again with this ambitious take on the New Gods.

The New Gods are one of the most interesting things ever attempted in superhero comics. They are by some estimates the crowning achievement of Jack Kirby, often regarded as half the creator of half the most famous superheroes in American comics. They’re also his last, most ambitious project, undertaken in the ‘70s, when he debuted at DC after a fruitful ‘60s at Marvel. He envisioned an interlocking series of titles that mapped the adventures of the New Gods from multiple angles, always at breakneck speed, always surging forward to a conclusion he never got to reach…mostly because DC found a few aspects they desperately wanted to remain in play.

And so he left and the New Gods fell into the hands of other creators (and, once more, a coda from Kirby himself, though no one sees it that way), and the interpretations began, most notably from Walt Simonson, John Byrne, Grant Morrison, and Tom King. DC agreeing to place them in the hands of Ram was itself already a testament to its faith in him. He lived up to it in spades.

Ram’s imagination is dizzying. His Swamp Thing is existential to a degree even Alan Moore’s innovations couldn’t foresee, his Batman a step beyond even the worst crises the Dark Knight had faced before. But nothing Ram has done has cracked the mainstream, really, not yet. He’s still a hidden treasure.

His New Gods are truly epic in scope. They’re mythical. They’re not just superheroes and supervillains anymore. Often, even the most bold of them are easy to reduce in scale. Brian Azzarello had Orion play a distant second fiddle when he showed up in the pages of Wonder Woman. The whole of the New 52 era, in fact, despite having room to give titles to seemingly everything and everyone else, relegated the New Gods to Azzarello’s vision, and a Green Lantern arc.

Falling Sky, in simplest terms, pits Orion against Mister Miracle, over the fate of the newest New God, whom Ram invests in India, where his imagination frequently lingers. Where Metron stands in this, the potential of his machinations, and Highfather, and the host of the many other New Gods, many of whom have lain fallow since Kirby, blister across the pages…

This feels like the scale as it was always meant to be. DC can afford to give Ram the space, now. And were wise enough to give it to him. A classic in the making.

[PebbleInTheBrook1794 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Ram V taps into Creation myths with his work in New Gods, and the material is ideally suited for this approach. In truth, it is a good way of coming at Kirby's creations, and it could be similarly utilised for the Eternals or Asgardians (and I did find myself thinking you could swap out New Genesis for Asgard easily enough).

And Ram V has written on similarly spiritual books before, with the Many Deaths of Lila Star and Swamp Thing. Of course, V is a good writer and has written on neo-colonialism (These Savage Shores) and Gothic Horror (Detective Comics), so he can write in multiple modes and about different sophisticated things. As a Brit of Indian descent, I wonder if he also digs into his cultural familiarity with the Hindu Pantheon of Gods, in order to write the Creation myths of Kirby's New Gods, quite in the way he does.

This new All In story is decent, and there's a prophecy setting members of the New Gods against one another, and not to mention machinations on Apokalips. The telling of the New Gods' Creation myths is interspersed in the narrative, with ramifications for New Genesis in the present. Ram V is therefore digging deeper and creating a richer lore and world-building with his telling of the myths. You have to be into that mode of storytelling, but there are important details in the old myths, so don't skip them fully, if you're inclined to that.

V deploys and utilises the characters asociated with the New Gods books, well. Part of the story takes place on Earth, with Mr Miracle, Big Barda and Orion, at odds. Orion has been instructed by Highfather to kill a child New God, and MM and BB are protecting him. Meanwhile New Genesis faces new threats and the ending has notable progressions.

I like the art by Evan Cagle, and multiple other artists. They work well together to achieve a uniform effect, probably due to the good job of the colourist too. Altogether, it's a read with a couple of good hooks, and I'd be interested in buying the second trade.

[Phillip Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always had a fascination with The New Gods of the DC Comics universe; however, I’ve had very little experience in diving into their books. I did check out Barda which is part of DC’s YA-focused graphic novels, and I had a good time with it. So, I was excited to check out The New Gods, Vol. 1: The Falling Sky by Ram V.

The concept of The New Gods has fascinated me for some time in the universe of DC Comics. When you have regular characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. who are essentially near-gods, what does it mean for The New Gods to exist?

This new series launched following the death of Darkseid, and nobody quite knows how things will move forward now. This volume follows two main stories.

In the first, an army has invaded Apokolips and now New Genesis. The New Gods have to deal with the fact that there are more powerful beings out there than them, and they may have more in common with the “normal” DC superheroes than they ever wanted to admit.

In the second main story, Orion has been sent to kill a Source-powered child, but he struggles with the decision being forced upon him. He tells Mister Miracle that he has seven days to stop him. Scott Free relunctantly enlists the help of his wife Big Barda, who comes along (and brings their kid, Olivia “Liv” Free).

They’re really building out these characters to not just be “Oooh, it’s The New Gods!”, but they certainly look to be building a deeper lore and impressive character studies.

I also really enjoyed the side stories that were given a lot of time to be fleshed out that really add to the lore in the main stories being told. Oh, yeah. The Justice League Unlimited arrive to save the day.

I’m going to keep going with this series when I can. I have already picked up the second volume from my local library, and I can’t wait to dig in and see what’s next.

[A Fan of Comics · Rating 3 out of 5]

The end of the beginning…

An old god has died but the universe is afraid it won’t be for long. When a new god is born, highfather fears the worst has happened, dark seid is rebirthed! Or is he?
Was super excited for this series after seeing the main artist. I didn’t realize how many guest artists would be involved. All the art that was selected for this series was great. I’m just not sure if it was the right mixture. Or maybe how it was used? I think some of the timelines could be clearer with the art, some of the past and present got mixed together and it was hard to tell apart. The differences in art also felt a little jarring when going from one to the other. Don’t get me wrong, each were beautiful and unique in their own way. But that was kind of the problem, the transition could have been smoother between them. I liked the writing, I think it’s an interesting plot but the way it’s presented can be a bit better. I think the third issue would have worked better as the first. I also think we’re getting too many cuts of a story instead of something more liner. That also has to do with the different art styles. I thought this series would be focused on MM and BB more. A little disappointed that Barda doesn’t get more to say, she’s only had a few close ups. Which were beautiful but I could use more BB fer sure. I am curious if this series is better experienced in monthly issues instead of a volume/binge read. I’m not sure when I’ll read the next volume. I want to know if they are done with the flashbacks and we get more action and are on time with the present. But I’ll be upset if they arnt and it reads the same as this first volume did.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 'All In' aftermath from Darkseid's death continues...

Highfather has been having nightmares. Metron is getting premonitions. Barda and Scott are cleaning up baby poop. An unknown force is coming for the New Gods. With Darkseid gone, there's a power vacuum and Apokolips and New Genesis are targeted.

The prophecy says that a New God will be 'born' on Earth and be the tipping point for the New Gods and their place in the Fourth World. Highfather sends Orion to kill Mister Miracle's ...baby. Superheroing ensues (a welcome break from the dusty history they keep revealing)

We get a lore dump on the history of the Source and the worlds of the previous...universe. (got to admit it's an awful dense read). Origins of the motherboxes and some metaphysics about life and death are the big reveals.
-----
Come for the 'All In' connection and stay for the Mister Miracle roadtrip. Barda punching cars is always a fun time (next to throwing diapers at Scott's head). The art is good. The more meta bits get a more abstract design, which helps differentiate the shifts in tone and location.
====
Bonus: Grayven? Good use of a mediocre character
Bonus Bonus: Olivia Free...lil baby Liv Free. Honestly, as great a name as Scott Free

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first volume of Ram V's run on the New Gods. I loved how he blended various religious influences of gods into how he presented them in "The Falling Sky". This is also the very first contemporary run I have read in my time following DC Comics, and it was interesting to see how the worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips have reacted to the death of Darkseid. Who fills this power vaccum? Some other alien race or other, which is fine. It puts the two worlds in an original situation and the subsequent need for the New Gods to flee to Earth as refugees puts a very topical spin on the comic. The main thing with this volume is that it is there to serve as a prologue of sorts - a setup to a greater story. Which is fine, six issues is a really limited space to tell anything more - particularly when you get a writer like Ram V who writes sprawling odysseys (and writes them well). But it leaves you feeling like not much happens within the pages of this book other than staging for the next event.

[Riley Pilgrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good, and something that feels very Kirby with the out there concepts it’s bringing into the story. I had to reread some issues a couple of times to fully grasp what Ram V was going for. That’s why I love New Gods, it feels like this grand sci-fi epic that doesn’t follow the rules of the greater DC universe at times. It really is its own thing, although Ram V does bring in the broader DC universe into the story.

The story of this book is, a “New God” is born on earth, and Mister Miracle and Barda must protect it, while New Genesis is at war with a new threat. Now there’s A LOT more going on than just that, but Ram V does a great job of weaving in out there concepts with classic comic booky goodness.

The art in this book is amazing, with various art styles depending on the needs of the narrative which I loved. Also it just looks beautiful. Overall this was great. However, I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re not familiar with Kirby’s New Gods. Ram V doesn’t hold your hands AT ALL.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, the story Ram V is telling seems pretty epic and I'm willing to see where he's taking us. I really like how he's reclaimed a lot of the original concepts of the NG's and then also revitalized a lot of the Kirby era cringe. There is still a lot up in the air but the fractured viewpoints story telling is personally working for me. usually it annoys the crap out of me when a book is split up with different artists but in this case I think that each segue allows for a transition in art that actually works as a nice narrative touch. On top of that, there are so many fantastic art teams working on this book. I saw little Kirby tributes all over the place but also ambitious art that is keeping pace with V's vision. I'm really pretty excited to continue the series and really appreciated the JA showing up at the end of this book for no other reason than I like it when they do their job :P

If you're not familiar with the NG's or much of Kirby's older work this book might be a bit hard to get into but if you're a fan I'm sure there are aspects that will please!

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkseid is... dead ? And his killer is coming for the New Gods next. Another DC property I'm not quite familiar with yet. I've come across Miracle, Barda and Orion in other books, but never read any of Kirby's Fourth World stuff. I'm really digging Ram V's take though. I usually kind of struggle to connect with god-like alien societies like this (Eternals, Asgardians etc), but the world building's really awesome and the Barda/Miracle story kind of balances out the grandeur of New Genesis.

And Evan Cagle really kills it on art. I was scared it would be a little too "sombre" for what I visually tie to a 70s color scapes, but he's having fun with it. It's very dynamic. And Barda's intro shot was awesome ! I'm loving all the guest artists too.

Also, funny that the two DC comics I read this week had Darkseid playing important background role ! I'm assuming his death and the creation of the absolute universe are linked ? I haven't really been following tbh

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I figure I like Ram V and Tom King’s run on Mister Miracle remains one of my favorite DC comics of the last decade or so. While there are some parts of the mythologizing here that are so big and so mythic that I wasn’t totally following them, the strength of Ram V’s world building and characterization keep everything moving along at a solid pace. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who isn’t already familiar with the New Genesis gods and Apokalips + his legions. I love that by the end, more DC characters have been folded in and Barda also decides to tag along with Scott. Curious how this new child factors into any of the long term plans for this series going forward.

I am exhausted. I read this too late, and I can’t believe I’m squeaking into 150 reads before 2025 comes to a close. Really hoping 2026 brings with it enough energy to get back to reading more novels even if I don’t cut back terribly on how many TPBs I read again next year.

Happy New Year!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the depictions of Scott, Barda, and Orion, and the relationship between them all. Metron's role as prophet and sort-of-friend to all sides is interesting to witness.

That said, this book isn't quite landing for me. Partly, the long, uninteresting background of Nyctar or whatever really killed the book's momentum quite early. Secondly, it's somehow both very slow unfolding - we're six issues in and we've just found this New God kid on Earth (Yes, Apokolips has fallen and New Genesis is close to it, but that stuff has been mostly off-page) - and somehow entirely too fast, as Orion asks Scott to hide the kid from him and then shows up literally within pages of Scott finding the kid, so the "hide the kid" notion is just completely pointless.

Debating if I'll read more. Perhaps I'll just pull Ngozi Ukazu's BARDA off the shelf for a reread.

[Nathanael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darkseid "died" last year during the wake of Absolute Power, so here we get to see what happens to the New Gods when their eternal enemy is gone. Predictably, a new enemy shows up.

I loved the art and Scott Free and Barda being domestic in the middle of crazy comics antics is always a plus for me. I was not as into the storyline, which seems like a fairly standard tale of the new never-before-heard-of Big Bad appearing, someone gets the Worf treatment to prove how badass he is, and the main authority figure turns out to have some kind of shady secret tied to the backstory of the BB. Not exactly breaking new ground here.

Still it's a fairly quick read and entertaining enough to make it worth picking up.

[Dexter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das ist einfach Wahnsinn. Exzellent. Große Kunst. Die 12-teilige Miniserie, die auf Deutsch in 2 Bänden erscheint und von der hier der erste vorliegt.

Ram V ist ein begnadeter Erzähler, vielleicht nicht bei jeder Figur und in jedem Setting. Aber das hier, die NEW GODS, ist sein Element. Jede Story der ersten 6 in diesem Band gesammelten Hefte, ist zweigeteilt. Sie beginnt immer mit einer Art Vor- oder Nebengeschichte (meist zwischen 6-8 Seiten lang) von Ram V geschrieben, aber von immer wechselnden Zeichnern und Tuschern in Szene gesetzt. Die Hauptstpry allerdings wird von Evan Cagle gezeichnet, den ich hier zum ersten Mal erleben darf. Seine Zeichnungen sind Kunstwerke, jedes Panel, jede Seite wunderschön.

Alles in allem für mich eine DER Miniserien dieses Jahres.

[Jeff Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigh. Ram V always shoots for the stars . . . but often ends up hurtling through the recesses of outer space. This is a highly complex story with dozens of threads and characters . . . but I’m not sure I understood most of it. Here’s what I got:

Darkseid is dead. Now there is a power imbalance in the universe. New dark forces have awoken and have started a war with . . . well some other divine folks. There’s a promised child that must be destroyed but Mr. Miracle is going to protect him. The Justice League show up in the final pages.

Again, the story is unnecessarily complex. There are some subplots and characters, there is next to no characterization at all. Since there are so many hands on the artwork, the artwork is incredibly uneven.