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The Wicked + The Divine
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 8: Old Is the New New
Modernist poets trapped in an Agatha Christie Murder Mystery. The Romantics gathering in Lake Geneva to resurrect the dead. What really happened during the fall of Rome. The Lucifer who was a nun, hearing Ananke's Black Death confession. As we approach the end, we start to see the full picture. Also includes the delights of the WicDiv Christmas Annual and the Comedy special.
Collects all six of THE WICKED + THE DIVINE's essential Specials.
Collects all six of THE WICKED + THE DIVINE's essential Specials.
232 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2019
65 people are currently reading
2044 people want to read
About the author
Kieron Gillen
1,474 books1,909 followersKieron Gillen is a comic book writer and former media journalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 436 reviews
August 20, 2023
A collection of the 'Specials', the one-shot comic book editions, mostly the historical stories, a Christmas annual and a comedy issue. The tales set in the past may not have the completeness and genius of James Robinson's Starman issues of the same ilk, but they are integral parts of the series that provide the deep background and context to set the 2014-2016 story in. A mere 6 out of 12, Three Stars makes this the weakest volume ofthe series :(
2019 and 2023 read
2019 and 2023 read
October 31, 2025
(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: A big mixed bag, it flies, it drags, all bits-and-bobs and such, its histories enrich and please, collabs here not so much.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ 455 AD ◦ 1373 ◦ 1831 ◦ 1923 ◦ Christmas Annual ◦ The Funnies
Notes: A big mixed bag, it flies, it drags, all bits-and-bobs and such, its histories enrich and please, collabs here not so much.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ 455 AD ◦ 1373 ◦ 1831 ◦ 1923 ◦ Christmas Annual ◦ The Funnies
January 8, 2020
I thought this series was done, or maybe I was simply done with this series. There is one more volume after this one. This is a collection of short stories that happen between the story or volumes that we have already read, so then people who died, like Lucifer, now have a story again.
I did think a few of the stories were decent, but overall, this added very little to the series, Calista speaking. This feels like a cash grab.
I will read the last volume and finish this story and I hope it's a decent ending and makes reading this worth it. I feel like it's lost direction toward the end, so I hope they have a good ending fixed up.
I did think a few of the stories were decent, but overall, this added very little to the series, Calista speaking. This feels like a cash grab.
I will read the last volume and finish this story and I hope it's a decent ending and makes reading this worth it. I feel like it's lost direction toward the end, so I hope they have a good ending fixed up.
May 27, 2019
Somehow I got it in my mind that this was the final volume of the series. So imagine my disappointment to find instead that it is a compendium of previously uncollected interstitial stories dealing with incarnations of the gods in times past and specials with random sex scene flashbacks in the modern story as well as non-continuity humor strips.
I almost stopped reading when I hit the text-heavy tribute to Agatha Christie in the middle, but I plowed through despite gaining nothing but misery. Stupid me.
I almost stopped reading when I hit the text-heavy tribute to Agatha Christie in the middle, but I plowed through despite gaining nothing but misery. Stupid me.
January 24, 2022
This was a chore for me. I was keen to get right back in the story but this was a collection of specials that were released between volumes. Also when I read a comic book I’m not looking for chapters of text
March 11, 2019
This volume collects the six specials that go with the series [455 AD, 1373 AD, 1831 AD, 1923 AD, Christmas Special, and Funnies]. Most of them are pretty good but it's still a bit disappointing because I feel like every time we gain some plot momentum with this series the authors just decide to take a huge detour before moving on. I guess most of these were published years ago, but still.
I like that the four specials focused on certain years give us actual insight into the game that Minerva and Anake are playing, and also that they all heavily feature Lucifer, who seems to be a major player each time even though it doesn't usually end well for them. The Christmas Special showed snapshots of what the gods were doing 6 months before the start of the series and definitely had some cute moments [also if you just really want to see Baal and Innana's dicks then you are in luck lol].
The Funnies issue I thought was a complete waste of time and featured such 'classics' as 'the whole cast but if they were dogs'. They even say at the beginning 'we're contracted for one more special but don't have any more story to tell so here's some random stuff'. Like ...maybe just either don't do another special or try to find something else relevant to do? Also I didn't actually read most of the 1923 issue because it was largely prose and I refuse to read comic issues that are just prose books in disguise. I'm sure it was very good but I just can't do it.
Some highlights:
Luci, I miss you! Also yeah you're all awful lmao, especially at the beginning.
Baphomet pls
Ancient Roman Lucifer is uh ...having some issues O_o
But middle ages Lucifer is gettin' shit done!
obvious Frankenstein issue is obvious [but still good]
Womp Womp
I like that the four specials focused on certain years give us actual insight into the game that Minerva and Anake are playing, and also that they all heavily feature Lucifer, who seems to be a major player each time even though it doesn't usually end well for them. The Christmas Special showed snapshots of what the gods were doing 6 months before the start of the series and definitely had some cute moments [also if you just really want to see Baal and Innana's dicks then you are in luck lol].
The Funnies issue I thought was a complete waste of time and featured such 'classics' as 'the whole cast but if they were dogs'. They even say at the beginning 'we're contracted for one more special but don't have any more story to tell so here's some random stuff'. Like ...maybe just either don't do another special or try to find something else relevant to do? Also I didn't actually read most of the 1923 issue because it was largely prose and I refuse to read comic issues that are just prose books in disguise. I'm sure it was very good but I just can't do it.
Some highlights:
Luci, I miss you! Also yeah you're all awful lmao, especially at the beginning.
Baphomet pls
Ancient Roman Lucifer is uh ...having some issues O_o
But middle ages Lucifer is gettin' shit done!
obvious Frankenstein issue is obvious [but still good]
Womp Womp
June 14, 2023
Absolutely cackling at this. Okay, yes, yes, the earlier bits and pieces were solid too, but the Funnies. The Funnies absolutely rules this volume. The puppers. The chairs. The Scooby-Doo send-up. The songs. The laugh-out-loud dialogue and gorgeous, gorgeous artwork.
Also, WHY is Stephanie Hans the gold standard for artwork? Jamie you're awesome, but Stephanie's palette blows everyone out of the water.
Also, WHY is Stephanie Hans the gold standard for artwork? Jamie you're awesome, but Stephanie's palette blows everyone out of the water.
November 21, 2018
Wicked+Divine is one of the better comics out there right now, and I feel it's criminally underrepresented next to say, Saga. The premise of the series is about a recurring pantheon of 12 gods who return to the earth every 90 years to live fast lives of revelry. (You live fast and die young within two years).
The series is slowly starting to give some answers, but this volume is a chance to explore the different dealings throughout the ages and experiment with times outside of smartphones.
1831
455AD
Christmas Annual
1923
1373
The Funnies
This is a chance to see the Knights of the Round Table, the moves and shakes throughout history, etc.
The series is slowly starting to give some answers, but this volume is a chance to explore the different dealings throughout the ages and experiment with times outside of smartphones.
1831
455AD
Christmas Annual
1923
1373
The Funnies
This is a chance to see the Knights of the Round Table, the moves and shakes throughout history, etc.
December 3, 2019
This blew my damn mind. I need to go back and read from the beginning but stupid school is making me read educational material.
Second reading: blew my mind even more. I highly recommend re-reading this after "Okay."
Second reading: blew my mind even more. I highly recommend re-reading this after "Okay."
July 23, 2019
Hmm, I appreciate that the creators wanted to compile these special issues into one volume, but this didn't really work for me.
• I enjoyed the first three stories. They were typical WicDiv tales and they were solid. I liked all the guest artists' work as well.
• However, I didn't care for the fourth story at all. It's 90% prose and, honestly, it was a chore to read. I can appreciate Gillen wanting to do something different, but this was a bust for me.
• The Christmas annual was fine. 🤷♂️
• Also wasn't a fan for the funnies. The dog one was stupid, the chair one was the faintest hint of amusing, Zdarsky's story was.... Zdarsky. I dunno. Just not my cuppa.
A very uneven collection. I'm looking forward to getting back to the main series and into the new arc.
• I enjoyed the first three stories. They were typical WicDiv tales and they were solid. I liked all the guest artists' work as well.
• However, I didn't care for the fourth story at all. It's 90% prose and, honestly, it was a chore to read. I can appreciate Gillen wanting to do something different, but this was a bust for me.
• The Christmas annual was fine. 🤷♂️
• Also wasn't a fan for the funnies. The dog one was stupid, the chair one was the faintest hint of amusing, Zdarsky's story was.... Zdarsky. I dunno. Just not my cuppa.
A very uneven collection. I'm looking forward to getting back to the main series and into the new arc.
February 2, 2021
*4.25
Wow wow wow.
Honestly, at this point, I don't know if it's that I like the plot or the characters, but... it's good, in a way that has to be acknowledged regardless of whether or not I like it.
This volume is a "special edition" thing where it's not a continuation of the ongoing plot but a collection of different stories. The first four are some spin-off stories about previous Pantheons, the next are some Christmas specials, and then there are just some nonsense funny ones. It's a combination, but it works.
I thought all of the spin-off type ones worked quite well, and seeing the previous gods was cool. Really, you can't deny that these authors can really write a line. The Roman one, the Black Death one, the Victorian-era one... oh, and the Agatha Christie one. That last one felt a little cheating because it was more a book than a comic, but it was still interesting. And I liked seeing a glimpse of the gods we saw in a previous volume for a bit.
I do wish the first Christmas special didn't have full male nudity, because I quite like Baal and Inanna and that made me skim those pages. But I liked getting these cool little tidbits about the gods in previous lives, or the beginning of their ascension. I think the one with Lucifer and Amaterasu was my favorite.
The "Funnies" were, as per the title, fun. They're just these nonsense shorts that are a blast. My absolute favorite, though, was the Scooby-Doo spoof. I loved the inclusion of all of the characters and how in-character they were. It felt cute and fun and I loved the references - Inanna commenting on "who could do that?" while Baal and Ananke just look away and Woden's unmasking. Really, really good.
4.25/5 stars. There's a difference between rating a book based on it being good and my liking it, but this was a bit of both. And I was grinning by the end. Onto the final volume it is, then. Oh man. Here we go.
Wow wow wow.
Honestly, at this point, I don't know if it's that I like the plot or the characters, but... it's good, in a way that has to be acknowledged regardless of whether or not I like it.
This volume is a "special edition" thing where it's not a continuation of the ongoing plot but a collection of different stories. The first four are some spin-off stories about previous Pantheons, the next are some Christmas specials, and then there are just some nonsense funny ones. It's a combination, but it works.
I thought all of the spin-off type ones worked quite well, and seeing the previous gods was cool. Really, you can't deny that these authors can really write a line. The Roman one, the Black Death one, the Victorian-era one... oh, and the Agatha Christie one. That last one felt a little cheating because it was more a book than a comic, but it was still interesting. And I liked seeing a glimpse of the gods we saw in a previous volume for a bit.
I do wish the first Christmas special didn't have full male nudity, because I quite like Baal and Inanna and that made me skim those pages. But I liked getting these cool little tidbits about the gods in previous lives, or the beginning of their ascension. I think the one with Lucifer and Amaterasu was my favorite.
The "Funnies" were, as per the title, fun. They're just these nonsense shorts that are a blast. My absolute favorite, though, was the Scooby-Doo spoof. I loved the inclusion of all of the characters and how in-character they were. It felt cute and fun and I loved the references - Inanna commenting on "who could do that?" while Baal and Ananke just look away and Woden's unmasking. Really, really good.
4.25/5 stars. There's a difference between rating a book based on it being good and my liking it, but this was a bit of both. And I was grinning by the end. Onto the final volume it is, then. Oh man. Here we go.
December 1, 2020
I'm so excited for everyone to get their hands on this volume! These bonus issues answer questions that the arcs haven't, and the Christmas Annual and Funnies are just a great fucking time.
After re-reading, here are my star ratings for each issue:
1831AD - 4 Stars
455AD - 4 Stars
1923AD - 5 Stars
1373AD - 5 Stars (personal fav of all)
Christmas - 5 Stars
Funnies - 3 Stars
After re-reading, here are my star ratings for each issue:
1831AD - 4 Stars
455AD - 4 Stars
1923AD - 5 Stars
1373AD - 5 Stars (personal fav of all)
Christmas - 5 Stars
Funnies - 3 Stars
August 22, 2020
3.5 stars
Read
December 7, 2018Collecting the specials, in chronological order – meaning readers of the trades will have a very different experience to singles readers, who got them dotted between arcs in quite another order. My experience of the latter approach was...well, they certainly answered some of the questions the main arc was begging (given the death of the gods seems generally to come about through violence, could one of them just...not get killed? What happens then?). But at the same time they also reminded me of some of my disconnects from the whole set-up of the series. Are the gods tribute acts to the famous artists they resemble, or do they replace them in the timeline? If the latter, why are things not more different in this world, and if the former, why doesn't it get mentioned more? Because either way, when you push eg that famous night at the Villa Diodati from 1816 to 1831...well, either you've deformed a crucial current in European literary history, or we're reading about a superpowered re-enactment society.
And yet, as with the rest of the series, it's beautiful. I may not buy the situation, but dear heavens it looks gorgeous, and if you go along with that given, there's not a false note to the interactions which ensue, only an unflinching eye for the many ways in which fascinating people can do terrible, stupid things to each other once the pressure is on. And isn't it always? Because, like these gods staring down the barrel of imminent death, we're all on a clock.
As well as the historicals, the collection also has the deleted scenes of the Christmas Special – some beautiful moments, for varying definitions of 'beauty', between the series' main pantheon – and the questionably canonical but emphatically hilarious comedy special. TBH, even if the whole rest of the series was just set-up for The Wicked + the Canine (the gods reborn as dogs), then the punchline was worth the whole thing.
(I thought about adding a 'shaggy dog story' line there, but having only read The Funnies last night, I'm punned out)
And yet, as with the rest of the series, it's beautiful. I may not buy the situation, but dear heavens it looks gorgeous, and if you go along with that given, there's not a false note to the interactions which ensue, only an unflinching eye for the many ways in which fascinating people can do terrible, stupid things to each other once the pressure is on. And isn't it always? Because, like these gods staring down the barrel of imminent death, we're all on a clock.
As well as the historicals, the collection also has the deleted scenes of the Christmas Special – some beautiful moments, for varying definitions of 'beauty', between the series' main pantheon – and the questionably canonical but emphatically hilarious comedy special. TBH, even if the whole rest of the series was just set-up for The Wicked + the Canine (the gods reborn as dogs), then the punchline was worth the whole thing.
(I thought about adding a 'shaggy dog story' line there, but having only read The Funnies last night, I'm punned out)
May 11, 2019
A mostly innocuous series of Wicked + Divine stories. We get interesting looks at the gods in different eras, but the only one of them that's truly notable is 1923 AD. The glimpse at the gods at the edge of our technological age is pretty neat. Beyond that, I'm not a big fan of stories with heavy text components, but Gillen does decently with the exercise, and it allows him to tell a much larger story: basically, a miniseries about the last days of the 1923AD gods.
May 23, 2019
This had a really strong start but then the writing got lazy halfway thru. Adding chunks of text instead of illustrating the story is just plain laziness. People DO NOT buy a comic to read it like a normal book. Not too mention the bullshit short at the end of this volume. For a Mature rated comic I was really disappointed to see juvenile type shorts at the end of this.
April 6, 2019
this series is sort of like a car crash that you can’t bring yourself to look away from
October 3, 2021
four stars instead of five like the other volumes, because as much as i love wicdiv, i'm simply not invested in the backstory characters like i'm invested in the modern plotline. but the art still slaps and the classic lit references were delightful so there we are. i am finishing these damn comics today on god (no pun intended)
April 10, 2019
Volume seven of WicDiv was nothing short of phenomenal. Years worth of questions were answered in epic payoffs; fantastic art with meticulously researched details literally spanning all of time, and of course, a massive cliffhanger.
But don’t get too excited opening up volume 8 – you’re not going to get any resolution just yet. This volume collects the WicDiv specials, all of which were released at different times during WicDiv’s run. That means anyone reading the issues has already seen these – but for a trade reader like me, it was my first time. McKelvie and Gillen acknowledge this in their forward and include original release dates for each special, if you’d prefer to read in chronological release order.
Each special – aside from the funnies – focuses on a particular pantheon and therefore period of history. They cover. lot of ground including ancient Rome, the black plague, the Romantic writers, and the 1920’s, along with lots of different guest artists, particularly the last two specials. Each period was chosen with intention, relating to WicDiv’s ongoing themes of power and betrayal, hero worship and art – which comes out in each issue with varying degrees of subtlety. (All good though.)
The specials focus a lot on Ananke and Lucifer, and while nothing big was given away, there were some nice things teased or even revealed (such as Lucifer and Amaterasu’s past relationship before godhood). It was neat to see which gods remained more consistent, who changed genders (conclusion: most of the queer characters, is that a bad thing?), and how their personalities both fit the time and also remained consistent.
But I personally didn’t find most of the stories particularly affecting or interesting. There was some extreme gore and disturbing stuff in the first issue that set me off for the rest of the book. I didn’t find my investment in characters I already love, or don’t care for, changing all that much. I was surprised that Persephone took a backseat. And it was a disappointment that the most visually interesting special, set in the 1920’s (and a lovely homage to Agatha Christie), was largely written in prose.
Disclaimer, though: I have been reading this series off and on for years. It’s entirely possible that, not unlike volume 7 (which had me pulling practically every volume off the shelves to reference and cross-check like some goddamn graduate school essay), I missed a lot, and some small details or reveals went completely over my head. This could also be because I’m technically reading them out of order too. Someday, I’ll go back and reread everything, and maybe I’ll update with a more glowing or understanding review.
The Christmas Annual was basically fluff where everyone gets it on. I mean just, just lots. Like, definitely don’t read in a public place, lots. Guest artist (and one of my faves) Kris Anka just has no censor to worry about, and just…well, there it is, and wow. In my opinion he should have done the whole damn issue. That guy knows how to draw a sexy time. That’s all I’ll say.
And the funnies were actually a pretty cute and amusing collection of vignettes not meant to be taken literally or really exist in the WicDiv universe. The creators make fun of themselves and their work in a way that only people who have been working on the same story for many years could. The humor – even when it misses – is still refreshing from the metaphor-laden and often gory material.
Finally, shout out to letterer Clayton Cowles. Aside from Gillen, he is I believe the one member of the creative team consistent across all the issues, and the way he letters the different eras is just brilliant. Everything was super easy to read, including script fonts (this is a problem in comics so often, I can’t even), and some of the typefaces he chose really gave the characters, especially Lucifer, a real texture to their dialogue. Cowles – in this series – is the reason why I became aware of the crucial (and unsung) role letterers play in comics, and it really shines in this volume.
Wic Div’s eighth and penultimate volume might be an interlude but it’s still worth reading for invested fans. While not my favorite of the series it’s still a worthwhile installment as lots of small pieces come together. This creative team is nothing short of brilliant – nothing can change my mind about that – and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last story we see from them.
But don’t get too excited opening up volume 8 – you’re not going to get any resolution just yet. This volume collects the WicDiv specials, all of which were released at different times during WicDiv’s run. That means anyone reading the issues has already seen these – but for a trade reader like me, it was my first time. McKelvie and Gillen acknowledge this in their forward and include original release dates for each special, if you’d prefer to read in chronological release order.
Each special – aside from the funnies – focuses on a particular pantheon and therefore period of history. They cover. lot of ground including ancient Rome, the black plague, the Romantic writers, and the 1920’s, along with lots of different guest artists, particularly the last two specials. Each period was chosen with intention, relating to WicDiv’s ongoing themes of power and betrayal, hero worship and art – which comes out in each issue with varying degrees of subtlety. (All good though.)
The specials focus a lot on Ananke and Lucifer, and while nothing big was given away, there were some nice things teased or even revealed (such as Lucifer and Amaterasu’s past relationship before godhood). It was neat to see which gods remained more consistent, who changed genders (conclusion: most of the queer characters, is that a bad thing?), and how their personalities both fit the time and also remained consistent.
But I personally didn’t find most of the stories particularly affecting or interesting. There was some extreme gore and disturbing stuff in the first issue that set me off for the rest of the book. I didn’t find my investment in characters I already love, or don’t care for, changing all that much. I was surprised that Persephone took a backseat. And it was a disappointment that the most visually interesting special, set in the 1920’s (and a lovely homage to Agatha Christie), was largely written in prose.
Disclaimer, though: I have been reading this series off and on for years. It’s entirely possible that, not unlike volume 7 (which had me pulling practically every volume off the shelves to reference and cross-check like some goddamn graduate school essay), I missed a lot, and some small details or reveals went completely over my head. This could also be because I’m technically reading them out of order too. Someday, I’ll go back and reread everything, and maybe I’ll update with a more glowing or understanding review.
The Christmas Annual was basically fluff where everyone gets it on. I mean just, just lots. Like, definitely don’t read in a public place, lots. Guest artist (and one of my faves) Kris Anka just has no censor to worry about, and just…well, there it is, and wow. In my opinion he should have done the whole damn issue. That guy knows how to draw a sexy time. That’s all I’ll say.
And the funnies were actually a pretty cute and amusing collection of vignettes not meant to be taken literally or really exist in the WicDiv universe. The creators make fun of themselves and their work in a way that only people who have been working on the same story for many years could. The humor – even when it misses – is still refreshing from the metaphor-laden and often gory material.
Finally, shout out to letterer Clayton Cowles. Aside from Gillen, he is I believe the one member of the creative team consistent across all the issues, and the way he letters the different eras is just brilliant. Everything was super easy to read, including script fonts (this is a problem in comics so often, I can’t even), and some of the typefaces he chose really gave the characters, especially Lucifer, a real texture to their dialogue. Cowles – in this series – is the reason why I became aware of the crucial (and unsung) role letterers play in comics, and it really shines in this volume.
Wic Div’s eighth and penultimate volume might be an interlude but it’s still worth reading for invested fans. While not my favorite of the series it’s still a worthwhile installment as lots of small pieces come together. This creative team is nothing short of brilliant – nothing can change my mind about that – and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last story we see from them.
October 20, 2019
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 8 is a collection of six special issues, four of which feature the endings of the previous Pantheons:
1) set in 455 AD, originally published after the issue 28;
2) set in 1373 AD, originally published after the issue 39;
3) set in 1831 AD, originally published after the issue 22;
4) set in 1923 AD, originally published after the issue 33, written mostly in prose;
5) Christmas Annual, originally published after the issue 33, features "deleted scenes" from the series;
6) The Funnies, originally published after the issue 39, consists of a bunch of random skits.
The stories in this volume, especially the historical pieces, one of which has 20+ pages of TEXT, are not very engaging and they don't further the plot of the series in any way. [EDIT: Oops, my bad! After reading Vol. 9, it appears that they do further the plot. So pay attention :)]. They do, however, nod to/play with certain historical figures and events:
- the Vandals' sacking of Rome (455 AD);
- the Plague (1373 AD);
- Claire Claremont, Lord Byron, Mary and Percy Shelley at Lake Geneva (1831 AD);
- Modernist poets trapped in Agatha Christie's mystery novel (1923 AD).
Cool, I guess, but... just give me the last story arc already!
On the other hand, I did enjoy the Christmas Annual, which features the current Pantheon and covers some random events of little importance that were briefly mentioned (or not) throughout the series but were never shown or elaborated upon (i.e., how Nergal met Dionysus before they were gods).
I also enjoyed most of the skits in the last issue, especially the one in which all the gods are dogs, and the one that highlights "5 Things Everyone Who's Lived With Sakhmet Will Understand."
Finally, I'm a bit surprised but I didn't mind that different issues were drawn by different guest artists. Since the stories weren't directly related and most of them took place in different centuries, different art styles seemed very appropriate.
455 AD:
1373 AD:
1831 AD:
1923 AD:
Christmas Annual:
The Funnies:
1) set in 455 AD, originally published after the issue 28;
2) set in 1373 AD, originally published after the issue 39;
3) set in 1831 AD, originally published after the issue 22;
4) set in 1923 AD, originally published after the issue 33, written mostly in prose;
5) Christmas Annual, originally published after the issue 33, features "deleted scenes" from the series;
6) The Funnies, originally published after the issue 39, consists of a bunch of random skits.
The stories in this volume, especially the historical pieces, one of which has 20+ pages of TEXT, are not very engaging and they don't further the plot of the series in any way. [EDIT: Oops, my bad! After reading Vol. 9, it appears that they do further the plot. So pay attention :)]. They do, however, nod to/play with certain historical figures and events:
- the Vandals' sacking of Rome (455 AD);
- the Plague (1373 AD);
- Claire Claremont, Lord Byron, Mary and Percy Shelley at Lake Geneva (1831 AD);
- Modernist poets trapped in Agatha Christie's mystery novel (1923 AD).
Cool, I guess, but... just give me the last story arc already!
On the other hand, I did enjoy the Christmas Annual, which features the current Pantheon and covers some random events of little importance that were briefly mentioned (or not) throughout the series but were never shown or elaborated upon (i.e., how Nergal met Dionysus before they were gods).
I also enjoyed most of the skits in the last issue, especially the one in which all the gods are dogs, and the one that highlights "5 Things Everyone Who's Lived With Sakhmet Will Understand."
Finally, I'm a bit surprised but I didn't mind that different issues were drawn by different guest artists. Since the stories weren't directly related and most of them took place in different centuries, different art styles seemed very appropriate.
455 AD:
1373 AD:
1831 AD:
1923 AD:
Christmas Annual:
The Funnies:
November 18, 2019
Not the strongest volume in the collection. Honestly, probably my least favorite volume. This one focuses a lot more on the history and there are full pages of text which became tedious to read. But it was interesting to continue to put the pieces together of this story and it made me so excited to read the final volume.
November 19, 2019
I was so confused.
This type of character and world building would have been much better earlier in the series. I powered through to get to volume nine. This volume left me more disoriented than anything.
This type of character and world building would have been much better earlier in the series. I powered through to get to volume nine. This volume left me more disoriented than anything.
June 26, 2020
Yep. Total filler.
This time with more infanticide and plague-riddled bodies.
This time with more infanticide and plague-riddled bodies.
December 27, 2019
Whatever...
December 13, 2019
Eh, just wasn't the biggest fan of all the specials.
December 4, 2023
This volume proved to be very atypical…it doesn’t continue with the big reveals from the previous volume…instead, it is an interlude of historical specials that had been released at different times during the five-year run of the series.
455 AD- You think you know how Rome fell to the German Vandals? Think again! Artist André Araújo drew great historical backgrounds but was not as precise with his humans. Color by Dee Cunniffe and Matthew Wilson.
1373 AD- Lucifer and Ananke have a battle of wits, as Ananke reveals she has brought the plague to Europe and beyond which resulted in the Black Death. There are religious overtones to this story as Lucifer is a mix of demon and nun. Art by Ryan Kelly and colors by Dee Cunniffe and Matthew Wilson.
1831 AD- Love this one- it features the Gods as Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelly and Claire Claremont during their famous retreat in Geneva in which the novel Frankenstein (for a beautiful retelling of the real Mary Shelly’s life read Mary’s Monster) was started. The art by Stephanie Hans was dark, lovely and appropriately Gothic-looking.
1923 AD- This story read more like an Agatha Christie novella for it was very text-heavy with limited illustrations. Previous visits to the past cycles were but vignettes, but this story was very fleshed out and had direct connections to the modern-day cycle. By the time you read this story, you can catch Ananke’s manipulations that will crop up again. The Art Deco-type illustrations by Aud Koch were outstanding and really added to the story.
We then have the uneven Christmas Special that included some vignettes of the Gods before they were chosen and some afterward- let’s just say there was a lot of sexy time. Then there are the Funnies- which included other artists making fun of the series with the Scooby-Doo parody being my favorite.
This review (plus V9) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/10/2...
455 AD- You think you know how Rome fell to the German Vandals? Think again! Artist André Araújo drew great historical backgrounds but was not as precise with his humans. Color by Dee Cunniffe and Matthew Wilson.
1373 AD- Lucifer and Ananke have a battle of wits, as Ananke reveals she has brought the plague to Europe and beyond which resulted in the Black Death. There are religious overtones to this story as Lucifer is a mix of demon and nun. Art by Ryan Kelly and colors by Dee Cunniffe and Matthew Wilson.
1831 AD- Love this one- it features the Gods as Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelly and Claire Claremont during their famous retreat in Geneva in which the novel Frankenstein (for a beautiful retelling of the real Mary Shelly’s life read Mary’s Monster) was started. The art by Stephanie Hans was dark, lovely and appropriately Gothic-looking.
1923 AD- This story read more like an Agatha Christie novella for it was very text-heavy with limited illustrations. Previous visits to the past cycles were but vignettes, but this story was very fleshed out and had direct connections to the modern-day cycle. By the time you read this story, you can catch Ananke’s manipulations that will crop up again. The Art Deco-type illustrations by Aud Koch were outstanding and really added to the story.
We then have the uneven Christmas Special that included some vignettes of the Gods before they were chosen and some afterward- let’s just say there was a lot of sexy time. Then there are the Funnies- which included other artists making fun of the series with the Scooby-Doo parody being my favorite.
This review (plus V9) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/10/2...
July 5, 2021
Este tomo es un recopilatorio de los diferentes relatos que se publicaron en USA de forma independiente a lo largo de la saga. En concreto son cuatro relatos especiales, cada uno ambientado en un momento diferente de la historia de los dioses y que se pueden leer de forma independiente, todos seguidos (como ha sido mi caso), o intercalados entre las diferentes entregas (por orden de publicación).
Aquí os dejo la lista de los relatos y cuando leerlos si queréis hacerlo en orden de publicación y en qué época están ambientados:
1. 1873 D.C. después de Tensión dramática. (nº22 USA).
2. 455 D.C. después de Fase Imperial primera parte (nº 28 USA).
3. 1923 D.C. después de Fase Imperial segunda parte (nº33 USA).
4. 1373 D.C. y las tiras cómicas después de Invención maternal (nº 39 USA).
Aunque en líneas generales los relatos me han encantado y el arte y ambientación siempre es un fuerte en esta saga, creo que hubiera apreciado más estos números especiales si los hubiera leído en orden de publicación, porque al estar leyendo la saga según su publicación en España, llevo leyéndola desde 2016 y hay detalles de los primeros volúmenes que he olvidado.
Considero intensamente la posibilidad de releerme todo los tomos cuando salga el noveno, para poder disfrutar de todos los detalles :P.
¡No sé a qué estáis esperando!
Aquí os dejo la lista de los relatos y cuando leerlos si queréis hacerlo en orden de publicación y en qué época están ambientados:
1. 1873 D.C. después de Tensión dramática. (nº22 USA).
2. 455 D.C. después de Fase Imperial primera parte (nº 28 USA).
3. 1923 D.C. después de Fase Imperial segunda parte (nº33 USA).
4. 1373 D.C. y las tiras cómicas después de Invención maternal (nº 39 USA).
Aunque en líneas generales los relatos me han encantado y el arte y ambientación siempre es un fuerte en esta saga, creo que hubiera apreciado más estos números especiales si los hubiera leído en orden de publicación, porque al estar leyendo la saga según su publicación en España, llevo leyéndola desde 2016 y hay detalles de los primeros volúmenes que he olvidado.
Considero intensamente la posibilidad de releerme todo los tomos cuando salga el noveno, para poder disfrutar de todos los detalles :P.
¡No sé a qué estáis esperando!
November 7, 2019
A detour from the main story, to collect the special issues. Most of them are set in different historical eras, and they're uniformly great. My favorite was the 1831 issue, with obviously Byron and obviously Shelley and, most importantly, obviously Mary Shelley and obviously Claire Clairmont, Mary's step-sister. Perfect choices for the pantheon, and a great use of Frankenstein. The Christmas issue is not at all Christmas but still great fun. It's basically a collection of relatively unimportant but illuminating moments in the modern pantheon, with puns. And then there's the "comedy" special, which isn't very comedic. It's the one low spot in the book.
July 28, 2019
I appreciate getting all the special issues put together in a collection and being able to enjoy WicDiv in its various storytelling forms and illustration styles. Some of the stories in this are engaging and fleshes out the mytho of this universe. Yet, this volume of the series illustrates just how uneven The Wicked + the Divine is - Volume 7 was surely a return to form, and that tension gets broken by a random collection right before the final chapter. I love the series, but at this point, just go in grace and give us what we want/need already.
May 8, 2020
The first 3/4 was an absolute chore to get through. While I appreciated the Agatha Christie inspired story I did not enjoy reading a story written as text. I read graphic novels when I don't want to or can't read books so this was especially painful. Some of the later stories were cute but nothing struck me as very meaningful. I just want to go back to the main story arc and wrap this series up.
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