Second Coming: Only Begotten Son

Second Coming

by Mark Russell, Richard Pace (Illustrations), Tom Peyer (Editor)

In the eagerly awaited second volume of SECOND COMING, superhero Sunstar and his housemate, Jesus Christ, must deal with Sunstar’s growing family and the distortion of Jesus’s message on Earth.

The long-awaited second volume of the book ComicsBeat called “the world’s most dangerous comic book and the most lovely.” As superhero Sunstar anticipates becoming a father, he agonizes over how—and if—he can use his powers to make a better world for his child. And as Jesus Christ loses his bedroom to a nursery, he struggles to find a new place in a society that distorts and exploits his message for profit.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Superheroes, Religion, Humor, Fiction

168 pages, Paperback

Published November 16, 2021

About the author

Mark Russell is the author of God Is Disappointed in You and Apocrypha Now. He also writes the comic book series Prez and The Flintstones for DC Comics. He lives and works in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite version of God.



The Son of God and Great Value Superman don't really mesh well in this one, but it's ok somehow. Jesus tries again to get people to just be nice but nobody really wants to hear his message. They would rather fork over their money to spend time in a hokey Christian theme park than listen to a chill message from their Savior. Apparently, people are resistant to change and don't necessarily want to be inclusive.
Who knew?



Meanwhile, Sunstar helps rebuild after a massive natural disaster and has an epiphany about his life's work. He decides to see if he can get suggestions from the common man as to the best use of his superpowers. It does not go well.
Apparently, people suck.
Who knew?



The ending was sweet. Russell wraps up the father/son relationship with Jesus and God quite nicely and also manages to show a funny but touching version of the afterlife.
The moral of the story?
Hell is a slum next to the dump.
Heaven is what you make of it.
And life shouldn't be wasted following arbitrary rules or pining after the dead.
Recommended.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Sunstar's son's birth looms, Jesus goes out into the world to find his place in it and is disappointed in what he finds...

Mark Russell's and Richard Pace's cynical, subversive, possibly sacrilegious satire comes to a close in this volume. As Sunstar realizes that arresting criminals might not be the best use of his abilities, especially with a son on the way, Jesus realizes that humanity really hasn't learned much in 2000 years. I usually don't bother my wife with what I'm reading in comics but I interrupted whatever game she was playing on her phone to talk about this one a few times.

The art by Richard Pace and Leonard Kirk fits the tone of the story. Heaven, and Earth, for that matter, isn't the sparkling paradise we were led to believe. There's a dirty, grittiness to the art at times.

Mark Russell's writing is thought provoking, cynical, depressing, and hilarious, as usual. The revelation that Heaven is just a place to put all the immortal souls after people have died and Hell is the piece of Heaven close to the landfill was one of my favorite parts.

I don't know why DC didn't want to publish this book. There's nothing inflammatory in it unless a God that isn't all-knowing is offensive to people. They published Preacher, though, so who the fuck knows.

Second Coming: Only Begotten Son is a depressing, cynical, thought provoking good time. Five out of five stars.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, it took awhile for them to get this finished. I think this is an improvement over the prior installment, and Russell has been forthright about working through some of his own issues when it comes to religion with this series.

All of the above-that's ok with me. Russell, to my reading, isn't preaching. He's asking how Christ's, or anyone like him, teachings would go over in the 2020s. To me those are worthwhile questions to ask while tossing in the comedy of a Superman pastiche taking in Christ as a roommate.

Read this for the themes and the subtext. The super heroics sort of get in the way.

And, as Jew I really enjoyed what Russell did with God and the rabbis int he last chapter.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first issue got me thinking that this might be a prequel story, focusing less on Jesus and more on Sunstar and how he ended up on Earth and what his youth was like, how he became the person he ended up being. But there wasn't so much of that in the end - a little bit right at the end with one of his supervillains, but that's it. Felt like a missed opportunity there.

Overall, there was just a lot less of an actual plot here: less of an underlying story thread that tied everything together, more just a bunch of stuff happening to the same characters. An extended epilogue to the first comic. It rather hurt things, made it feel like there's less of a point.

But everything else's still on point. It still has a lot to say and a lot of that got me thinking. And it still doesn't overstay its welcome.

[Luly Ceballos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep loving this work. So many messages, so actual while at the same time using all ancient teachings as old as the biases and beliefs that have kept our world prisoned of itself. While so close to celebrate Jesus's birthday, is fun to find him so close to the birth of another wonder child. And God definitely is a hilarious guy. I like to watch NDE experience's videos and some people are sure that Jesus is a very funny guy. Here is our Lord himself the funny one. And sometimes an a...h.. (lol) Joy to the world...

[Michael J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

There just aren't many writers in the current comics market writing social satire as sharp as Mark Russell. If you've never experienced his wry (but laughing with us) wit, then start here , or with Volume One of SECOND COMING, or pick up the recent award winning NOT ALL ROBOTS.
In Volume One of SECOND COMING, God sends Jesus to Earth to live with a superhero, Sunstar (similar to Superman), to learn how to use his power more forcefully. Sunstar has his own problems, not always able to solve situations with his super-strength, and also struggling to conceive a child with his human bride, Sheila. Jesus realizes that love is more powerful, but has to get a bit forceful to defeat the devil. Both learn life lessons (while readers are laughing all the way). God rewards Sunstar and Sheila with a miracle pregnancy.
Volume Two picks up the story closer to the baby's birth, as Jesus realizes it's time for him to move out of Sunstar's apartment and figure out his next move. What ensues are some hilarious scenes as Jesus learns that humanity hasn't learned a whole lot about the purpose of God and religion in a few thousand years. There's an opening scene that replays the destruction of the planet Zirconia (think Krypton) and the efforts of Sunstar's parents to protect him by sending him away in a tiny rocket to Earth. The preponderance of Zirconia's material possessions being made from "crystal" (think plastic) leads the planet to ecological disaster as Sunstar's father Voldor contemplates his last day as he has to entertain dinner guests, including an overbearing time share salesperson.
Jesus finds his way to Bible Safari, a religious amusement park where he is mistaken for the actor portraying Jesus and rushed onstage for an unauthorized sermon the guests weren't expecting. Writer Russell also has fun with The Crusades, some ancient rabbis arguing over the meaning of the Torah, a busload of retirees that crashes sending them all to a Heaven that turns out to be a boring place.
The conversation between God and Jesus in the final issue about the Torah debate, the Ten Commandments, Jesus' teachings, and the Divine Plan is a hoot!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often times when you're working with a high concept, it is a once funny. You try to keep it going after that, it simply doesn't work. I had fears of that happening with this series. They lasted as far as well... let's just say I violated the rule about judging books by their cover.

I think it helps that while Russell does play to doing both the superhero and jesus and religion jokes that one would expect from a comic with a premise like this... that's not ALL this series is. In fact, it can be argued that Second Coming isn't REALLY a comedy at all. That it uses some tropes of comedy to tell a story about something else.

And from that you get one of the best comic series I've read in a really long time.

[Andrew Dittmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Coming, Vol. 2: Only Begotten Son by Mark Russell, Richard Pace, Leonard Kirk, and Andy Troy


Reading history:
Normally I keep this in my private notes section, but I'm moving it. Yay!

Reading history was not added on Goodreads, but was instead kept on a post-it note with the book.


Started November 24th, 2025.
Finished December 26th, 2025.


November 24th, 2025: read issue #1 in physical compilation of issues #1-6.

November 25th, 2025: read issues #2 & 3 in physical compilation of issues #1-6.

December 26th, 2025 (after midnight): read issues #4, 5, & 6 in physical compilation of issues #1-6.

[Ondřej Halíř · Rating 5 out of 5]

Druhý Second Coming je pořád skvělý a Russel se tu nevyčerpal. Je sice pravda že tady docela zvážněl a i když je tu pořád kopec legrace, tak se tu už opravdu jedná o trpkou satiru a rozebírání náboženství a toho co napriklad v krestanstvi ci v chapani víry nemusí být v pohodě. Jde videt ze Russel primo nabozenství neurazi spise ukazuje problemy s cirkvi, jistou chybějici toleranci uvericich apod. Fakt skvela vec.

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not as good as the first Second Coming, and nowhere near as subversive the second time around, Mark Russell's superhero-theological satire continues to have smart, compassionate and clever things to say about politics, religion, pop culture and comics lore. The detours into a less-than-ideally-realized Heaven are the clear highlights this time around.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Due to some Comixology snafu that I don't understand, it was rather difficult to track this series in individual issues past issue #2. I'm pleased that I could find the collected edition to round out the story arc. It lacks the overall morality play structure of the first volume, and the Jesus portions are more interesting than the Sunstar parts.

[Jipi Perreault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus is back! (again...) In this installement the Superman pastiche take a backseat while big J is experiencing the modern consumer world and tries to fix it. Russell strikes again in this brilliant satire better thant the first one.

[Samuel Otten · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and funny look at religion and society.

[Robby · Rating 4 out of 5]

While light on story, Russell's bizarre depictions of God, Heaven and "Hell" are to die for.

[Norrin2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

God bless Mark Russell. How anybody can be this funny and this thought-provoking is beyond me.

[Aaron Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A notable step down from the first volume, less in your face comedic satire, but still very good and meaningful. Definitely worth reading and I really am hoping for at least one more volume.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, it's great.
Full of brilliance and pathos. And visits to multiple historical periods and places!
Mark Russell is a living national treasure.

[Andres Pasten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russell no falla en plantear su crítica social, pero en este volumen la historia de fondo se va diluyendo entre anécdotas. Faltó un mejor final.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

As blasphemous as some may think this series is, I do think it’s worth the read. Hidden within the comedy is a very powerful message about humanity and faith.

[Christine Nault · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this graphic novel about super hero, Sun Star, and Jesus as roommates. I liked that there was more than just saving people. This is book 2. Book 3 is coming out in the Fall 2023.

[Dave Dellecese · Rating 5 out of 5]

So endlessly entertaining, as all AHOY Comics are, that also stops you in your tracks with gut-punching reflections on life...and death.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it satire if it makes you feel good?

[Jota Houses · Rating 1 out of 5]

En este segundo tomo deja un poco más de lado a Jesús y se centra en burlarse de Superman. Tampoco lleva a nada, la verdad.

[Jason Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Mark Russell started a church, I might actually think about joining.

[Ben Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This remains my favourite series by Mark Russell. Here, the storyline of Sunstar (a Superman analogue) takes a back seat in order to focus on Jesus’ experience of returning to Earth in the present. Faced with the commodification and perversion of his teachings, Jesus tries to lead people back towards an open-hearted generosity, worries about the unintended consequences of his existence, and eventually resolves to keep trying to change the world one person at a time.

As a whole-hearted atheist, I appreciate the critique of religion and enjoy the humanist insights and bon mots. It isn’t a subtle approach, by any means, and the story is a little too episodic to build significant investment in the characters, but nevertheless this is a well-illustrated, heartwarming book.