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Divinity
Divinity
Re-presenting the sold-out sci-fi epic from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (NINJAK, Mind MGMT) and blockbuster artist Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis), the critically acclaimed debut of Valiant’s first all-new headlining character gets the deluxe oversized hardcover treatment!
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union – determined to win the Space Race at any cost – green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent a man farther into the cosmos than anyone has gone before or since. Lost in the stars, he encountered something unknown. Something that…changed him.
Long thought lost and erased from the history books, he has suddenly returned, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity -– one who turned the scorched desert into a lush oasis. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. Earth is about to meet a new god. And he’s a communist. How long can it be before the first confrontation between mankind and DIVINITY begins?
Collecting DIVINITY #1–4, along with more than 20 pages of rarely seen art and extras, including designs, process art, sketches, commentary and more!
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union – determined to win the Space Race at any cost – green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent a man farther into the cosmos than anyone has gone before or since. Lost in the stars, he encountered something unknown. Something that…changed him.
Long thought lost and erased from the history books, he has suddenly returned, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity -– one who turned the scorched desert into a lush oasis. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. Earth is about to meet a new god. And he’s a communist. How long can it be before the first confrontation between mankind and DIVINITY begins?
Collecting DIVINITY #1–4, along with more than 20 pages of rarely seen art and extras, including designs, process art, sketches, commentary and more!
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
April 23, 2019
3.5 stars
A cool origin story for Abrams Adams. Although it wanders rather quickly into WTF just happened there? territory and never really makes it back out again.
Then again, I'm new to Valiant and maybe just not familiar enough with these characters to recognize who he is in the bigger picture? If Adams plays a larger part in this universe, then I almost certainly missed out on the significance of this origin title...for now.
There's still a lot to like about this one, though.
One, he's not American. This dude is from Russia, which gives it a bit of a different spin. Still, people are basically the same so it doesn't really matter what country he comes from, he pretty much wants what everyone else around the world does.
Love, family, happiness, a purpose for your life, etc..
The gist is that this orphan goes into space on a secret mission, meets up with some fantastical & unexplained being or god made of explode-y lights, pukes up his humanity, and travels back to Earth as a Divinity who is ready to make the world a better place...& find his lost lover.
Until the Unity team tries to trap him in a fancy prison for existing.
Again, I'm still getting to know the characters from Valiant, so I didn't recognize the team, only some of the people on it. It was interesting to see them working together.
I don't know. This one is a toss-up, but only because I'm not a big fan of hearing stories from the perspective of gods-like characters who can't remember how to quite relate anymore.
But, at the same time, I'd read more of this if I could find it.
A cool origin story for Abrams Adams. Although it wanders rather quickly into WTF just happened there? territory and never really makes it back out again.
Then again, I'm new to Valiant and maybe just not familiar enough with these characters to recognize who he is in the bigger picture? If Adams plays a larger part in this universe, then I almost certainly missed out on the significance of this origin title...for now.
There's still a lot to like about this one, though.
One, he's not American. This dude is from Russia, which gives it a bit of a different spin. Still, people are basically the same so it doesn't really matter what country he comes from, he pretty much wants what everyone else around the world does.
Love, family, happiness, a purpose for your life, etc..
The gist is that this orphan goes into space on a secret mission, meets up with some fantastical & unexplained being or god made of explode-y lights, pukes up his humanity, and travels back to Earth as a Divinity who is ready to make the world a better place...& find his lost lover.
Until the Unity team tries to trap him in a fancy prison for existing.
Again, I'm still getting to know the characters from Valiant, so I didn't recognize the team, only some of the people on it. It was interesting to see them working together.
I don't know. This one is a toss-up, but only because I'm not a big fan of hearing stories from the perspective of gods-like characters who can't remember how to quite relate anymore.
But, at the same time, I'd read more of this if I could find it.
July 5, 2016
Cerebral, Intriguing, Alienating
One thing I like about the comics by Matt Kindt is that there is generally more to them than meets the eye—rather than less, as you almost take for granted in our age of promotional hype. Kindt’s story details are always part of a mysterious bigger whole that I can never completely figure out but usually enjoy exploring. I also love how the sense of mystery and complexity is usually supported by Kindt’s idiosyncratic, slightly vague and abstract drawing style.
In the case of Divinity, though, Kindt’s ambitious writing is illustrated by Trevor Hairsine in much more realistic and conventional fashion, and the result is an odd combination of high-concept science fiction and superhero-type challenges: “It’s taken me years of wandering to figure it out... but I think we can counter his attack... We’ve got to pool our minds’ resources... slow our breaths... and control our thoughts... It’s the only way out of here... I’ll show you how...” Not your typical superhero fight.
With its cerebral approach and its themes of loss and alienation, Divinity is Valiant’s attempt to create a more sophisticated and profound superhero title in the tradition of the Silver Surfer. Interstellar-style time travel and family drama are thrown in for good measure and maybe it just all gets a bit much, as by the end of this first volume I still don’t really have a good sense of the basics: the main characters and their world. Which, admittedly, could have something to do with the fact that I am largely unfamiliar with the Valiant Universe. 2.5 stars, from an outsider’s perspective.
One thing I like about the comics by Matt Kindt is that there is generally more to them than meets the eye—rather than less, as you almost take for granted in our age of promotional hype. Kindt’s story details are always part of a mysterious bigger whole that I can never completely figure out but usually enjoy exploring. I also love how the sense of mystery and complexity is usually supported by Kindt’s idiosyncratic, slightly vague and abstract drawing style.
In the case of Divinity, though, Kindt’s ambitious writing is illustrated by Trevor Hairsine in much more realistic and conventional fashion, and the result is an odd combination of high-concept science fiction and superhero-type challenges: “It’s taken me years of wandering to figure it out... but I think we can counter his attack... We’ve got to pool our minds’ resources... slow our breaths... and control our thoughts... It’s the only way out of here... I’ll show you how...” Not your typical superhero fight.
With its cerebral approach and its themes of loss and alienation, Divinity is Valiant’s attempt to create a more sophisticated and profound superhero title in the tradition of the Silver Surfer. Interstellar-style time travel and family drama are thrown in for good measure and maybe it just all gets a bit much, as by the end of this first volume I still don’t really have a good sense of the basics: the main characters and their world. Which, admittedly, could have something to do with the fact that I am largely unfamiliar with the Valiant Universe. 2.5 stars, from an outsider’s perspective.
February 12, 2018
Divinity is an excellent sci-fi comic. Set in the Valiant worldverse (same one with Ninja-K) it tells the story of Abram Adams, one of three Cosmonauts who were sent on a top secret mission during the Cold War. Their mission was to travel out into space to find the unknown.
3 decades later they reach their destination and thanks to an unknown phenomena, Adams is turned into a Godlike entity. Leaving his comrades behind he returns to a very changed Earth. The rest of it is the story of how governments deal with his return.
This was a well told sci-fi tale. Interesting and well written. The artwork is also of good quality. The underlying idea that the godlike entity who returns is not a product of the American way but rather the Soviet mindset was a nice twist. I won't spoil the story but this brings up some great points about how to deal with a Godlike being molded by Communist ideology.
This is only the first volume, but if the quality keeps up-this is a fine series. I look forwards to it and any sci-fi fan ought to feel the same.
3 decades later they reach their destination and thanks to an unknown phenomena, Adams is turned into a Godlike entity. Leaving his comrades behind he returns to a very changed Earth. The rest of it is the story of how governments deal with his return.
This was a well told sci-fi tale. Interesting and well written. The artwork is also of good quality. The underlying idea that the godlike entity who returns is not a product of the American way but rather the Soviet mindset was a nice twist. I won't spoil the story but this brings up some great points about how to deal with a Godlike being molded by Communist ideology.
This is only the first volume, but if the quality keeps up-this is a fine series. I look forwards to it and any sci-fi fan ought to feel the same.
May 11, 2022
This is a cool origin story, sort of, and Valiant remains one of the best sources for original and thought provoking comics around – I’ve become a little peeved with DC and Marvel – but there is a lot of whatthehellisgoingon??? in this 2015 collection of the first four issues of Divinity.
Actually, writer Matt Kindt, who I like a lot, may have been inspired by Philip K. Dick’s 1965 novel The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch – in that fun novel we see a man who goes off into space and returns with god-like powers – and that happens here as well, as Abram Adams, a Soviet cosmonaut who embarked on a 30 year mission into the great unknown and came back with oodles of superhuman powers.
We have the Unity, Valiant’s collection of dark superhumans on a sketchy mission, some really good art, what appears to be a cool story, but lots of questions remain.
I’m definitely down with the Valiant universe, enjoy Kindt’s writing, so I will likely be back for more.
Actually, writer Matt Kindt, who I like a lot, may have been inspired by Philip K. Dick’s 1965 novel The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch – in that fun novel we see a man who goes off into space and returns with god-like powers – and that happens here as well, as Abram Adams, a Soviet cosmonaut who embarked on a 30 year mission into the great unknown and came back with oodles of superhuman powers.
We have the Unity, Valiant’s collection of dark superhumans on a sketchy mission, some really good art, what appears to be a cool story, but lots of questions remain.
I’m definitely down with the Valiant universe, enjoy Kindt’s writing, so I will likely be back for more.
February 14, 2016
Bullet Review:
I'm torn between being hugely, dumb-foundedly impressed at the amazing symmetry of the ending to absolutely confused as f$&@ over what actually transpired and who the f$&@ these superheroes are.
Also, what a sausage-fest. One woman is the baby momma and the other is the single woman of a superhero team. If you count kids, there's another for ya. At least the comic isn't so white...
I'm torn between being hugely, dumb-foundedly impressed at the amazing symmetry of the ending to absolutely confused as f$&@ over what actually transpired and who the f$&@ these superheroes are.
Also, what a sausage-fest. One woman is the baby momma and the other is the single woman of a superhero team. If you count kids, there's another for ya. At least the comic isn't so white...
February 27, 2019
Nice origin story of an actual new character.
Abram Adams is an orphaned black man that joins the Soviet Union’s army and during the height of the Cold War gets asked to become part of a classified deep space exploring mission.
He begins his journey into space in 1960, leaving behind his young wife/girlfriend and their unborn child, and does not return for decades.
In 2015 he suddenly shows up in the Australian outback, now possessing god-like powers and aptly known to people as Divinity.
He begins granting wishes to those people that come to him, without them even having to ask. He gives them not only what they want but what they really need. He’s able, amongst some other things, to bend space and time which is repeatedly described as a book in which he can go to whichever page he wants.
That much power in the hands of a single person, even though only used in a benign way, greatly concerns some people though and Team Unity (Ninjak, Eternal Warrior, X-O Manowar and Livewire) is send in to either contain or terminate him.
Since I’m completely new to Valiant I think that some things might have got lost on me during Divinity’s confrontation with Unity.
However, the story still worked well enough for me and because of the themes of lost time with his family and the government‘s(?) dealing with his powers I almost rated this four stars. But most of the story didn’t quite reach that level.
Let’s see if this takes off for real with the second volume.
Abram Adams is an orphaned black man that joins the Soviet Union’s army and during the height of the Cold War gets asked to become part of a classified deep space exploring mission.
He begins his journey into space in 1960, leaving behind his young wife/girlfriend and their unborn child, and does not return for decades.
In 2015 he suddenly shows up in the Australian outback, now possessing god-like powers and aptly known to people as Divinity.
He begins granting wishes to those people that come to him, without them even having to ask. He gives them not only what they want but what they really need. He’s able, amongst some other things, to bend space and time which is repeatedly described as a book in which he can go to whichever page he wants.
That much power in the hands of a single person, even though only used in a benign way, greatly concerns some people though and Team Unity (Ninjak, Eternal Warrior, X-O Manowar and Livewire) is send in to either contain or terminate him.
Since I’m completely new to Valiant I think that some things might have got lost on me during Divinity’s confrontation with Unity.
However, the story still worked well enough for me and because of the themes of lost time with his family and the government‘s(?) dealing with his powers I almost rated this four stars. But most of the story didn’t quite reach that level.
Let’s see if this takes off for real with the second volume.
November 24, 2018
A vague origin story where not much happens. A black baby is left on a doorstep in Russia. He grows up and is sent on a space mission to another galaxy. He encounters some bright lights and now can manipulate reality. Fifty years later he returns to earth. The Unity team is scared of him and puts him in a cage.
October 15, 2016
"Abram Adams was an astronaut."
My second Valiant comic ever and it was great. Matt Kindt's story is ethereal, alinear, and mind-bending. It's adventurous but smart and philosophical in an Arthur C. Clarke kind of way.
Abram Adams is a black orphan Soviet astronaut rocketed to the edge of the galaxy in 1960. "Things happen" and he returns to Earth a half century later with incredible omnipotent powers.
When I think about the story at its most basic, it isn't all that revolutionary. Man goes on quest, gains power and returns. Man goes in space and finds something unexplainable. Alien lands on Earth and humankind tries to destroy it. Orphan ascends to greatness.
However, the meta-fiction and Kindt's less than subtle use of the metaphor of a book for time adds a much needed layer of complexity. He uses the idea of two points in time being separate pages in a book (similar to the explanation for a wormhole in the TV show Stranger Things). Now imagine if you can bend the book, dog ear it, or bookmark it. I know, I said it wasn't subtle. But that's exactly what Abram Adams, aka Divinity, is now able to do: explore time as a book, turning and skipping and destroying pages, or lingering upon and revisiting pages.
Another transcendent element to this book is Divinity himself. As his nickname suggests, Divinity is divine in his power. Superman inspired this line of thinking with his omnipotence and near-omnipresence, but he, in my localized reading, has never been outright religiously worshipped, nor can he control time, space, nor manifest a person's innermost desires. Divinity takes this to a whole different level, and apart from Dr. Manhattan, Captain Atom, or Professor X, I've never seen this kind of power in a super hero.
The cover is deceiving, because like many books the cover pages are superior and totally different. But the artwork is solid. Not groundbreaking, but very good. It has that clean but sketchy Quitely / Van Sciver look. Well inked and richly colored.
I won't say it's breathtaking, but there's great potential. I love anything space adventure / time travel / mind fuck, so the premise already had me hooked. Volume 1 is a solid start. 3.5 stars rounded up. I love that the hero is a black Soviet (yay diversity) who volunteers for an experimental, off-the-record space program. That's just cool. And the Valiant Universe is different and fascinating. So if any of that sounds appealing, check this out.
July 27, 2016
Valiant hired Kindt, a comics rock star (imo) to help them beef up their attempt to make it on the Marvel/DC stage (like McDonald's/Burger King and . ... Wendy's?). The idea is to bring some depth of character and emotion to this world through this comic, Divinity. I read it two days ago and already forgot what it was about. And I am a Kindt fan, so am always willing to give him some slack. The art is standard superhero stuff. I thought it was okay, but not enough okay that I would read the next volume.
May 31, 2018
This was pretty cool! I wish read "Unity" first to get maybe a bigger impact of the 2nd half, but Divinity mostly can read as a standalone a title.
So what's it about? Who is Divinity? Well he's pretty much a all mighty force of nature. He has powers that no one else has, ones that are downright scary, unique, and kind of beautiful at times. He can warp reality, make you feel like living a 100 years within just 5 seconds of your life, bring back the dead, give everybody dreams coming true. Unity (The avengers/JLA of valiant) decide they have to put a stop to him but he won't be letting that happen so easy. Meet the newest villain/hero of the valiant universe who gets his unique origins here.
Good: I like the tone a lot. It's somber, sad, beautiful, and engaging. I really liked Divinity despite being kind of in quiet most of the time. I also thought his powers were interesting, almost reminding me of Mr. Manhattan but maybe even stronger?
Bad: I didn't get too attached to Divinity as a character. I wanted too, they gave him a decent background, but maybe it just moved too fast for me. I also thought the mob at the end was kind of like "Why?" I mean I get the reasoning but again the pacing might have been way to fast for me.
Overall Divinity is a unique superhero book. Deeper than some, darker in ways, yet still interesting. I thought a extra issue or two to flush out everything would have did this wonders but for now I enjoyed what I got and want to read more. A 3.5 out of 5.
So what's it about? Who is Divinity? Well he's pretty much a all mighty force of nature. He has powers that no one else has, ones that are downright scary, unique, and kind of beautiful at times. He can warp reality, make you feel like living a 100 years within just 5 seconds of your life, bring back the dead, give everybody dreams coming true. Unity (The avengers/JLA of valiant) decide they have to put a stop to him but he won't be letting that happen so easy. Meet the newest villain/hero of the valiant universe who gets his unique origins here.
Good: I like the tone a lot. It's somber, sad, beautiful, and engaging. I really liked Divinity despite being kind of in quiet most of the time. I also thought his powers were interesting, almost reminding me of Mr. Manhattan but maybe even stronger?
Bad: I didn't get too attached to Divinity as a character. I wanted too, they gave him a decent background, but maybe it just moved too fast for me. I also thought the mob at the end was kind of like "Why?" I mean I get the reasoning but again the pacing might have been way to fast for me.
Overall Divinity is a unique superhero book. Deeper than some, darker in ways, yet still interesting. I thought a extra issue or two to flush out everything would have did this wonders but for now I enjoyed what I got and want to read more. A 3.5 out of 5.
August 9, 2017
The first issue was awesome, but the book descends into a typical superhero beat-em up. Parts reminded me of Interstellar.
March 22, 2016
I didn't like the art, didn't like the story, and both the art and the story were quite confusing.
April 19, 2018
Started a bit slowly but picked up pretty well by the end.
January 20, 2018
Abram Adams was sent to the outer reaches of the galaxy by the Soviet Union. There, he found something strange. Something unknown. And now he has returned to Earth, with the power to alter space, time, and reality as we know it, like some kind of god. Can Unity withstand the power of Divinity?
This is...a weird one. The concept is sound, and the idea of a character this powerful is foreign to the Valiant Universe at this point. The strongest character we've met so far is probably Toyo Harada, who has been beaten at least twice, so to get a Doctor Manhattan level character into the action throws things into a very different perspective.
The story is told in chunks, as Abram remembers his past life while dealing with his return to Earth, and the varying degrees of welcome he receives. Once Unity get involved, all bets are off, and things heat up quite quickly.
I feel like this could have been an opportunity for some really psychedelic panel arrangements, but it's mostly played conservatively by artist Trevor Hairsine. The visuals are solid, but it feels like it's too safe. In fact, the whole story is played that way; Unity's battle with Divinity doesn't seem to affect them as much as you'd think it would, and even Divinity himself feels kind of blank as a character, even by the end. He has one overriding characteristic, which is what makes him human instead of a god, but that's kind of it.
This is one of those stories that I think would have benefited from more issues instead of the usual 4 for a Valiant mini-series. I know there's Divinity II & III to come yet, but this one feels under-developed as a stand alone.
This is...a weird one. The concept is sound, and the idea of a character this powerful is foreign to the Valiant Universe at this point. The strongest character we've met so far is probably Toyo Harada, who has been beaten at least twice, so to get a Doctor Manhattan level character into the action throws things into a very different perspective.
The story is told in chunks, as Abram remembers his past life while dealing with his return to Earth, and the varying degrees of welcome he receives. Once Unity get involved, all bets are off, and things heat up quite quickly.
I feel like this could have been an opportunity for some really psychedelic panel arrangements, but it's mostly played conservatively by artist Trevor Hairsine. The visuals are solid, but it feels like it's too safe. In fact, the whole story is played that way; Unity's battle with Divinity doesn't seem to affect them as much as you'd think it would, and even Divinity himself feels kind of blank as a character, even by the end. He has one overriding characteristic, which is what makes him human instead of a god, but that's kind of it.
This is one of those stories that I think would have benefited from more issues instead of the usual 4 for a Valiant mini-series. I know there's Divinity II & III to come yet, but this one feels under-developed as a stand alone.
August 3, 2015
With Divinity, the Valiant Universe has a created an all powerful, yet flawed protagonist who is driven by the past as he shapes the future.
A cosmic sci-fi epic in its infancy, Divinity deliveries in diversifying the Valiant character base while progressing the organic evolution of an exciting and distinctly unique superhero connected universe.
Time is little more than an abstract concept as Russian cosmonaut Abram Adams ventures into space in the 60's only to return many years later having seemingly not aged a day. With loved ones long passed and his handlers unaccounted, Abram finds himself alone and the barer of an unprecedented gift - the ability to shape the world anyway he so desires.
Turning the Australian outback into a utopia, he's seen as the savior of mankind in the eyes of those he influences yet to heroes of the Valiant Universe, he's an unknown power that has the potential to destroy the natural order of government and overthrown the balance of power across nations. Enter the penultimate superhero team Unity.
Divinity blends sci-fi, superhero, and drama into a tightly woven package that, upon concluding still leaves plenty of mystery and limitless possibilities for subsequent ventures into Abram's past and his future.
One of the best graphic novels I've read.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
A cosmic sci-fi epic in its infancy, Divinity deliveries in diversifying the Valiant character base while progressing the organic evolution of an exciting and distinctly unique superhero connected universe.
Time is little more than an abstract concept as Russian cosmonaut Abram Adams ventures into space in the 60's only to return many years later having seemingly not aged a day. With loved ones long passed and his handlers unaccounted, Abram finds himself alone and the barer of an unprecedented gift - the ability to shape the world anyway he so desires.
Turning the Australian outback into a utopia, he's seen as the savior of mankind in the eyes of those he influences yet to heroes of the Valiant Universe, he's an unknown power that has the potential to destroy the natural order of government and overthrown the balance of power across nations. Enter the penultimate superhero team Unity.
Divinity blends sci-fi, superhero, and drama into a tightly woven package that, upon concluding still leaves plenty of mystery and limitless possibilities for subsequent ventures into Abram's past and his future.
One of the best graphic novels I've read.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
July 15, 2025
The story seems to end too soon with some threads left unexplaned, but it's still a fun read about a man dedicated to his nation, but never forgetting the family he could have had. His aquired powers are strange and little detail is put into them as we only see the effect. This might be one of the most powerful beings in the universe, so I'm curious what comes next.
Abram Adams was a orphan. After his adoptive parents died, the Soviet state took care of him and trained him to the greatest heights of human physical and mental conditions. He is offered the chance to travel to the edge of the galaxy on a 30-year mission, but this means leaving his secret girlfriend behind. He returns to Earth 30 years later, but without having aged a day and with godlike powers he aquired on the fringes of the galaxy. He is code named Divinity. He starts offering people their deepest desires, but the nations of the world don't want one man wielding this power.
Abram Adams was a orphan. After his adoptive parents died, the Soviet state took care of him and trained him to the greatest heights of human physical and mental conditions. He is offered the chance to travel to the edge of the galaxy on a 30-year mission, but this means leaving his secret girlfriend behind. He returns to Earth 30 years later, but without having aged a day and with godlike powers he aquired on the fringes of the galaxy. He is code named Divinity. He starts offering people their deepest desires, but the nations of the world don't want one man wielding this power.
November 12, 2018
Writer Matt Kindt digs deeper and explores Valiant's cosmic side with this popular graphic novel that introduces the first fully original character to the rebooted Valiant Universe. Abram Adams was a black orphan raised by the state in the Soviet Union. During the heated space race, he is chosen to embark on a mission to be the USSR's attempt to beat the States not only into space but beyond our solar system. He is never heard from again until he arrives back on Earth 30 years later not having aged a day and sporting immense reality altering powers.
There are many big heady ideas in this that I wished were explored more. But maybe the next two books in this trilogy will tackle them. And maybe that's for the better because this first volume already felt a little conceptually dense for it's length, to the point where I really didn't attach to any of the characters. Seeing Abram create a utopia in the Australian outback and gain followers was interesting as was the attempt by the world's governments to understand him. The Unity team is sent to investigate and contain him and the resulting mind battle was fascinating!
There are many big heady ideas in this that I wished were explored more. But maybe the next two books in this trilogy will tackle them. And maybe that's for the better because this first volume already felt a little conceptually dense for it's length, to the point where I really didn't attach to any of the characters. Seeing Abram create a utopia in the Australian outback and gain followers was interesting as was the attempt by the world's governments to understand him. The Unity team is sent to investigate and contain him and the resulting mind battle was fascinating!
January 6, 2017
Never been a fan of Valiant apart from Faith and this kind of illustrates why I'm not a fan. Not great characters, kind of poor plot but has decent action scenes.
There is so much better stuff out there
There is so much better stuff out there
December 24, 2017
I didn’t hate it but it didn’t wow me either. The premise is good but there were some holes that may be filed in future volumes. I like the art work. I plan to read vol 2.
December 7, 2015
Great elements of space and sci fi wrapped up in a fast pace story. This book follows Abram Adams who is a Russian astronaut who is chosen to go on a secret space exploration mission in the 1950s (not sure on the time really). His mission is to go father then any other country and surpass the US program, but in secret. When he and some other astronauts (secretly sent with him) reach the edge of space they discover an entity that Abram makes contact with giving him special powers. Abram then returns to earth as Divinity and starts making earth a better place but the government doesn't like and sends a special team to capture him. They succeed but likely just temporarily. The art is very good and the writing is smooth and fast, a really quick read. I will check out book 2 when I see it for sure.
July 20, 2016
This is a pretty out there book, as a Russian orphan is turned into a time and space traveler, and then returns to the modern age to face down the Unity team. The art is interesting, with some beautiful work, and the characters have a unique story that definitely feels like a page out of Kindt's style. It doesn't really align with the rest of the Valiant universe, although the scenes of Unity challenging Abram Adams made good use of his powers. I'm not sure I really agree with the message of the book, and it spends a lot of time navel-gazing, but it does have some emotional heft to it. Very different, not bad, but not something I'd necessarily recommend you go out of your way for, unless you loved things like The Fountain and Interstellar, both of which this seems akin to.
September 14, 2019
3.5/5 Stars
This was certainly interesting. The science nerd in me adored this, though I admit that it ventured into some really strange territory. I honestly had no clue what the hell was going on in some parts. Overall, I really liked this story. I did recognize one of the other characters and one of the characters that is briefly mentioned from the Harbinger series, but the others eluded me since I haven't read any other Valient titles yet. This had some great potential, but kind of ends in a weird way. Maybe the next volume will pick up a bit more.
This was certainly interesting. The science nerd in me adored this, though I admit that it ventured into some really strange territory. I honestly had no clue what the hell was going on in some parts. Overall, I really liked this story. I did recognize one of the other characters and one of the characters that is briefly mentioned from the Harbinger series, but the others eluded me since I haven't read any other Valient titles yet. This had some great potential, but kind of ends in a weird way. Maybe the next volume will pick up a bit more.
July 19, 2017
First issue and premise was very interesting but the story did not get to develop enough/long enough. The art was also pretty well done. There is a decent chunk of back matter after the story in the book.
Not sure I can recommend this one outside of people really following what going on in the Valiant story telling universe.
Not sure I can recommend this one outside of people really following what going on in the Valiant story telling universe.
July 7, 2016
Actual rating: 3.75 stars.
I think a lot of this went over my head, but I still had a fun time reading it. I think I need to read some of the other Valiant titles and come back to this one to get a complete understanding.
I think a lot of this went over my head, but I still had a fun time reading it. I think I need to read some of the other Valiant titles and come back to this one to get a complete understanding.
June 25, 2019
This volume collects the first four issues of a semi-superhero comic that got effusive reviews -- but I really don’t know why, because it really doesn’t work. It seems that back in the early 1960s, the Soviets sent off a top secret one-man mission into the far depths of space. (How they managed that when neither Russia nor the the U.S. had even put a man into Earth orbit yet is never explained.) The pilot is an orphan -- apparently black, apparently American -- named Abram Adams, who was left on a government official’s doorstep in 1945 (which would also make him maybe sixteen at the time of the mission). And then, . . . something happens, somewhere out there, and Abram returns to Earth some seventy years later not having aged at all and with almost “divine” powers. And he lands in the Australian outback, naturally, where he begins attracting followers for whose benefits he casts his benevolent powers (and who are led by a rock-climber who fell off a mountain). And it all kind of goes downhill from there. Not even to mention the real superhero team sent in to “contain” Abram, and who may have met their match.
The problem is, while the art isn’t bad -- in a rather clichéd DC/Marvel kind of way -- the narrative reads more like the outline of a story with a random scene thrown in here and there. There are vast plot holes and much of the explanatory back-story only appears in the “what’s happened so far” summaries at the beginning of the next issue. Apparently this is only the first volume of a trilogy, but if it’s being published on its own, it has to be expected to stand on its own. Seriously, this thing is a mess.
The problem is, while the art isn’t bad -- in a rather clichéd DC/Marvel kind of way -- the narrative reads more like the outline of a story with a random scene thrown in here and there. There are vast plot holes and much of the explanatory back-story only appears in the “what’s happened so far” summaries at the beginning of the next issue. Apparently this is only the first volume of a trilogy, but if it’s being published on its own, it has to be expected to stand on its own. Seriously, this thing is a mess.
December 6, 2020
2.5
The first like 40 pages were interesting, but then it got confusing and nothing was explained and I had no idea what was happening.
The first like 40 pages were interesting, but then it got confusing and nothing was explained and I had no idea what was happening.
September 9, 2015
Divinity
Valiant has had great success reinvigorating or entirely recreating existing characters in its portfolio. How does the company fare with a new creation?
Divinity follows the story of Abram Adams, an orphan raised by the USSR. At the height of the Cold War space race, the Soviets sent Abram on a deep-space mission, with little hope he might one day return. More than 50 years later, Abram arrives in the Australian Outback possessed of god-like powers.
Abram seeks to give people what they most want and quickly attracts a band of acolytes. His power and following bring him into conflict with Unity, the super-team of the Valiant Universe. Abram holds Unity off single-handed and only teamwork and some crucial luck give the heroes a chance against him. This first book ends with Abram in Unity’s custody, with the heroes wondering if they’re on the right side.
Writer Matt Kindt crafts an intriguing set-up for Divinity, steeped in serious sci-fi. Abram proves an interesting focal character, if not one always easy to relate to. Kindt does some nice things with the contrast of the world Abram remembers and the much different one he returns to. He comes off sympathetic in many ways and scenes of Abram confronting the life he left behind, that went on without him, are some of the most affecting in Divinity. The narrative skips back and forth through time and space at a rapid clip, but Kindt mostly does a good job of keeping things on track. But a lot of this material can work a head trip on readers, especially those not used to some of the wilder conventions of sci-fi storytelling. On the whole, Kindt is pretty successful at melding sci-fi into the comic book world.
The art team is crucial to the success of Divinity, giving it a visual style that ranks among the best of the new Valiant. Trevor Hairsine, Ryan Wynn and David Baron work as a tight, seamless unit. They’re equally adept with Earthbound flashbacks to the days leading up to Abram’s mission as they are with complex action and adventure sequences. They craft some lovely, dreamy space-set scenes wrapped in a soft, shimmering aura. The artists also use some smart and innovative layouts and page designs to move the action forward dynamically. The character design for Abram is an interesting throwback, a stylized take on a Cold War-era cosmonaut space suit whose retro aesthetic makes Abram stand out in the Valiant crowd. Divinity packs a lot of drama and emotion into its panels; that elevates the book beyond a mere cool-looking sci-fi romp. The art is good enough to really sell Abram as a character, not just a cosmic extraction.
While Valiant has done well updating its existing library, launching new concepts within its universe is crucial for the publisher’s sustained success. The first Divinity arc leaves a lot of questions to explore, but with a solid set-up and beautiful art, seeing where the creators take this concept is an agreeable prospect.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
Valiant has had great success reinvigorating or entirely recreating existing characters in its portfolio. How does the company fare with a new creation?
Divinity follows the story of Abram Adams, an orphan raised by the USSR. At the height of the Cold War space race, the Soviets sent Abram on a deep-space mission, with little hope he might one day return. More than 50 years later, Abram arrives in the Australian Outback possessed of god-like powers.
Abram seeks to give people what they most want and quickly attracts a band of acolytes. His power and following bring him into conflict with Unity, the super-team of the Valiant Universe. Abram holds Unity off single-handed and only teamwork and some crucial luck give the heroes a chance against him. This first book ends with Abram in Unity’s custody, with the heroes wondering if they’re on the right side.
Writer Matt Kindt crafts an intriguing set-up for Divinity, steeped in serious sci-fi. Abram proves an interesting focal character, if not one always easy to relate to. Kindt does some nice things with the contrast of the world Abram remembers and the much different one he returns to. He comes off sympathetic in many ways and scenes of Abram confronting the life he left behind, that went on without him, are some of the most affecting in Divinity. The narrative skips back and forth through time and space at a rapid clip, but Kindt mostly does a good job of keeping things on track. But a lot of this material can work a head trip on readers, especially those not used to some of the wilder conventions of sci-fi storytelling. On the whole, Kindt is pretty successful at melding sci-fi into the comic book world.
The art team is crucial to the success of Divinity, giving it a visual style that ranks among the best of the new Valiant. Trevor Hairsine, Ryan Wynn and David Baron work as a tight, seamless unit. They’re equally adept with Earthbound flashbacks to the days leading up to Abram’s mission as they are with complex action and adventure sequences. They craft some lovely, dreamy space-set scenes wrapped in a soft, shimmering aura. The artists also use some smart and innovative layouts and page designs to move the action forward dynamically. The character design for Abram is an interesting throwback, a stylized take on a Cold War-era cosmonaut space suit whose retro aesthetic makes Abram stand out in the Valiant crowd. Divinity packs a lot of drama and emotion into its panels; that elevates the book beyond a mere cool-looking sci-fi romp. The art is good enough to really sell Abram as a character, not just a cosmic extraction.
While Valiant has done well updating its existing library, launching new concepts within its universe is crucial for the publisher’s sustained success. The first Divinity arc leaves a lot of questions to explore, but with a solid set-up and beautiful art, seeing where the creators take this concept is an agreeable prospect.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
March 17, 2018
Divinity tried really hard to be mind-bending but ended up being only confusing. An abandoned astronaut from a Russian secret space mission ages ago magically returns to the modern world. Only that he is no longer the same. In fact, God-like. Fearing his unknown intent, a group of superheroes (I think) is dispatched to contain him. This took me by surprise as I wasn’t expecting superheroes to be thrown in. What else can you do at this point? Undeniably, there’s that ‘Interstellar movie’ vibe. But not much is explored about his lost family apart from adding some sentimental elements to an already boring story. Last but not least, I think the art tone was just too colorful and cheery that it didn’t quite match the theme.
July 31, 2015
Oh man, I really want to give this one five stars. I loved my time with Divinity, and it is the perfect example of why Valiant is so quickly becoming a giant in the comic book world. This sort of high concept and daring execution is exactly what we need from Valiant, a company that continues to push boundaries, while building a diverse and utterly strange big-two style universe. Divinity introduces a true god to the Valiant U, who in the Valiant style of course, derives his powers through un-knowable science at the edge of space. The human elements and emotional notes ping perfectly, crafting a philosophical narrative that is in no way fueled but the clashing hands of good v. evil.
On the downside, some of the story-telling techniques employed by Kindt trip the plot up from time to time. The narration can be confusing as the speaker appears to change between issues, and some of the time-jumping can take a moment to register with the average reader. Harstine's pencils capture a 90s aesthetic for which Valiant is known, but I can't help but imagine a tour de force like Clayton Crain on this title, and how much more beautiful it could have been with a less conventional approach to the artwork.
There are hiccups that keep this from being extraordinary, and perhaps not enough is explained by the end to slake the thirst of every reader, but there's a solid set-up for Divinity II, and Abram Adams is a welcome addition to Valiant's ever-growing pantheon of super humans.
On the downside, some of the story-telling techniques employed by Kindt trip the plot up from time to time. The narration can be confusing as the speaker appears to change between issues, and some of the time-jumping can take a moment to register with the average reader. Harstine's pencils capture a 90s aesthetic for which Valiant is known, but I can't help but imagine a tour de force like Clayton Crain on this title, and how much more beautiful it could have been with a less conventional approach to the artwork.
There are hiccups that keep this from being extraordinary, and perhaps not enough is explained by the end to slake the thirst of every reader, but there's a solid set-up for Divinity II, and Abram Adams is a welcome addition to Valiant's ever-growing pantheon of super humans.
July 6, 2016
This book is all set up.
I am not sure if this was a story that Matt Kindt had come up with, specifically for Unity and decided to make it its own series. I am very curious to see what the next volume is, but this entire trade is made to show how ridiculously powerful the character of Divinity is, and the very interesting story of how he became so powerful. This had a lot of similarities to the story of Doctor Manhattan, and I have absolutely no problem with that kind of character being in the Valiant Universe.
I am not sure if this was a story that Matt Kindt had come up with, specifically for Unity and decided to make it its own series. I am very curious to see what the next volume is, but this entire trade is made to show how ridiculously powerful the character of Divinity is, and the very interesting story of how he became so powerful. This had a lot of similarities to the story of Doctor Manhattan, and I have absolutely no problem with that kind of character being in the Valiant Universe.
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