By Alex Batts — “Once again, we return to this.”

The opening line for The Wicked + The Divine also accurately describes my feelings for this re-read, and I mean that in the best way possible. This marks my fourth (maybe fifth?) complete re-read of the series. Inspired by Zack’s recently completed Saga Re-Read (which you should totally check out, both the comic and the articles), I figured I’d fill this new re-read article gap here on Comics Bookcase and travel through my personal favorite comic series of all-time, sharing my journey along the way.

I’m going to be following the format Zack established for his Saga Re-Read relatively closely (if it ain’t broke don’t fix it) as I break these articles down into key sections. As for spoilers, I’ve had a tough time with that one. For the first ten, twelve issues? I don’t know how many issues I’ll try to keep it relatively spoiler-free. However, naturally, as we progress throughout the series, we’ll be treading deeper and deeper into spoiler territory. The night is dark and full of spoilers (wait, wrong series). Anyway, I’d imagine if you’re reading the later installments of this journey, you’ll either be reading the series along with me for the first time (which would be awesome!) or have already read it (equally awesome!).

With that long prelude out of the way, let’s get into the first edition of The Wicked + The Divine Re-Read Project.

The Wicked + The Divine #1

Here’s the official solicited text for the first issue from way back on June 18, 2014:

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critically thermonuclear floor-fillers Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to start a new ongoing superhero fantasy with a beautiful oversized issue. Welcome to THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, where gods are the ultimate pop stars. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever.

Kind of a lot, huh? Though given it’s for a first issue, you can hardly blame them. Taking out the plug for the creators’ previous work trims it down a lot and really gets to the heart of the series. The tag line Just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever is, dare I say, iconic. The threat of imminent death and a ticking clock is also automatically established, and it drums up both intrigue and suspense.

The Cover: Something interesting I noticed is that in the trade of the series they put the variant cover of Lucifer (see below) as the image you see before reading, rather than that of the main character, Laura. Either way, the first issue establishes what will become a hallmark for the series in showcasing the various members of the cast in beautiful portrait images for the covers. Jamie McKelvie’s line and ink work with Matthew Wilson’s colors are immediately of note. This series simply doesn’t work without this artistic duo (which I’ll touch more on soon) and the cover does its job in pulling you in. Who is this starring right back at me? Open up and read to find out. There’s also a ton of personality in the portrait that makes you want to read about the character.

The First Page: You can’t really go wrong with a splash page right at the start, can you? Especially not with this art team. A skull with deep black eyes and unnatural looking teeth welcomes you to this world. Again, the presence of death is immediately felt. The one dialogue box, “Once again, we return to this.” is also incredibly ominous and foreboding. This is a normal occurrence for these people? Who are these people? What the hell is this?

On-Page Action: Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson, and Clayton Cowles work together to bring to life probably my favorite first issue of a comic ever. Pretty much the entire thing is foreshadowing (I’m only maybe 5% exaggerating), yet it also establishes the world this comic inhabits so seamlessly. The first 15 or so pages are dedicated to a flashback to 1923 and the last set of Gods, and it serves as a hook to just one of the many mysteries that will unfurl as the story progresses. The scene itself will play an important part in the narrative much further down the line, but it again keeps the reader intrigued for the time being.

The present-day portion of the issue introduces the main character, Laura, and we immediately get a great glimpse into her psyche. She’s a teenager sneaking out to a concert put on by one of the Gods and is completely enthralled by them. We get name drops and appearances by a handful of members of the Pantheon. Laura meets Lucifer (who notes that Laura might be oh-so-special), another pivotal player in the series, and Lucifer inviting Laura to meet Amaterasu makes Laura our gateway into the Pantheon. Amaterasu is conducting an interview, which conveniently but also organically answers and presents a lot of the questions readers may have about these Gods and what they’re doing here.

Then, of course, things get cranked up to eleven when hitmen attempt to assassinate the Gods present and Lucifer retaliates with an unbelievable display of power. The story carries over to a courtroom (But Alex, how did we get here?! Check back next week!) and though Lucifer’s personality has been obvious from the start, her arguments here and her expressions really sell her entire character. Naturally, there’s a crazy cliffhanger and we have our story set in motion.

Deeper Meaning: Oh boy, the most obvious theme is the commentary on celebrity worship in today’s culture. Gillen and McKelvie have literally made pop stars Gods here, yet somehow the book doesn’t feel like it’s beating you over the head with that theme. It’s an impressive balance. The transition from adolescence into adulthood is briefly touched on. The desire to be someone special, and that that may come at a cost is explicitly stated but it’s profound, nonetheless. Sexual desires and commentary are also present, and they help to make the book feel more real and relevant. We all have sexual thoughts; this book just has no qualms vocalizing them.

The Art: I mentioned near the start that this series doesn’t work without McKelvie and Wilson, and I wholeheartedly believe that. I don’t feel comfortable calling any art objectively bad, but I have zero hesitation calling the art in this book objectively fan-freaking-tastic. It’s just absolutely beautiful, panel to panel, page to page. Every character is excellently brought to life through their expressions and wardrobe. The colors pop off the page, the environments are rendered with precise detail and give you a clear understanding of the space each scene takes up. The panel layouts also work to establish the “1-2-3-4” motif that’s present in the writing and thematically throughout the series. Even in the opening sequences panels move together like a rhythm, creating a dance of 1-2-3-4 with a proverbial “bang” as the 5th image at times. There are also literal “1-2-3-4” text boxes at one point, but I digress. This rhythm creates a dance between dialogue, art, and emotion, and the series keeps this going all the way through.

The Wicked + The Divine #1
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Jamie McKelvie
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics

Check back next week for The Wic + Div Re-Read Project Part 2, and in the meantime, checkout the Saga Re-Read Project here!

Alex Batts is from Texas. A lifelong comic book enthusiast and movie lover, if he’s not talking about comics, he’s probably not talking. You can find him on Twitter by following @BatmanFiles