By Alex Batts — With this issue (and article) we reach the end of the third volume of The Wicked + The Divine, which wraps up the flashback/character spotlight issues that have been the theme for this arc. Fair warning: this might be one of my shorter pieces. Admittedly, this is probably my least favorite issue of the series (it’s still great, just not on the level of the rest of the series for me) so I don’t have too much to share about it. Brandon Graham is the guest artist for the issue and does a great job, but with that let’s hop into issue #17!

The Wicked + The Divine #17

Here’s the official solicitation text for the seventeenth issue from way back on December 16th, 2015:

In the last of our guest issues, we're joined by Brandon Graham (PROPHET, ISLAND, MULTIPLE WARHEADS) to slink closer to the mysterious and oft-murderous Sakhmet. Plus a back up by Jamie and Matt. Also... the end of an arc? You know WicDiv. Expect big game changers and/or Sakhmet having a nice purr.

This solicit honestly sums up the issue pretty perfectly. Its focus is on Sakmet and there’s a crazy back up at the end… but let’s dive in.

The Cover: Another body-portrait cover for our collection, this time focusing on of course Sakhmet. She’s holding a cat (automatic ten points from me) and the only colors highlighted are golden yellows. She’s in extremely high-end fashion and you can tell she has a taste for the fancy and this new life she’s been given. The cat also serves to convey a part of her personality, hissing at the viewer. Sakhmet is fierce and you’d regret forgetting that.

The First Page: This first page is one of the few flashbacks we see this issue. It features young Sakhmet at a museum looking at a Sphinx statue. Her friend says she’s crying to which Sakhmet bluntly retorts, “Fuck off. I’m not crying.” The page itself doesn’t do too much aside from establishing that Sakhmet has always been a to the point individual, even before her ascension to godhood. The following page (I know I’m cheating a little here) does give some great character insight as her friend claims the statue looks sad to which Sakhmet replies, “Don’t be stupid. She’s not sad. She’s made of stone. She doesn’t feel anything.”

This gives us a very interesting glimpse at Sakhmet’s worldview and helps establish who she is as a person. In the optimist/pessimist debate, Sakhmet is the realist.

On-Page Action: This issue serves to show the absolute hedonistic “not a care in the world” lifestyle that Sakhmet now leads. We see her bedroom, filled with naked residents from the night before. We see her ignoring training with Baal, to then quickly take him down when scolded for not training herself. We see her brushing off and dismissing every question an interviewer has for her, specifically about her past.

We see how Sakhmet wants to live her life. She claims the present is all that matters and she’s fully invested in making the present nothing but pleasure. We get a brief flashback of what we can assume is right before Sakhmet was chosen to ascend between her and Ananke. Ananke says that dogs are loyal, needy, etc. but cats on the other hand, “Don’t give a fuck”. Ananke asks Sakhmet which she would rather be and we all know the answer given.

While sober Sakhmet ends up returning to her home pre-godhood and murders (and eats) her father. When she was found she simply says “Everyone says he was a bad dad. They were wrong. He was delicious.” This nonchalant dismissal of the obvious horror she just partook in further emphasizes her “I don’t care” attitude towards life. But it always gives a glimpse at the person behind what we see. We can infer she had an extremely troubled, and likely abusive, childhood thanks to her father.

The real highlight of the issue, sorry Sakhmet, comes in the back up illustrated by McKelvie and Wilson. We see a venue host accepting a call to book an upcoming gig. He laughs that they aren’t the only person going by that name as he jots down information on a notepad. The final panel of the issue reveals the name in question. Persephone. DUN DUN DUN.

Deeper Meaning: This issue mainly emphasizes what a completely self-serving lifestyle means for the individual but also shows how it can impact those around them. It also hints at the type of live events and trauma that may have happened to the said individual before the adoption of that self-serving lifestyle. The two are obviously correlated, as what we go through creates who we are. This leads to the open-ended question of what we must imagine happened to Sakhmet to cause her to live her life in such a way. The issue also comments on Sakhmet being trapped in her own prison, the cycle of her lifestyle, but not realizing it.

The Art: Brandon Graham is the guest artist for this issue and it’s solid art on the whole. Admittedly he’s my least favorite guest artist of this arc but I think his style fits the tone of this issue well. It reminds me of the Peanuts cartoon a bit for some reason, and I can’t help but think that’s a plus. The pages are all dynamic enough to remain interesting to read and the emotional beats are hit with ease. His art is very solid just not super high up there on my personal preferences.

The Wicked + The Divine #16

The Wicked + The Divine #17
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Brandon Graham
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics
In the last of our guest issues, we're joined by Brandon Graham (PROPHET, ISLAND, MULTIPLE WARHEADS) to slink closer to the mysterious and oft-murderous Sakhmet. Plus a back up by Jamie and Matt. Also... the end of an arc? You know WicDiv. Expect big game changers and/or Sakhmet having a nice purr.
Buy It Online: Wicked + Divine #17

Click here to read past installments of the Wic + Div Re-Read.

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