A new generation of heroes has come into prominence, one with little patience for the moral codes of its predecessors. In a world where even so-called heroes will do anything to get the job done, there seems to be no place for Superman...until the new breed of heroes goes too far. In the wake of a horrifying accident that transforms Kansas into an irradiated wasteland, Superman emerges from seclusion. His reformed Justice League demands that superhumans conform to their standards or face imprisonment. While many cheer the heroes' return, the League's old adversaries are still afoot as well...and even some of the Man of Steel's former allies fear that normal humans can not coexist with a Superman who makes demands of the world's leaders. Lex Luthor plots to exploit that tension and fear, and in the process helps bring Earth to the brink of Armageddon.

Kingdom Come is one of the most well-known examples of the apocalyptic-alternate-future story that is quite popular in superhero comics, and it's probably one of the best as well. It was written in the mid-90s, when the popularity of a number of anti-heroes with dubious codes of morality and names like Bloodstrike or Deathshadow led many to wonder if heroes like Superman still had any relevance to modern audiences. To writer Mark Waid, the answer is an unabashed "Yes, dammit!" - you would be hard pressed to find a stronger fan of the character, and Waid does a great job of capturing Superman's nobility in this story, his compassion for others and his discomfort with the authority that rests on his shoulders because of his power.

At the same time, artist Alex Ross - who originally conceived much of the story and many of the characters - is less certain that costumed heroes of any kind, working outside the systems and governments of "normal" people, are a good thing, and that discomfort is apparent here. Superman, urged on by a Wonder Woman who is more militant than we might expect, seems to go too far here, to the point that the villains who want to bring him down may have the right idea, if for the wrong reasons. The tension between Waid's and Ross' visions of Superman, and of superheroes in general, at times threatens to make the book seem incoherent. But for the most part they make the tension work in the story's favor - there's an ambiguity here that gives the story more complexity than a simple good vs. evil story. It forces us to think about how to achieve good in a world that is not always conducive to it.

While this story is mostly about Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, there are hundreds of characters here, many of them new creations or new versions of old characters designed by Ross. Although this collected edition does include an index that briefly identifies many of these characters, readers who aren't familiar with DC's history may be confused at times. Such readers will be missing out on details and nuances, and even the identity of a few characters who contribute to vital plot points. But if you know the aforementioned Big Three, you should have no problem following the heart of the story, after which you can call up your comic buff friend and say, "That guy on page 112? Who the heck was that supposed to be?"

If you're not familiar with Alex Ross' art, you may be in for a surprise when you open up this book. Ross has become a superstar in comics based on his photorealistic paintings, and they are often breathtaking. Some of the panel-to-panel storytelling is a bit stiff at times, and in some panels he crams in so many background characters as to prompt sensory overload, but the set pieces during the major action sequences are well worth it. As I said before, Ross takes the opportunity to redesign just about every significant DC character that's seen print over the last fifty years, and most of those designs are dynamic and visually appealing while also conveying that the world has become a more dangerous, and a more interesting, place.

In the end, I'm not sure I can wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend Kingdom Come to someone relatively new to comics. But it's a powerful work, and if you're willing to accept that some details may go over your head, it's well worth reading.

Reviewed by Dave Thomer
theLogBook.com Assistant Editor

• Year: 1998
• Author: Mark Waid
• Illustrator: Alex Ross
• Genre: Fiction / comics
• Length: 232 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics