New Gods #2 Review!

A prophecy of a child is revealed, a powerful threat is introduced, and we get more of the New Gods and Darkseid’s Elite assembled in New Gods #2! Re:cap - New Gods #1!; Darkseid has died! Metron from The Source has learned of the prophecy of a child. He brings the prophecy to Highfather. There will be dark forces that may be lead by a successor to Darkseid. The child of prophecy will be born on Earth and Highfather looks for his champion, Orion. Highfather contacts Orion to give him his mission. Orion travels to Glendale, California to tell Scott Free, Mister Miracle, about the mission. To kill the child and he wants Mister Miracle to escape with the child and gives him seven days. 

Kollambur, India. A father, Kiran, runs with Mira, his wife, and infant child. A squad of soldiers is chasing them. The mysterious Mr. Lord, Maxwell Lord, wants the child. Lord was the businessman who formed the Justice League, but ultimately he is discoverd to be a mastermind villain. He was introduced in Justice League #1 (1987). Kiran is shot in the leg and he gives the child, Kamal, to Mira. Kamal is the male form of Kamalā meaning lotus connected to the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi. The child cries for his father and then “Shall Come Hence The Last Avatar Made”, his power emerges! Kamal rises, a white stripe on his face and in a white uniform, his power coursing, and destroys the soldiers! 

Nimit Malavia is the cover artist which has a swirl of color, Mister Miracle standing, below him is Big Barda and a column of two people and above him is the face of Orion in his helmet! “The Falling Sky Part 2” continues written by Ram V, Evan Cagle as artist, and Jesse Lonergan as guest artist for the first four pages. It opens to The Machynoterum, a planet-like body with tech similar to the Death Star, in the Breach-Beyond Expanse, this looks like a black planet eclipsed by the sun. There is a leader, Karok Ator, a massive man-like figure, body half covered with black splotches. He is attended by strange aliens. He walks, thinking is a scavenger, there is a parasite called The Nyctosphyx in his blood. Very surreal, a deadly opponent past physical threats. He is told about the New Gods whom we see in a series of curved panels across two pages. Some beastly form, an Estarix, walks in brought by the scouts. 

He faces Karok Ator in an arena. We get the thoughts from Himon in his account, The Prometheus Codex. He says the Source had emerged from a darkness, “the opposite to existence”! Fiery letters are seen, then the fall of New Genesis, and the hordes of Apokalips invade. Highfather is troubled by the dream. Then, his eye widens in a closeup, his failure. Of course, it could be the actions he has taken rather than trying stop one. We see Highfather in white robe with his hands out as we hear that Izaya is told to pray. He wakes up screaming, it carries out the balcony where Lightray hears him. The hulkish Akala to comfort him like a baby. The words, it seems like Himon, say that that the gods might be given a miracle and we see the closed eyes of Scott Free. 

He puts on the mask of Mister Miracle and we see his letter to his wife. Scott writes about the endless traps he faced on Apokalips. He kept going because of Barda. We see Barda alseep as he leaves with the light at the doorway, nice image. He walks into the room of his baby daughter, Olivia, he looks at her Liv Free. Yeah, this is a perfect name to add to the Kirby New God canon. He has spent time making the decision, but knows that Orion is right, he can’t be the husband and father for Barda and Olivia. We see Day 1, where Orion fights the Parademons which is behind a closeup of Mister Miracle holding the hand of his daughter, the artwork is stunning! Day 2, the image continues. 

Day 3, Orion has his Astro-Harness, glowing bands of light that almost look like a Tron lightcycle! Mister Miracle asks Barda forgiveness and then turns covered in shadow! The next page is a massive panel from Scott’s perspective with large letters of Big Barda towering over him in her armor with Olivia cradled on her arm, awesome! Barda has always been a favorite. I think the closest in looks is rugby star Ilona Maher, powerful and beautiful. I think the trio would be like Alana, Marko, and their daughter, Hazel in the sci fi comic series, Saga. Scott is stunned, while Barda tells him his brother, Orion's fault, talked him into doing something dumb. Which is leaving his wife and child behind, not really Orion, but Scott doesn’t realize that his family will share every danger with him. Olivia laughs as Scott tries to explain that Orion’s mission to kill a child. 

Barda says the details can wait, she is always decisive, Scott is quick to escape traps, but not his family. He was thinking Oberon could help find the child. He is the small person assistant to Mister Miracle from his circus days. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 (1971). Scott wonders if his wife is mad and he has diaper duty forever, funny! We see a crowded street in Kanataka in the southwest of India. Capturing the business of the streets and signs is not only brilliant in artwork, but also colorist, Francesco Segala. This is especially seen in the next panel that has different people in the crowd, but popping in full color, is a man, Kiran with a cane and bag. He walks into a hotel room with Mira sitting and she says Kamal’s fever broke. We see him asleep under a fan. Kiran has brought medicine that he had paid anonymously.  

Mira says she is afraid and we see Kamal using his power and further back we see his parents. Kiran says three years after they lost their baby, Neel, he found the baby at the Krishnaraja temple. He holds Mira’s waist and touches the side of Kamal. Outside of the hotel, an agent, Mr. Wells, report to Lord. We have an overhead shot of the agents in a crowd. They have tracked the movements of Kiran and are waiting for the family to reach a less crowded area. We see Lord in front of a red screen analyzing the scene, his shadow projects on an empty panel! Behind him is a shadowy man in a hat who knows the child channeled the Source! A closeup of Maxwell Lord’s face as he tells his visitor that his father killed himself because his work was corrupted. He says it is human nature to take divine things and “pull them apart.” His visitor is in a black cowboy hat, Serifan! He is a member of a group, another favorite, introduced in Forever People #1 (1971)! 

Lord tells Serifan that he was in a coma, a hand reaches out to touch his forehead while he was in a hospital bed. He was driven to find the child from that point, restored, he shows his own forehead. Lord has the omega symbol! Apokolips, we see the craters of the firepits that pock mark the planet. We see Mantis, now declaring himself overlord. His first appearance was in Forever People #2 (1971). The Hunger Dogs, survivors, are growing in number. Kanto is opposing DeSaad and Granny Goodness is his ally. The assassin, Kanto, first appeared in Mister Miracle #7 (1972). The former advisor for Darkseid, DeSaad was also introduced in Forever People #2. Granny, debuting in Mister Miracle #2, is the leader of the Female Furies. Metron is there and tells him that Darkseid is dead and Highfather has sent Orion after the child. A chessmaster setting his pieces into motion. The New Gods #2 has set up the players of this prophecy that has the New Gods pivotal in the fate of the universe! 

Five Mobius Chairs out of Five! 

#TheFallingSkyPart2, #RamV, #EvanCagle, #JesseLongergan, #NimitMalavia, #MisterMiracle, #BigBarda, #OliviaFree, #Orion, #Highfather, #Lightray, #Akala,  #KarokAtor