A shift in narrative as we get the guest artist and regular artist switch with the invasion of Apokalips! Last issue, we were introduced to the brutal Karok Ator, who was in the Breach-Beyond Expanse. Now, Apokalips is about to fall to his legions! It is a surreal cover by Nimit Malavia of Karok Ator around a design of a robot that has the look of the Mesoamerican crystal skulls! Below it is the painful face of Mantis! “Starcatcher” is by Ram V with Riccardo Federici providing the art for the chronicler sequence and Evan Cagle the present day artwork! Federici has turned in elaborate artwork, painted, and of the style of the Heavy Metal magazine. His pages following Karok Ator is like what Federici captured in The Warworld Saga with part 10 in Action Comics #1045 (2022). It was turning Mogul into an unimaginable threat and expanding Warworld into a gladitorial dystopia.
A closeup of Karok in his three lensed helmet is seen as he orders the sferstrom from his ship. The Chronicler was created by the Source to tell of the dying Multiverses. The black mass hurtles in the sky above Apokalips and it sends out spiky rays. This moves to a two page spread of a battle with thick cross hatching for shadows as Mantis in yellow and green armor leaps in with blades. He faces a burly, armored solder of Karok Ator has a massive sword and gun. In a cosmic vista, is Metron looking away in his Mobius Chair. A purple caped, armored being with flaming head, the Chronicler mentions Metron’s plans. He is the narrator of The New Gods and that the fated end of the Absolute Universe is not just in the prophecy! Its first appearance was in Dark Nights: Death Metal Rise of the New God #1 (2020). He says in closeup he has seen Kali Yuga, the fourth and last age in Hindu works.
Then, we see Metron’s closeup as he says The Chronicler doesn’t know how it will end and he recounts how it started. He speaks about the ending of the Second World to Rakh Na Rokh, an interesting variation of Ragnarok, Kirby hinted that it was what led to the Fourth World. The artwork almost touches on the familiar, but becomes surreal as the writing. Metron is the only familiar character in this unknown section of the DC Universe. The Chronicler relates the refugees from the war and three “sibling-gods”; a hooded Nyctar, a bizarre creature with headdress branches from her head, Arbor Struta, and an almost mummified Parzurem. In the ruins of a battlefield, Arbor Struta examines a clawed hand of dust sensing life. She has a flowing, blue-green cape. Her name, “Arbor”, “a shelter of vines”, also makes me think of the Sprite at the”Firebird Suite - 1919 Version”, in Fantasia 2000 (1999).
She is the “god of fortuante winds and promised lands.” The towering Arbor Struta leads her children. Then, we see a closeup of the youngest, the hooded Nyctar who has yellow eyes, blue skin, and six arms. The “god of Pathrinders and explorers” leads his people. The Chronicler explains that worlds were discovered by Nyctar who also had Arbor Struta’s people join him. He adds that Nyctar’s ambition would work against him. The Chronicler shifts the narrative to Parzurem, “god of implements, invention, and industry.” The spiky flaps of this god seen has he hammers an anvil in a forge of giant cogs. In his armor, above his workers on a cliff edge, Parzurem sees the “Island ships of Kolen” and other ships around it. Next we see the techno-shell of a planet, called “Zurem-Uon” but it became the Machynoterum. The planet of Karok Ator! A closeup of his mouthless face, The Chronicler speculates that Parzurem may have forseen that he would wake in the Third World.
He is regarding some black globe in his claws, The Chronicler says he was no longer a god, but is important with the Fourth World. Then, The Chronicler notes that the downfall was when Nyctar and his Pathfinders traveled to “the edges of all knowing.” We see the purple robe of Nyctar facing a black sphere within one of his machines. We see him say, “A darkness with a desire of its own?” Uh-oh, we saw with Krona that led to the anti-matter universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (1985)! This corrupts him and his followers. We see Nyctar bringing down Arbor Struta and make bloody work with a blade. Then, we see the gaunt Nyctar with his four arms on a throne. He became a cannibal from his sister and became the god of “scavengers and purgers.” His followers are called the Nyctari. Then, we have the workshop of Parzurem with the god of invention kneeling before Nyctar. He refuses to make war machines and so is bound with the molten metal of his own forge! We see a closeup of the masked Nyctar and then the dark threads piercing the white sphere now covered with black patches like a puzzlebox.
Thankfully, we get an interlude from the dark narrative, back with Evan Cagle art of a closeup of another inventor, Oberon. His first appearance was in Mister Miracle #1 (1971). He was the short human who was an assistant to Mister Miracle. The character is interesting, in animation he has the dark eyebrows that hints at Jack Kirby’s look! Here he just looks like a wizened, elderly man, a little goofy. Oberon is soldering one of his work, lit in blue by the iron. Behind him is Big Barda and Mister Miracle with baby Kamal. Oberon says he knew Scott Free would be involved that morning. This is at Oberon’s two story ranch house outside of Las Vegas Bay. He pulls up his goggles to look a lil’ Kamal. Oberon makes a jab at Barda for trying to make Mister Miracle a family man. She threatens him, but he brushes this off, very foolish. Oberon has a grandoise gesture.
He reveals his latest invention, the Escape-A-Tron, that he built with the help of the Justice League. Oberon says it will bring Mister Miracle there from any trap. This will be handy later. Oberon shows that the device picked up a source signature that was from Kamal. Barda and Scott worry about Oberon joining them and he tells them that he will take care of their baby, Liv. We return to Zurem-Uon and The Chronicler says that Parzurem split is mind into “two arguments”; Moder and Paeter, “mother” in Polish and other European languages, and “pater”, means father in Latin. Moder, called a pyxis, a vessel, travels to the destruction of Urgrund, the Second World. This goes to the orbit of Galactica and becomes New Genesis. Moder seems to be Mother Box, but the shattering that led to New Genesis also split into Apokolips.
The Paester Pyxis searches until it finds an “infant planet” in the farthest corner. It looks like the nose cose of a rocket and starts to streak to this world which The Chronicler says would be inert for an age. Then, the capsule opens and the early humans watch it. The Chronicler says the figure stepping out was Prometheus, the god of Greek myth, and Pitahmaha, who is an imporant part of the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. He has a beard, red streaks on his face, and carries a staff. Then, takes faces from various beliefs, The Chronicler says they were all “the father of the world.” Very interesting since this is similar to Jack Kirby’s Marvel title, The Eternals. This shifts across the world from Gobekli Tepe, in what has become the country of Turkey, the Paeter had his sigil carved into works like the owl, in Teotihuacan, a valley in Mexico, there is structure built to “look on him on the day of the Summer Soltice”, it looks like the Pyramid of the Sun. This seems like The Eternals (2021) film.
There are children who ask him for stories about the three gods. We see him walk in a chamber, thinking about the “brief existences” of the humans and thought, “What would it be like to die?” He looks out to the Great Pyramids and wonders about the fate of humans from Nyctari. This shifts across the world from Gobekli Tepe, in what has become the country of Turkey, the Paeter had his sigil carved into works like the owl, in Teotihuacan, a valley in Mexico, there is structure built to “look on him on the day of the Summer Soltice”, it looks like the Pyramid of the Sun. This seems like The Eternals (2021) film. There are children who ask him for stories about the three gods. We see him walk in a chamber, thinking about the “brief existences” of the humans and thought, “What would it be like to die?”
He looks out to the Great Pyramids and wonders about the fate of humans from Nyctari. Paeter breaks his vow and is at a forge making “an aegis and spear all in one.” His hands over a strange device and then hid it. The Chronicler notes that he gave “his final breath” to connect the weapon to The Source. From his hand, a black mist that slips into the mouth of a child, Kamal!, his brow and mouth covered with symbols. Then, he wanders from the chola temple, The Chronicler says he will rise when needed, “a new god.” This also feels a bit like The Fifth Element (1997). Then, he fades into the wind as Kiran discovers Kamal, this was seen last issue. I wonder if this weapon is what Darkseid was searching for with the Anti-Life Equation. The New Gods #3 goes deep into the tale that eventually leads to Kamal, it is bold in world building and art, darkness with a little hope at the end!
Four Mobius Chairs out of Five!
#Starcatcher, #RamV, #RiccardoFedrici, #EvanCagle, #TheChronicler, #Metron, #NimitMalavia, #KarokAtor, #ArborStruta, #Parzurem, #Nyctar, #Moder, #Paeter, #Oberon, #MisterMiracle, #BigBarda, #Kamal
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