The New Gods are returning to DC Comics, as Jack Kirby’s classic mythology gets a fresh reboot from some of DC’s premiere creators. The acclaimed team of Ram V and Evan Cagle are bringing the worlds of New Genesis and Apokalips back into the spotlight this year, as Kirby’s pantheon must deal with the death of an old god and the rise of an intergalactic army.
The New Gods #1 – set to be released this December – features refurbished character designs from artist Evan Cagle, bringing the classic Jack Kirby characters into the modern day with style and panache.
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The New Gods #1 (2024) |
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Release Date: |
December 15, 2024 |
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Writer: |
Ram V |
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Artist: |
Evan Cagle |
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Cover Artist: |
Nimit Malavia |
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An old god has died, and the reverberations of his passing are felt across the universe, setting forth the soldiers of an intergalactic army and awakening the latent powers of a mysterious child on Earth. But this has all been foreseen—prophesized by the Source and fed as enigmatic images to its agent, Metron. Now, as Metron brings word of this cosmos-shattering prediction to the residents of New Genesis and Apokolips, both worlds are thrown into chaos and conflict. On Earth, Scott Free and Barda find themselves unaware of this incoming chaos while consumed with their most daunting task yet: parenthood. Ram V and Evan Cagle bring the Fourth World to a whole new generation in this epic of cosmic proportions. An old god has died…the New Gods are born! |
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Judging from the solicitations, the latest Fourth World saga won’t be a small affair, but is setting up a conflict that looks to have ramifications across the whole of the DCU. Metron having visions of a future that is yet to come should be an intriguing “Chekov’s gun” running throughout the new series, building up to a bigger story on down the line.
“An Old God Dies” As DC’s New Gods Get A Highly Anticipated Relaunch
Ram V & Evan Cagle Update Jack Kirby’s Iconic Pantheon
Jack Kirby created the concept of the Fourth World after leaving Marvel for DC in 1970. Considering that Kirby co-created the majority of the Marvel universe in the previous decade, this was a huge coup for DC, and the King brought a boatload of concepts with him when he launched New Gods, Forever People and Mister Miracle. Although the saga proved to be short-lived, the characters have lived on, with the villain Darkseid going on to become one of the biggest villains the DC Universe has to offer.
As Ram V noted in an interview with Screen Rant, Jack Kirby had a new idea every two panels, so it will be interesting to see which of Kirby’s concepts the new creative team draws from. They seem to also be building off a more contemporary ideas from DC’s Fourth World lore, as the reveal of Big Barda and Mister Miracle’s son attests. Scott Free and Barda having a son was first introduced in Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ award-winning Mister Miracle series from 2017-2018, although the ambiguous nature of that story meant not everything portrayed within necessarily actually happened.
DC Comics’ New Gods Face Their Greatest Challenge In The Upcoming Reboot
The New Gods #1 – Written By Ram V; Art By Evan Cagle; Available December 15
Ram V and Evan Cagle have established themselves as a creative team to watch with their creator-owned series Dawn Runner, so the two uniting for a revamp of the Fourth World saga is a tantalizing prospect. With dozens of characters and concepts created by Jack Kirby, the new creative team will certainly have an expansive playground to draw upon for this all-new series. The New Gods are some of DC and Jack Kirby’s most important creations, so it’s heartening for fans both new and old to know they are good hands when the new series launches later this year.
The New Gods #1 will be available December 15, 2024 from DC Comics.