The Wicked + The Divine

The Wicked + The Divine

Promotional Launch Image.
Art by Jamie McKelvie.
Publication information
Publisher Image Comics
Schedule Monthly
Format Ongoing series
Genre Dark fantasy, contemporary fantasy
Publication date June 2014 – present
Number of issues 18 (As of April 2016)
Creative team
Writer(s) Kieron Gillen
Artist(s) Jamie McKelvie
Letterer(s) Clayton Cowles
Colorist(s) Matt Wilson
Creator(s) Kieron Gillen
Jamie McKelvie
Editor(s) Chrissy Williams
Collected editions
The Faust Act ISBN 978-1-63215-019-6
Fandemonium ISBN 978-1-63215-327-2
Commercial Suicide ISBN 978-1-63215-631-0

The Wicked + The Divine is a contemporary fantasy comic book series written by Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Jamie McKelvie, and published monthly by American company Image Comics. The series is largely influenced by Pop Music and various mythological deities. Gillen's core inspiration for the series came after his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and includes the themes of life and death in the story.[1]

The narrative follows a young teenage girl, Laura, as she interacts with the Pantheon, a group of twelve people who discover that they are reincarnated deities. This discovery grants them fame and supernatural powers, with the stipulation that they will die within two years – part of a ninety-year cycle known as the Recurrence.

The Wicked + The Divine has received positive reviews, and was the winner of Best Comic at the 2014 British Comic Awards.

Publication History

Author Kieron Gillen's original and core inspiration for The Wicked + The Divine was his father's diagnosis with terminal cancer.[1] For this reason, Gillen considers the story to be "about life and death."[1] Further inspiration for Gillen comes from Pop Music and various pop idols; the Pantheon is based on pop idols, and Gillen has created a playlist of songs to accompany the comic book.[2][3]

The series was announced on 9 January 2014,[4] and the first issue was released in June 2014.[5] As of April 2016, there have been 18 single issues released, three trade paperbacks, and one hardcover trade. The series is ongoing, intended to run for between 30 and 60 issues.[6]

The television rights have been optioned by Universal TV.[7]

Plot

The narrative focuses on a group of people with superhuman powers known as "The Pantheon". Each member of The Pantheon was at one point a normal person before being chosen to merge with the spirit of a deity. It is said that each cycle of The Pantheon will not live past two years from the start of the series, and that every 90 years the Pantheon is reincarnated. This cycle is known as the Recurrence. Each issue is accompanied by a quote from a character, acting as a surrogate name for the issue.[8]

The Faust Act

Issue 1 :"I want everything you have." - Laura

The opening arc begins in the year 2014 and is set in Britain. It introduces Laura, the leading character and a fan of the Pantheon. After attending a performance by Amaterasu, she is invited to meet several members of the Pantheon by Lucifer (who is one of the Pantheon herself). After Lucifer and Laura arrive, they see that Amaterasu is being interviewed by a woman named Cassandra, a skeptic reporter who believes the Pantheon is an elaborate hoax. Another goddess is introduced: Sakhmet. Assassins attempt to murder the Pantheon members during the interview, but Lucifer kills them in retaliation. At a trial for their murder, Lucifer toys with the judge with the ability to kill people with a click of her fingers. When she clicks her fingers, the judge's head explodes, but Lucifer insists she did not do it.[8]

Issue 2: You spend all your life wishing you were something special. And then you find out you are." - Amaterasu

Laura visits Luci in prison to ask about Ananke, who Laura overheard Lucifer whisper to Amaterasu at the trial. She then visits Cassandra and they plot to investigate the Pantheon with the intention of discovering if one of them framed Lucifer. Laura attends a concert in the subway by Pantheon member, The Morrígan. But when she arrives, another member, Baphomet, appears holding The Morrígan's severed head.

Issue 3: "Killing you is too quick of a thing. Better to destroy you." - The Morrígan

The head is revealed to be an illusion and the real Morrígan appears in a different form (named Badb) and the two begin to fight. Laura breaks up the fight but the two start to fight again, both speaking at once, which envelops Laura's world in darkness. The police arrive and fire a plastic round at Baphomet. He sets the cop on fire which eventually kills him. The Morrígan reveals a third form, Annie, who brings the man back to life. Laura is then arrested. Soon after she goes to meet Cassandra and they discuss what Lucifer had told them about individual members of the Pantheon. As they talk, Baal appears before them.

Issue 4: "When you're as good as I am? This is humble." - Baal

He takes the pair into the retreat of the Pantheon, Valhalla, where Laura is permitted to meet some of the other members, including Ananke. They discuss what to do with Lucifer before Laura goes to visit her. At their meeting, Luci breaks out the prison, revealing that she was not in danger at any point.

Issue 5: "If you exist, you're staring at me." - Tara

Lucifer goes on a rampage and the other gods come to control her. Amaterasu tries to reason with her but Baal and Sakhmet attempt to fight her. Laura goes to find The Morrígan, who agrees to help her and whisks Lucifer away from the battle to safety. But as Lucifer attempts to leave the safe house, Ananke appears and clicks her finger, blowing up Lucifer's head. Later on, Laura clicks her fingers to try to light a cigarette like she had seen Lucifer do. Miraculously, the cigarette starts to burn.

Fandemonium

Issue 6: "I've got no reason to be afraid anymore." - Inanna

A month after Lucifer's death, Laura has been lying low when she is contacted by Inanna, who reveals they met a year before at Ragnarock (an event about the Pantheon which occurred before the Recurrence) before he was chosen to become Inanna. He tells her that the men who attempted to assassinate Lucifer were fans. Afterwards Laura decides to come back into the public eye, having become famous in the Pantheon fandom for her public association with Lucifer.

Issue 7: "I'm a God, not a saint." - Wōden

At an event called Fantheon, Laura runs into Cassandra and they discuss the shooting and The Prometheus Gambit, which is a theory that killing a god will turn you into one. They run into Beth, Cassandra's disgruntled former employee, fired for leaking their location to Baal. Afterwards Laura takes part in a panel about life after being close to a god. At the panel, Kerry, a former member of Wōden's entourage, the Valkyries, where she went by the name Brunhilde, gives personal details about him. Wōden then arrives and asks if she will rejoin the Valkyries, if she reveals all she said was lies. The desperate Kerry agrees but Wōden walks away, terminating the offer, and leaving her broken. Afterwards Kerry attempts to shoot Wōden (under the illusion that the Prometheus Gambit exists), hoping to become a god if she succeeds. Minerva incapacitates her but is shocked by her aggression. At the end of Fantheon, Laura runs into Baphomet who takes her to the Underground for a night of fun. Afterwards The Morrígan invites Laura to a party thrown by Dionysus, who has recently revealed himself.

Issue 8: "Being happy for a night. That's not a small thing." - Dionysus

Laura heads to the party and meets Dionysus. At the party Laura dances with Sakhmet, and Wōden talks to Cassandra. Laura briefly comes out of the drug-like effect the party has to talk to Baphomet, asking him whether anything special happened before he became a god. She talks to Baal about Brunhilde, who is at a private hospital, and Minerva, who has gone into isolation since the incident. After the party, which goes on for days, Laura tells Dionysus that he's the best, because he makes others happy - but he reveals he isn't happy himself. On her way home, Baal stops and asks if she wants a lift. They then spend the night together.

Issue 9: "'Life' is the last thing I have boy." - Ananke

At Valhalla, Ananke is comforting Minerva when Baphomet appears to talk about Laura. Minerva, tired of Baphomet's sarcastic nature, shouts at him about how they are all going to die. Baphomet gets emotional and Ananke comforts him and informs him that the Prometheus Gambit will only work for a death god (to buy more time) - but strictly warns him about punishment for killing a God. Cassandra appears and Baphomet is dismissed after trying to harm her. Ananke gives Cassandra an interview, beginning with the history of the Pantheon - the Gods come to Earth to fight the darkness in the world. After winning once, the Pantheon had failed for thousands of years. When they win once again, they decide to elect Ananke to guide and protect the Gods. She then reveals that Cassandra is the twelfth god and transforms her into Urðr, who in turn transforms her two assistants into Verdandi and Skuld, to make up the Three Norns.

Issue 10: "If I'm going to hell, you're all coming with me." - Baphomet

The Morrígan talks to Baphomet, who wants more from his life. Laura is upset about not being the twelfth god, so Inanna takes her to Ragnarock, a massive festival in Hyde Park, and then leaves for his own performance. Laura goes to talk to Urðr, who has worked out who tried to kill Lucifer, but superfan David Blake tells her instead as Urdr isn't seeing anyone. The Norns then begins her Ragnarock performance. Baphomet appears and attempts to kill them to steal their life but The Morrígan stops him. Ananke threatens to kill Baphomet, but The Morrígan promises to look after him and they escape. The crowd begin to riot so The Norns perform to calm them down. After her performance Urdr is upset that the crowd cheered her performance about their inevitable deaths. Laura comforts her and tells her she's happy for her. Baphomet regrets it but realizes he must kill Inanna at his performance.

Issue 11: "No one gets a happy ending." - Laura

When Laura returns home, Ananke is waiting for her. Baphomet attacks Inanna at his performance and they fight, ending in the building exploding and the death of Inanna. Ananke tells Laura that she is a thirteenth member of The Pantheon, Persephone. Ananke tells her to sing, but just before she does, Ananke clicks her fingers, killing Persephone. When Laura's parents discover this, Ananke blows up the house, killing them.

Commercial Suicide

Issue 12: "I loved him." - Baal

Beth, along with her new crew Toni and Robin, are cycling through old footage of Laura, trying to gain something she can use. They head to the wreckage of Inanna's residency, to record footage of the grieving crowd, when Baal appears to pay his respects. Beth uses her previous connection with him to give him a lead of Innana's death, in exchange for an interview. Afterwards they head to find The Morrígan, using the same method Laura had used when Luci was in danger. After revealing herself, Baal begins beating The Morrígan, wanting information on Baphomet's whereabouts. Ultimately, Wōden appears and breaks up the fight, taking the two Gods with him. Beth is left with her exclusive and Baphomet appears in the shadows, choosing to cover his own back then help The Morrígan.

Issue 13: "Looking good, girl." - Wōden

Tara is performing a concert and the crowd love her. But when she tries to play an original song, the crowd boo and turn violent against her until she starts performing again. She starts narrating about her life, from where catcalls began at the age of eleven and threats of rape occurred. Adopting a mask to hide her face, she begins gigging in secret to small crowds, which is where Ananke finds her and changes her into Tara. In the present, Tara makes a rare visit to talk to the rest of the Gods and Ananke. They argue about what to do with The Morrígan and the footage that Beth's has obtained. Meeting with Ananke later on, she is confused about who she really is and upset about the bullying the world is inflicting on her. She performs one last song, where Ananke then executes her. Tara's narration is revealed to be her suicide note that Ananke promptly burns. Online, the abuse turns to appreciation upon her death.

Issue 14: "You're not stupid, are you? Just evil." - Cassandra

Wōden is telling someone his side of the story so far. He starts by explaining that when Kerry tried to shoot him, a part of him wanted to die. Afterward he went to inform Ananke what had happened, and she sent him to Dionysus' party to arrange Cassandra's interview with her. He then reveals that Ananke killed the judge at Luci's trial, which he keeps quiet about. He tells of all the things he has done for Ananke; build a hideout for the Gods, organise Fandemonium and Ragnarok and even clean up the murdered body of Laura. Ananke has been making Wōden do her work for ages. and he is afraid that more will die soon. The figure he is speaking to is revealed to be another masked figure, and Wōden promises that he will protect him.

Issue 15: "You're doing this wrong." - Urðr

Amaterasu recalls her past where a bully attempts to steal a toy version of her namesake and she bites him for it. Whilst praying at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, she receives a call and returns to London to find Tara dead. Dionysus, Baal, Wōden and Sakhmet argue with each other and all storm out, leaving Amaterasu alone with the body. Heading down the hall, she goes into Kerry's room, where she is still recovering from her injuries. Minerva is with her along with Beth's crew. Minerva is still guilty over what she did to Kerry but is also concerned that everything that is happening doesn't add up. The Norns arrive and chastise Beth for being there, who has been invited by Wōden to document the Pantheon. When Amaterasu tries to keep Urðr from waking Kerry, Urðr calls her out for appropriating culture. The two argue about Japanese culture which culminates in Amaterasu teleporting The Norns to Hiroshima. During their argument, Amaterasu accidentally creates a very offensive image of a sun over Hiroshima. Amaterasu realises her mistake and explains to Urðr that she didn't choose this image. Returning to the shrine, she prays for her fellow Gods and the ones who have died.

Issue 16: "You were always best at the game." - Cameron

The Morrígan is being held by The Gods, who seek Baphomet's location. She thinks back to her pre-transformation days, where she was Marian and Baphomet was Cameron, her best friend who she eventually forms a relationship with. After the deaths of his family, Cameron goes on a downward spiral, eventually leading him to sleep with someone else. Marian storms off into a graveyard, where she is transformed into The Morrígan. One day after a performance, Cameron waits for her. Realising she still loves him, she manages to convince Ananke to change Cameron into Baphomet. She promises to lead the Gods to Baphomet but doesn't know exactly where he is. Minerva gives her lunch, where a mini Baphomet emerges from a pentagram of ketchup, promising to explain everything.

Issue 17: "Are you ready?" - Wōden

Sakhmet is woken up after a night of partying and debauchery by Eir. After light training with Baal, she performs a concert for her fans. Whilst giving an interview, she becomes agitated when she isn't given a drink and leaves. In her sober state, she kills and eats her father. Wōden and two Valkyries show up to bring her home, by offering her alcohol. Whilst drunkenly guarding The Morrígan, she passes out, where The Morrigan says she knows how she will escape. Across town, a bar is being booked for a concert under the name of Persephone.

Rising Action

Issue 18: "Tonight, I'm going to kill." - Persephone

Laura, now going as Persephone, gets ready to perform her concert. Persephone starts her concert and the public begin to post about her on social media. Wōden is busy making a birthday present to Minerva from Ananke when they are alerted to Persephone's present, who Ananke labels as 'The Destroyer'. Ananke goes with Wōden, his Valkyries and Sakhmet and leaves Baal to guard Valhalla. Baphomet attacks and knocks him out, hoping to rescue The Morrígan. The others arrive at Persephone's gig and start to fight. Baphomet finds Minerva has already freed The Morrígan and they all plan to leave together, after fetching Minerva's parents. The others realise Persephone is a distraction and rush back to Valhalla. Baphomet, Minerva and The Morrígan find themselves cornered by the others when Persephone arrives to help them escape. The Morrígan announces now is the time to wage war. It is then revealed one month ago Persephone and Baphomet slept together.

Issue 19: "Do you guys believe her?" - Dionysus

Dionysus is holding a party when he suddenly lurches over in pain and leaves, upsetting his guests. Baphomet grabs him and takes him to meet the others in the Underground, where they persuade him to join their fight against Ananke. At Valhalla, Ananke persuades the other Gods (Sakhmet, Baal, Amaterasu and Wōden) that they need to kill Persephone and rescue Minerva. Minerva's pet mechanical owl, Owly, finds her but is actually being used as a conduit for Baal. Sakhmet and Amaterasu also join him to fight but The Morrígan summons a horde of ravens to attack them. During the fight Amaterasu manages to grab Minerva and escape with her, with the others following her. Persephone picks up Owly and they discover a recording of Ananke saying she is going to sacrifice Minerva.

Characters

The Pantheon

Initially, there were at least 12 known members of the Pantheon. Laura may have been an unforeseen thirteenth goddess.

Ananke appears to act along with the group, but is also outside of them. Unlike the others she is not a teenager and has aged. She functions almost as a parent, and reveals that she gave up her divinity during an earlier cycle of The Recurrence to protect future members of The Pantheon.

Reception

The Wicked + the Divine has received generally positive reviews. The review aggregation website Comic Book Roundup reports that the series holds an average score of 8.5 out of 10.[13]

Awards

The Wicked + the Divine was the winner of Best Comic at the 2014 British Comic Awards.[14] The series has also been nominated for the 2015 Eisner Awards in three categories: Best New Series, Best Cover Artist, and Best Coloring.[15]

Collected Editions

The first three volumes have been collected as trade paperbacks:

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wheeler, Andrew. "Exclusive: Gillen & McKelvie Announce New Image Series, ‘The Wicked & The Divine’ [Interview]". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 3 June 2015. Kieron Gillen: "The Wicked & The Divine was one of the ideas I had in the days following my Dad being diagnosed with terminal cancer. It’s a pop book, but it’s basically about life and death."
  2. ↑ Foxe, Steve. "Guest List: Kieron Gillen on the Music Behind The Wicked + The Divine (and a Whole Lot More)". Paste Magazine. Paste Media Group. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Gillen, Kieron. "PLAYLIST: The Wicked + The Divine". Spotify. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Salazar, Kat. "The Gods Are ReIncarnated in THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE". Image Comics. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  5. ↑ Dean, Tres (19 June 2014). "The Wicked and the Divine #1 Review". IGN. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  6. ↑ Reed, Patrick A. "The Wicked + The Divine: The Entire Creative Team Talks Story, Art, Design, Color, Letters + Music [Interview]". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "‘The Wicked + The Divine’ Comic To Be Adapted As TV Series By Universal TV". Deadline. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Kieron Gillen (w), Jamie McKelvie (p), Matt Wilson (i). "The Faust Act" The Wicked + The Divine #1 (June 18, 2014), Image Comics
  9. ↑ Kieron Gillen (w), Jamie McKelvie (p), Matt Wilson (i). "Fandemonium" The Wicked + The Divine #11 (June 3, 2015), Image Comics
  10. ↑ Kieron Gillen (w), Jamie McKelvie (p), Matt Wilson (i). "Fandemonium" The Wicked + The Divine #6 (December 17, 2014), Image Comics
  11. ↑ Kieron Gillen (w), Jamie McKelvie (p), Matt Wilson (i). "The Faust Act" The Wicked + The Divine #5 (October 22, 2014), Image Comics
  12. ↑ Kieron Gillen (w), Jamie McKelvie (p), Matt Wilson (i). "Fandemonium" The Wicked + The Divine #9 (March 25, 2015), Image Comics
  13. ↑ "THE WICKED + THE DIVINE". Comic Book Roundup. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "BCA 2014 Winers Announced". British Comic Awards. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  15. ↑ "2015 Eisner Award Nominations". Comic-Con. Retrieved 16 June 2015.

External links

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