Review: Second Coming #6
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer:Â Mark Russell
Art: Richard Pace and Leonard Kirk
Colors:Â Andy Troy
Letters:Â Rob Steen
Reviewed by:Â Tony Farina
Summary
Second Coming #6 starts with Sunstar in group therapy. He invites everyone to the wedding and then points out how many people will die for him to go on his honeymoon. Hmmm. That seems like a big ask. Still, before the honeymoon he goes to try to stop Dr. Simus and his super apes who happen to have the only Solanite reserves (Sunstar’s only weakness) on Earth.
Meanwhile, 2000 years ago, the last temptation of Christ is ongoing. As was the case in the book and the movie, he turns Satan down and rejects Judas’ drive to make money off of all miracles. That is kind of his thing. Still, it is fun to see it play out this way.
Back in the present, Satan is hanging out at a Ramada Inn planning the destruction of Sunstar and Jesus. That last panel of issue five, which recreated the last supper has moved to it’s next logical step, a villainous plot.
Positives
Where to begin? There is one panel on page 12 that made me burst out laughing. It is not really a big thing, but the facial expressions by Pace and Co here are just priceless. After Sunstar gets back from beating up the murder Apes, Shelia asks him where he has been. He says, “Oh Just Monkeyin’ around” and he winks right at us. It is a giant hug to Batman 66′ for sure. Shelia says, with the ultimate look of disgust on her face, “You were killing apes weren’t you?” That is just brilliant. I know that is not what this book is about, but damn. So good.
Here are some other things I loved about this issue. The joke about Unitarians. The fact that Night Justice, this universe’s Batman, ends up getting to DJ the wedding reception. The jokes that make people uncomfortable. The absolute seriousness with which Mark Russell tells this story. The art. The shading. The way that everyone in this book is so absolutely earnest. It is just so good. Plus, there is bowling and it is really important.
Here is the best line in this issue: “I used to be a strong believer in faith, but now I see that faith, like childhood, is just another form of Stockholm Syndrome.”
Well damn. I’ll just stop there so you can think that over like I did when I read it.
Negatives
Second Coming #6 represents the end of the series. Isn’t that a bad thing? I submit that it is. However, read the note at the end. Hooray!
Verdict
I am not sure what else Mark Russell has to do to win an Eisner. He has my vote for writer of the year for 2019. I put Second Coming as a tie for best and most important mini-series of the year with Female Furies. It is smart. It is beautifully drawn. It is a perfect work of satire wrapped in a package of comic paper. Please, if you have not read this book do. Read it. Buy it. I don’t have to buy it because I get review copies for free, but I bought it anyway. It is that important. Buy it. Read it. Think about it. The collection comes out in February. My interview with Mark should be out soon. Read that too, but more importantly, tell everyone you know to read this and then talk to them about it.
