It’s no secret that I am in the running for world’s biggest fan of “The Wicked + the Divine,” but I am aware that the comic isn’t perfect. While it regularly blows my mind with gorgeous images, plot twists, and fantastic character beats, it just as often perplexes me with its measured but confusing storytelling. What makes “WicDiv” #35 stand out in the series is that it surpasses the confusing air of mystery that has surrounded the story thus far. We are well into the portion of the plot that needs to deliver answers and Kieron Gillen, Jaime McKelvie, Matt Wilson, and the gang drop some serious truth bombs. Know that I loved this issue, and that there will be discussion that can be considered spoilers. If you want to preserve the mystery, skip to the last paragraph, then come back, because this one was a doozy.
Cover by Jaime McKelvieWritten By Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Jaime McKelvie
Colored by Matt Wilson
Lettered by Clayton Cowles“MOTHERING INVENTION,” Part Two Once More We Return to the Once More We Return.
I recently loaned a friend a copy of “WicDiv” and he gave it back with a look of regret. I asked him what he thought, and he proceeded to recite the events of the book, but with a question mark at the end of every sentence. “So the judge in the courtroom was killed? But Lucifer didn’t do it?” He was correct on every count, but he felt like he hadn’t understood the book at all. That’s because even when it is being straightforward, “WicDiv” tends toward the mysterious. Couple that with dense references to 40-plus years of popular music, thousands of years of world history, contemporary London geography, and “Warhammer 40K,” and expectations for the reader are high. While this issue didn’t exactly subvert that, it’s straightforward in its presentation, and uses all the tools in the comic storytelling kit to deliver.
We start by revisiting the very first scene of the series, recently expanded upon by the ultra-dense “1923 Special.” We see here that Minerva was in cahoots with Ananke even back then. If you don’t remember every beat of that story, you may miss the moment that the new content begins, but it’s pretty clear that we’ve never seen 1923 Minerva do violence like this before. When her expression goes from giddy Shirley Temple to weary goddess of necessity, it gave me chills. McKelvie not only does a better job at expressing age than almost any other comic book artist, he manages to work in believable experience behind a youthful face.
It’s also clear (now) when a murder is taking place, and when a head is being stolen away. The latticework squiggles that have been with us since Luci was decapitated has always been a cool visual, but now we know it indicates something more. Two of the gods explode into flames, but Susanoo is consumed by glowing squiggles. Not true for old lady Ananke. When Minerva kills her, it’s with an explosion of blood, eyes, and teeth. Gross. 1923 Minerva consumes the four heads, and it’s an orgy of imagery that the series has been leaning on the whole time. We’ve got the 1-2-3-4 beat of pop music, the finger snaps, and when all is said and done, the heads have become skulls. Major props the Matt Wilson who does incredible things with lights and shadows, giving the scene an extra dimension of eeriness.
We also know who the old lady calling herself Ananke in the present is. It’s… well it’s still Ananke, but she was a little girl in 1923 who called herself Minerva. That’s why she looks like she’s a hundred years old. Because, for all intents and purposes she is (at least her body is). Curiously, as she completes the ritual in 1923 and recites a bastardized version of the series catchphrase (“Once more I return”), her eyes turn into skulls, the same skulls in Laura Wilson’s eyes, the eyes of the Destroyer.
The rest of the issue takes place in the present day, and though it’s a series of betrayals, deceptions, and bad guys capturing each other but totally meaning to get caught, it’s deliberately paced for clarity. A lot of the deception happens over text messages, and McKelvie draws the best phones in the biz. As Minerva (who is really Ananke) pits everyone against each other, her expression turns terrifyingly old again. Not her face, just her eyes and her smile. It’s by far the most unsettling thing to happen in this issue. Until the end.
Continued belowThe final twist could have been the most confusing, but a cleverly employed series of flashback panels makes it pretty clear. This entire issue was about one god pretending to be another (Ananke in the body of Minerva). It turns out, she’s not the only liar. As Laura finds the tiny burned bones of children, she remembers the first time she and Cassandra met Baal. Cassandra references the archaeologists who literally found the burned bones of children in the shrines of Baal Hammon. “I’m not Baal Hammon,” was the reply in the flashback, “I’m Baal Hadad. I don’t do fire.” Clearly a lie. If it wasn’t clear enough, as Baal throws away his lightning necklace (given to him by noted liar Woden), he bursts into flames. The creative team nailed the delivery of the twist, a small one in the grand theme of things, but one that completely broke my heart.
Issue #35 is a characteristically high quality issue of “The Wicked + the Divine,” but is uncharacteristically clear. That’s quite an achievement considering the number of deceptions and how vast the timeline is. As the story becomes choked with deceptions and triple-crosses, Gillen leans heavily on his art team to tell the story. And when you have an art team this extraordinary, they are more than up for the challenge. This is the beginning of the endgame for “The Wicked + the Divine,” and the game has never been more fun.
Final Verdict: 9.7 – Another twisty issue of “WicDiv” leaves no ambiguity as it breaks ours hearts with more betrayal.
