For me the most terrifying thing in this comic was the Flash. He was moving so fast that he was able to monitor a whole city simultaneously. Hell, he can't even stop moving anymore.
Definitely the coolest part, and also nails all the themes in like two pages. Flash (I think this is Wally) is so fed up with the losing battle of being a hero that he has taken heroism to what appears to be a natural extreme: enforcing his will upon the city, and essentially stripping the citizens of Central City of their own free will. He's a totalitarian God who cannot be questioned, reasoned with, or even understood.
@@davidbjacobs3598 I never really interpreted it like that really. I just thought whenever a crime happened, the moment a crime happened he would stop it. I never saw it as him preventing the citizens doing whatever they wanted if he didn’t agree with it.
I was at a comic con where Alex Ross brought his dad and he hung out around the DC booth dressed like McCay - Scared the crap out of me! He just grinned and gave me a wink.
Interesting tidbit about why Batman looks like Gregory Peck in Kingdom Come: David Mazzucchelli based Bruce Wayne in Batman: Year One on a young Peck so Ross decided to continue that through line by drawing Batman like an older Peck for Kingdom Come.
Bro, Kingdom Come's best moment comes when Supes decides to return. There's all the awful new heroes fighting wantonly and there's just a whirlwind, and two people go "Look!" "Up in the sky!" I swear to god, when I read that for the first time, I could hear the John Williams Superman theme start to play in my head. Like Chris said, that's just like a pure dopamine hit of uncomplicated, Silver Age hope.
It was late 1999, and I was working at a Spencer's at a mall just outside of Chicago, Golf Mill Mall for those of you who are keeping score. We had had several celebrity sightings there, but oftentimes I was unimpressed. Then he walked in, looking for Halloween decorations. Who was it? None other than Alex Ross. I of course fanboyed hard. His girlfriend, now wife, was as excited that he was recognized as I was to meet him.. Unfortunately I had no comics on me,, so I had him sign some receipt paper. I still keep that receipt paper in my copy of Kingdom Come.
10 years later, when I was in film school, I was working audio on a student film. I was wearing my Alex Ross Uncle Sam t-shirt. One of the actors on this project pointed at me and said, "that guy taught me how to paint!" That actor and I became fast friends. He was Frank Kasey, the man who modeled as Supeman for Alex Ross.
Ross is one of those artists, like Jim Lee and Joe Madureira. That I've always wanted to meet in real life. Being an artist myself, they were huge inspirations. Growing up as a kid in the 90's.
@@pious83 I'm not bragging, but I got to meet Jim Lee at the Chicago Comic Con back in 1995 or 96. Or 1994. Doesn't really matter. Lol. I had him sign some Wildcats comics. I don't remember much beyond that, but I'm sure he was very nice.
@@superpaul79 Cool. I've never been to a Con. So my chances of meeting any of them are pretty non-existent. So I continue to support their work, as a reader instead.
I really respect the criticism of Ross's art. His work carries so much reverence that I think people gloss over how important critique is within art. And I have to agree, composition and ability to capture a moment in time is legendary as well has his use of texture and realism, but the heighten motion and energy that's so integral to superhero comics isn't always captured. I think of something like the Mona Lisa as being this compositional masterwork but it would feel so static in a comic panel
I think that's why Alex seems to mainly do covers now. He's amazing at covers and splash pages, but it's not always the best for the type of visual storytelling in comics.
@@qty1315 no probably because it takes a lot of time, and he's probably worth a lot of money. He never did basic comics. It was more like specials in the first place.
Mark Waid's cautionary tale to DC and modern comic book readers about the dangers of Image, and specifically the swell of morally gray anti-heroes/anti-villains that are really just edgelord fodder while also telling them not to treat Superman and superheroes as old and busted... And the sad part is that as time goes on, it ages like a fine wine.
In a world saturated with the sugar-crazed MCU and the diabolical The Boys, Kingdom Come tells a tale of apocalyptic truth with a small glimmering hope that can never be vanquished.
Your analysis of his art style is spot on, and that's why I love it so. It makes me feel like I could step into the panel and walk amongst the frozen characters, mid-action.
I picked up Kingdom Come on a bit of a whim after hearing a few good words about it online. I’ve since read it cover to cover multiple times and it is easily the best comic I’ve read.
if you're looking for something similar by alex ross, read planet x its my favourite marvel book published and ive read the collector's TPB so many times the spine is falling apart
I still have all four issues in my collection. I got the first issue when I saw it in Waldenbooks, and I thought the cover looked interesting. When I opened it and saw the art had carried over, I hadn’t seen anything like it before and I was all in. Add to that the writing and art complimented each other. Hard to believe that was 26 years ago!
Chris, this is good timing. In a few days I'm going to start reading Kingdon Come(I'm really excited about it), and this is going to be the first video I watch after reading it.
The day I walked in to my comic shop and spotted the first issue of Kingdom Come on the rack is one I'll never forget. That and the first of Ross/Busiek's Marvels are pickups that really changed the game for me.
You are just absolutely the best Chris comics video maker alive. I have enjoyed your content since you were getting drunk and putting sticky notes on the wall. You get better and better with the years. Great job sir.
Small bit about Superman carrying the two wooden planks (that was noted in an issue of Wizard): he also carried three large nails in his pocket, that can be seen only just sticking out.
*_Kingdom Come_* and *_Marvels_* are the two stories I repeatedly go back to. The art of *Alex Ross* is absolutely incredible IMO. The art of *John Byrne* hits my nostalgia g-spot, as his art for _X-Men_ and other titles cemented my love for comics as a teen back in the day. Whereas the art by *_Ross_* is appreciated and beloved by the more discerning adult I like to think I've become (despite still giggling uncontrollably at inappropriate times).🤭 Ultimately, I feel your points about *Alex's* work are spot on. Yet, I still can't take my eyes off of it.
I always figured Magog was partially based on the Golden Calf, a false idol. Turns out Waid ended up liking the character. Something I like about KC is the dialogue. Also we got new takes on characters like Atom Smasher, Offspring, Red Arrow, Red Robin. When Superman is holding the lumber, there are three spikes in his pocket. And I believe the window the Spectre flies through was the revelation of St. John. Behold, I shew you a mystery.
I'm immensely happy to own an absolute edition hardcover of this story!!! DC should reprint JUSTICE in that format. Alex Ross is just too legit awesome.
How badly did I want to read KINGDOM COME? I was completely broke at the time so I actually sold PLASMA to buy the first two issues. It remains the only time in my life I sold plasma and it was a weird experience. I was pretty much out of comics when Kingdom Come arrived and I was only reading Love & Rockets. But this book came out at a time before CGI had really made superheroes eternally viable on film, so Alex Ross's jawdropping art was the closest thing to seeing iconic heroes (and many peripheral ones as well) come to life.
I'll always recognize Alex Ross as the Norman Rockwell of the comic world. I cannot recommend his work enough in Kingdom Come to explore all the detail and wonderment with his art!
One of my favourite bits of character design is that grown up Billy Batson looks exactly like Shazam because it does just make perfect sense. The reveal itself highlights that, when Oliver Queen is so stunned and suddenly puts it all together that that’s who Billy is, because he couldn’t recognise him without the costume. Honestly the character design and little moments throughout are incredible, the Shazam reveal is just one such moment; J’on struggle with a degenerative illness that inhibits his telepathy, Deadman being fully skeletal, Green Lantern the Emerald Knight, Hawkman as a full hawk and the reveal that the Lord of Apokolips is actually the silhouette of Orion, not Darkseid are some of my stand outs.
This was a great episode. I AM a bit disappointed that you didn't mention the Kingdom Come reference from the Arrowverse Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, where one of the worlds visited was the Kingdom Come version where Clark Kent became the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet (who's offices featured newspaper covers of Kingdom Come with the artwork of Alex Ross was used as the newspaper photographs) and was played by Brandon Routh (his first re-appearance as Superman/Clark since the film Superman returns). I am hereby requesting a look at Marvels, and hopefully its dark mirror Ruins as a possible episode. I thank you, not only for the great series here, but being the one to get me to read The Immortal Hulk run. It was a worthy addition to my collection...
You should find the deepfake where they superimposed Reeves' face onto Routh for that episode. This seems like the kind of thing that would be right up Ross' alley too, I even tried to ask on his TH-cam channel if he'd ever consider using the technology to punch up his references, but of course there's not a lot of Q&A on his channel anyway. So it's pretty fruitless. Unfortunately AI might end up being more of a curse to artists all around.
Half way through and the way it's described and analyzed, it reminds me of the feeling and appreciation I had reading comics on paper that I just want to pause the video, find it in print, and just take my time with it, appreciating every frame as I make my way through the story, which is something I can't do digitally because staring at an illuminated image just taxes the eyes so much. Thanks, Comic Tropes!
My favorite comic of all time, bar none. Two moments that still give me chills are the return of Superman, with his messianic appeal, and the oh-so menacing appearance of Captain Marvel. So good.
Kingdom Come is quite possibly my favorite comic book of all time. It's one that got me into comics and it's the perfect book to show people who want to start. Ross is an all-time great, but he's just not the right fit for some characters. I think he's much more suited for DC characters than Marvel. I don't think his style works as well with characters who have their whole face covered, like Spider-Man and Moon Knight. But he's my favorite Superman artist of all-time.
Looking at his Spider-Man, it does look like he draws Spider-Man as though the mask is more of a helmet than a mask. He's great at facial expressions. The bodies tend to look a little 'plain' for my tastes, though that's just a personal thing.
Thank you for another well researched episode. Love the Alex Ross art, especially the cover art. Will follow your recommendation and read Kingdom Come. Also, thank you for the library of solid recommendations. Please keep them coming.
I discovered Alex Ross through the series "Justice". Also an incredibly well-designed story with great art. Especially the armor which are worn at the end by the heroes, are among my favorite representations.
This is one of those rare comics where it's worth getting out the magnifying glass... The amount of work Ross put into the backgrounds, almost each panel is a basket of Easter eggs. Bjork even makes an appearance! One of the best DC comics a person can read.
Episodes and analysis like this are why I sub. KC stands out as one of those series that went beyond just being a comic. It is art, it is literature, it is commentary and it really is a title that deserved discussion then and now. Right up there with Watchmen.
Kingdom Come is one of those stories that you can read and re-read over the years and get something new out of it, the kind of story that the more you know about DC the more you relish recognizing the characters within the story like delicious easter eggs :P
Great analysis of Kingdom Come. It's one of the best comic book stories I've ever read, and Ross' art makes it all the more epic. It's as if I had entered a museum filled with art depicting classic mythology, it really pulled me in.
I remember seeing adverts for Kingdom Come in comics and spending the longest time trying to figure out what it was about and whether the images I saw were photos or drawings. I'm so glad I finally got to read it one day.
The art of Kingdom Come remains my all-time favorite. There are so many details and Easter eggs hidden in each panel. Every time I re-read Kingdom Come I find even more.
My favorite comic ever. I remember seeing the posters for it when I was two years old. This book helped introduce me to comics and how amazing they can be.
I have to say that Kingdom Come and Alex Ross are what brought me back to superhero comics. I was so disenfranchised with Marvel and Image in the 90s because of just the fatigue of seeing the similar approaches to the artwork. The art and story in Kingdom Come drew me in. I have a couple of copies of KC and the other Ross books. This was a renaissance for me.
Thank you for covering this series its one if my all time favorites, and I don't feel its gets the kind of respect it deserves. I would put this series right up there Watchmen, and Darknight returns as a all time classic.
Anyone remember that Wonder Woman panel where Ross had to use himself instead of a model for some reason in Kingdom Come? It’s funny as hell. It’s Alex Ross in cosplay and WW with a 5 o’clock shadow. I think it’s a corner panel when they’re at the Statue of Liberty, in case anyone wants to see what I’m talking about. Lol
Chris, you're so good at this! I've been struggling to write about Kingdom Come for my dissertation, since I'm currently working with comics language vis-à-vis film theory, and your videos always help me look at these narratives from such an interesting perspective! Really, thank you for everything. :)
I first got into comic books at 16 because of Kingdom Come and then using wikipedia to look up every character i didnt recognize. I had no idea how rich every characters story was! A great entry point into the depth of the DC universe
I borrowed a copy from the library in high school and it blew my mind. I love the way that Alex Ross paints clothing--his costumes look like impressive and dignified but are also clearly still cloth and metal.
Wonderful and thorough critique of the art and story found in Kingdom Come. Thank you for honoring Ross' fantastic art while articulating its storytelling shortcomings.
I had Kingdom come as an audio drama on a couple of cassette tapes back in the day. I thought it was fantastic. I would just sit there following along page by page as the audio drama played out. Super immersive.
Wonderful review! I remember learning about and reading Marvels and Kingdom Come in late 90’s. All of the little cameo’s in the art were so fun to discover. The story line was such a refreshing look at the anti-heroes at the time. Thank you for putting this video together
I am so glad you reviewed this amazing story.As you know it is spoken of often,and with good reason.you did a good job explaining this masterwork to those not familiar with it.only The Watchmen, in my opinion, comes close to this.
Whenever Kingdom Come comes up I feel that it is always a good point to mention that KC was not an exception on it's day, and in fact I remember quite clearly when it got initially released, that it got some rough press as being derivative of Marvel's "Last Avengers story". Nobody will argue that, heavy-handed Judeo-christian allegory aside, Kingdom Come holds up much better than the rather simplistic LAS, but the similarities are just far too suspicious: A depressing, apocalyptic tale of the twilight years of the heroes, showing what happens when a final crisis pulls them (and their cynical, ultra-violent "heirs") back from the shadows with a lot of fanservicey "look what happend to X.." stuff and illustrated by a premiere artist for extra prestige. Definetely part of a trend there. Hope you get around to discussing this one later on as it's somewhat of a forgotten gem with the same themes (and released merely months apart).
Kingdom Come has to be one favorites and I don't find myself reading too many DC comics. It's one of those books that shows you why the world needs a Superman, a Batman and Wonder Woman. Oh yeah, those 3 characters are often call DC's holy Trinity by the comic community.
Loved this series now and when it came out. One of my favorite comic lines every is when they are describing the flash as “living between the ticks of a second”.
I think Kingdom Come was the first time I had ever read a comic and was like "Holy shit ... comics can be AWESOME!" (I'd only been reading comics for a few years at that point.)
When I initially read this I couldn't help but associate it with A Christmas Carol and was never able to shake that in my head. Apparently having some extraworldly being take some old man around to see the world is enough of a similarity for me to make a 1:1 association. Didn't enjoy it as a result, which is a bummer since many of my friends raved about it
I would love to see a cg adaptation of Kingdom Come. Create a 3D model of all of Alex Ross's character designs, and they could even work with the estate of Gregory Peck to use his voice for Batman. Not sure how well the whole thing would translate into a film, but would love to see the attempt.
20:00 Fun fact. The idea of the physical world ending isn't what Revelations is about. That's a bit of a misunderstanding. The word used in the original Greek doesn't refer to a "physical" end, they would've used another word for that. The meaning is actually more "end of an era/epoch". So Kingdom Come is actually quite accurate in that sense.
Now this is something I absolutely love to see. Your break downs are always so thorough and thoughtful from your experience Chris, so having you breaking down one of the greatest comics of all time and one of my favorites is dream come true
I’ve loved Alex Ross’s work ever since I was a kid and found Marvels at my library. I can see what you mean about his panels lacking a sense of motion though. His comics have almost always felt like watching the slideshow styled documentaries of Ken Burns.
Here I was about to talk smack about the fact that you did a a KC episode after Comics explained did an episode…and you go into a deep-dive of Alex Ross-keep going, you magnificent bastard!!!
This series or Marvels was my intro to Ross (whichever was first). I'd seen painted covers growing up thanks to Dell and Gold Key. But never to this level or sustained for a whole comic let alone a mini series. Even if it'd been just a fluff story it'd have been great, but the story alone would've held me. It does remind me a lot of Mark Greunwald's Squadron Supreme at the core of it, but it stands on its own easily. It also was a nod of hope to me that the grim and gritty post-Crisis comics that drove me (among other things) away from being an avid fan. The hope wasn't actually fulfilled, but it did give me an appreciation for names that hadn't been around yet when I was a kid. Eye-opening for the characters and myself, ironically.
I love Ross' naturalistic work. I think that, despite the somewhat static pose of characters, they project immense power, especially for being so realistic. IMO there's no better representation of Superman in comics than that of Alex Ross. It's the comics equivalent of a Christopher Reeve in the movies. Both are iconic. What I don't like as much, again, IMO, is that the colors don't look as rich as they should be. That may be a problem of the medium (guache) or perhaps that's related to the color reproduction. But it's likely the former.
LOVE this channel... and Alex Ross' art. Absolutely loved MARVELS when it came out, but didn't reach for "Kingdom Come" (being a Marvel fan), but I think I'll check it out now. Cheers!
By the mid-'90s, I am already a jaded collector. I no longer read many of the comics I buy. I just buy most of them so I could flip them later. Along came KINGDOM COME, and it brought back excitement to me. It rekindled my love for comics. I must've read and re-read that epic story at least a dozen times since. Sadly, it is the exception rather than the rule in comics. No other comic gave me that sense of awe and wonder. Kingdom Come set the bar pretty high for the others. It is a game-changer. Thanks for discussing this amazing series, COMIC TROPES.
Excellent video,Chris! I was there reading this as it came out! 12 years ago I picked up the Absolute Kingdom Come for 5 bucks at a local Salvation Army store! Waid/Ross really defines DC rich history!
One of the greatest comics in my opinion. The world is so bright with a 50’s camp to it with some kind of depressing elements. Not to mention the absolutely beautiful artwork. Every panel looks like a painting you’d see in a gallery
Ross is one of my top 3 artists but you make a good point about the static quality which lends well for covers or framed wall art but maybe not so much for interior action. It's something I've considered but haven't quite been able to articulate as well as you did here. As always thanks for the fabulous content!
Kingdom Come was the first book I bought twice, I originally got the 4 issues in spanish, but later I bought the absolute edition in english with all the extras, it was also my first collector edition of a series that I ever bought but the extras are worth it.
Excellent! Loved the series and Alex Ross! A couple of hopes: DC's The Golden Age series, and a spotlight on artist Paul Pope, perhaps? Thanks for the channel, and I'll see you in the future, because that's where we'll spend the rest of our lives!
I think Alex Ross is a lovely painter and he has a knack for an epic image. His sequential art leaves something to be desired, though (which, now that I've watched the entire video, is exactly Chris's thesis. Great minds blah blah ;-).
My local library had this and i checked it out so many times over the course of 5th to 7th grade i ended up fixin it whenever a accidental tear or a tear somebody else left happened
oh hai you caught me wanting to re-read a graphic novel that came out when I was a tad too young to appreciate it! Chris, love the intros, love the serious side as well... You blend both perfectly
I love DC, watchmen, V for vendetta, the Nolan triology and znyder cut of batman. Now I am in a " too old for super heroes" phase, that might or might not end. But every now and then I still read and love my favorite comic book ever, Kingdom come.
My favorite reference in Kingdom Come is that if you look at Green Lantern's green city, the bottom-most "bubble" where the plane is entering is clearly a reference to the ELO album Out of the Blue, as it's basically a green version of the cover :)
Kingdom Come is one of my favorite. Wasn't the part were Clark and Diana asked Bruce to be their son's godfather wasn't in the 4 issue limited series, but was added when they were collected in reprints. The model for the pastor Alex used his father who was a pastor too.
A great analysis of one of my all time favourite stories. I first read it in university when I ended my first comic book dark age, and it blew me away.
For anyone who likes this story, I highly recommend the novelization by Elliot S Maggin. It goes into more detail about the world presented in the story, but has less of Alex Ross' beautiful artwork as a trade-off.
Elliot S Maggin also wrote two Superman novels, Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday, which are both worth reading. Mark Waid has said that "Miracle Monday is my textbook on Superman, who he is, and who those around him are."
For me the most terrifying thing in this comic was the Flash. He was moving so fast that he was able to monitor a whole city simultaneously. Hell, he can't even stop moving anymore.
He also pulled out Norman from whatever dimension Specter had him in. "Moves so fast he cannot be kept on one plane of existence."
At those speeds he’s transcending “movement” and crossing into omnipresence
Too much sugar.
Definitely the coolest part, and also nails all the themes in like two pages. Flash (I think this is Wally) is so fed up with the losing battle of being a hero that he has taken heroism to what appears to be a natural extreme: enforcing his will upon the city, and essentially stripping the citizens of Central City of their own free will. He's a totalitarian God who cannot be questioned, reasoned with, or even understood.
@@davidbjacobs3598 I never really interpreted it like that really. I just thought whenever a crime happened, the moment a crime happened he would stop it. I never saw it as him preventing the citizens doing whatever they wanted if he didn’t agree with it.
It's worth mentioning that Norman McCay was modeled after Alex Ross' own father, making his role in Kingdom Come more eerie and down-to-earth.
I was at a comic con where Alex Ross brought his dad and he hung out around the DC booth dressed like McCay - Scared the crap out of me! He just grinned and gave me a wink.
Also, ALEX ROSS's father is a minister in a church.
Interesting tidbit about why Batman looks like Gregory Peck in Kingdom Come: David Mazzucchelli based Bruce Wayne in Batman: Year One on a young Peck so Ross decided to continue that through line by drawing Batman like an older Peck for Kingdom Come.
That is interesting. I also couldn’t help but notice his exo-suit shares some visual similarities with an unmasked Darth Vader.
As the chap above said, that was interesting. Kudos points to you
And the look of Von Bach was inspired by the Slovenian band Laibach.
@@EC-ed1zg Absolutely..... I've always said that
I always thought he looked liked a mixture between Gregory Peck and Michael Keaton
Bro, Kingdom Come's best moment comes when Supes decides to return. There's all the awful new heroes fighting wantonly and there's just a whirlwind, and two people go "Look!" "Up in the sky!" I swear to god, when I read that for the first time, I could hear the John Williams Superman theme start to play in my head. Like Chris said, that's just like a pure dopamine hit of uncomplicated, Silver Age hope.
I can't read that portion of the comic without hearing that score. It's just so perfectly, beautifully "Superman".
Jay Z actually named his album "Kingdom Come" after the comic. He even refferences the story itself.
No. It’s the panel at the end of issue 3 with Captain Marvel in ALL his glory standing tall above Superman 😊
It was late 1999, and I was working at a Spencer's at a mall just outside of Chicago, Golf Mill Mall for those of you who are keeping score.
We had had several celebrity sightings there, but oftentimes I was unimpressed.
Then he walked in, looking for Halloween decorations. Who was it?
None other than Alex Ross.
I of course fanboyed hard. His girlfriend, now wife, was as excited that he was recognized as I was to meet him..
Unfortunately I had no comics on me,, so I had him sign some receipt paper.
I still keep that receipt paper in my copy of Kingdom Come.
10 years later, when I was in film school, I was working audio on a student film. I was wearing my Alex Ross Uncle Sam t-shirt.
One of the actors on this project pointed at me and said, "that guy taught me how to paint!"
That actor and I became fast friends. He was Frank Kasey, the man who modeled as Supeman for Alex Ross.
Ross is one of those artists, like Jim Lee and Joe Madureira. That I've always wanted to meet in real life. Being an artist myself, they were huge inspirations. Growing up as a kid in the 90's.
@@pious83 I'm not bragging, but I got to meet Jim Lee at the Chicago Comic Con back in 1995 or 96.
Or 1994.
Doesn't really matter. Lol.
I had him sign some Wildcats comics. I don't remember much beyond that, but I'm sure he was very nice.
@@superpaul79 Cool. I've never been to a Con. So my chances of meeting any of them are pretty non-existent. So I continue to support their work, as a reader instead.
I really respect the criticism of Ross's art. His work carries so much reverence that I think people gloss over how important critique is within art. And I have to agree, composition and ability to capture a moment in time is legendary as well has his use of texture and realism, but the heighten motion and energy that's so integral to superhero comics isn't always captured. I think of something like the Mona Lisa as being this compositional masterwork but it would feel so static in a comic panel
I think that's why Alex seems to mainly do covers now. He's amazing at covers and splash pages, but it's not always the best for the type of visual storytelling in comics.
Yeah, it reminds me of a still-life. Gorgeous but almost too beautiful and graceful to capture gesture.
@@qty1315 no probably because it takes a lot of time, and he's probably worth a lot of money. He never did basic comics. It was more like specials in the first place.
Mark Waid's cautionary tale to DC and modern comic book readers about the dangers of Image, and specifically the swell of morally gray anti-heroes/anti-villains that are really just edgelord fodder while also telling them not to treat Superman and superheroes as old and busted...
And the sad part is that as time goes on, it ages like a fine wine.
In a world saturated with the sugar-crazed MCU and the diabolical The Boys, Kingdom Come tells a tale of apocalyptic truth with a small glimmering hope that can never be vanquished.
Your analysis of his art style is spot on, and that's why I love it so. It makes me feel like I could step into the panel and walk amongst the frozen characters, mid-action.
I picked up Kingdom Come on a bit of a whim after hearing a few good words about it online. I’ve since read it cover to cover multiple times and it is easily the best comic I’ve read.
if you're looking for something similar by alex ross, read planet x its my favourite marvel book published and ive read the collector's TPB so many times the spine is falling apart
I still have all four issues in my collection. I got the first issue when I saw it in Waldenbooks, and I thought the cover looked interesting. When I opened it and saw the art had carried over, I hadn’t seen anything like it before and I was all in. Add to that the writing and art complimented each other. Hard to believe that was 26 years ago!
Chris, this is good timing. In a few days I'm going to start reading Kingdon Come(I'm really excited about it), and this is going to be the first video I watch after reading it.
Bruh when I finish up animal man this is exactly what I’m doing
Oh, you are in for a great time. Happy reading!
The day I walked in to my comic shop and spotted the first issue of Kingdom Come on the rack is one I'll never forget. That and the first of Ross/Busiek's Marvels are pickups that really changed the game for me.
Ross' art always draws in your eye like that.
You are just absolutely the best Chris comics video maker alive. I have enjoyed your content since you were getting drunk and putting sticky notes on the wall. You get better and better with the years. Great job sir.
Small bit about Superman carrying the two wooden planks (that was noted in an issue of Wizard): he also carried three large nails in his pocket, that can be seen only just sticking out.
*_Kingdom Come_* and *_Marvels_* are the two stories I repeatedly go back to. The art of *Alex Ross* is absolutely incredible IMO.
The art of *John Byrne* hits my nostalgia g-spot, as his art for _X-Men_ and other titles cemented my love for comics as a teen back in the day. Whereas the art by *_Ross_* is appreciated and beloved by the more discerning adult I like to think I've become (despite still giggling uncontrollably at inappropriate times).🤭
Ultimately, I feel your points about *Alex's* work are spot on. Yet, I still can't take my eyes off of it.
I always figured Magog was partially based on the Golden Calf, a false idol. Turns out Waid ended up liking the character. Something I like about KC is the dialogue. Also we got new takes on characters like Atom Smasher, Offspring, Red Arrow, Red Robin. When Superman is holding the lumber, there are three spikes in his pocket. And I believe the window the Spectre flies through was the revelation of St. John.
Behold, I shew you a mystery.
I'm immensely happy to own an absolute edition hardcover of this story!!! DC should reprint JUSTICE in that format. Alex Ross is just too legit awesome.
How badly did I want to read KINGDOM COME? I was completely broke at the time so I actually sold PLASMA to buy the first two issues. It remains the only time in my life I sold plasma and it was a weird experience. I was pretty much out of comics when Kingdom Come arrived and I was only reading Love & Rockets. But this book came out at a time before CGI had really made superheroes eternally viable on film, so Alex Ross's jawdropping art was the closest thing to seeing iconic heroes (and many peripheral ones as well) come to life.
I'll always recognize Alex Ross as the Norman Rockwell of the comic world. I cannot recommend his work enough in Kingdom Come to explore all the detail and wonderment with his art!
One of my favourite bits of character design is that grown up Billy Batson looks exactly like Shazam because it does just make perfect sense. The reveal itself highlights that, when Oliver Queen is so stunned and suddenly puts it all together that that’s who Billy is, because he couldn’t recognise him without the costume.
Honestly the character design and little moments throughout are incredible, the Shazam reveal is just one such moment; J’on struggle with a degenerative illness that inhibits his telepathy, Deadman being fully skeletal, Green Lantern the Emerald Knight, Hawkman as a full hawk and the reveal that the Lord of Apokolips is actually the silhouette of Orion, not Darkseid are some of my stand outs.
DC leaned so heavily into the "Speed Force" I guess I just assumed that Flash from Kingdom Come had become one with it and achieved Apotheosis.
Waid created the Speed Force idea.
This was a great episode.
I AM a bit disappointed that you didn't mention the Kingdom Come reference from the Arrowverse Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, where one of the worlds visited was the Kingdom Come version where Clark Kent became the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet (who's offices featured newspaper covers of Kingdom Come with the artwork of Alex Ross was used as the newspaper photographs) and was played by Brandon Routh (his first re-appearance as Superman/Clark since the film Superman returns).
I am hereby requesting a look at Marvels, and hopefully its dark mirror Ruins as a possible episode.
I thank you, not only for the great series here, but being the one to get me to read The Immortal Hulk run. It was a worthy addition to my collection...
You should find the deepfake where they superimposed Reeves' face onto Routh for that episode. This seems like the kind of thing that would be right up Ross' alley too, I even tried to ask on his TH-cam channel if he'd ever consider using the technology to punch up his references, but of course there's not a lot of Q&A on his channel anyway. So it's pretty fruitless. Unfortunately AI might end up being more of a curse to artists all around.
Half way through and the way it's described and analyzed, it reminds me of the feeling and appreciation I had reading comics on paper that I just want to pause the video, find it in print, and just take my time with it, appreciating every frame as I make my way through the story, which is something I can't do digitally because staring at an illuminated image just taxes the eyes so much. Thanks, Comic Tropes!
My favorite comic of all time, bar none. Two moments that still give me chills are the return of Superman, with his messianic appeal, and the oh-so menacing appearance of Captain Marvel. So good.
Kingdom Come is quite possibly my favorite comic book of all time. It's one that got me into comics and it's the perfect book to show people who want to start. Ross is an all-time great, but he's just not the right fit for some characters. I think he's much more suited for DC characters than Marvel. I don't think his style works as well with characters who have their whole face covered, like Spider-Man and Moon Knight. But he's my favorite Superman artist of all-time.
Looking at his Spider-Man, it does look like he draws Spider-Man as though the mask is more of a helmet than a mask.
He's great at facial expressions. The bodies tend to look a little 'plain' for my tastes, though that's just a personal thing.
one thing i only dislike is heroes not killing off threats.
Thank you for another well researched episode. Love the Alex Ross art, especially the cover art. Will follow your recommendation and read Kingdom Come. Also, thank you for the library of solid recommendations. Please keep them coming.
I discovered Alex Ross through the series "Justice". Also an incredibly well-designed story with great art. Especially the armor which are worn at the end by the heroes, are among my favorite representations.
The art in justice seems to be more refined. Got the absolute editions of both in my shelf and the composition and detailwork in justice is sublime
one thing i only dislike is heroes not killing off threats.
This is one of those rare comics where it's worth getting out the magnifying glass... The amount of work Ross put into the backgrounds, almost each panel is a basket of Easter eggs. Bjork even makes an appearance! One of the best DC comics a person can read.
Episodes and analysis like this are why I sub. KC stands out as one of those series that went beyond just being a comic. It is art, it is literature, it is commentary and it really is a title that deserved discussion then and now. Right up there with Watchmen.
Great video! The beginning was a little scary in times like these, though, hehe. Thanks, Chris.
Kingdom Come is one of those stories that you can read and re-read over the years and get something new out of it, the kind of story that the more you know about DC the more you relish recognizing the characters within the story like delicious easter eggs :P
Great analysis of Kingdom Come. It's one of the best comic book stories I've ever read, and Ross' art makes it all the more epic. It's as if I had entered a museum filled with art depicting classic mythology, it really pulled me in.
I remember seeing adverts for Kingdom Come in comics and spending the longest time trying to figure out what it was about and whether the images I saw were photos or drawings.
I'm so glad I finally got to read it one day.
The art of Kingdom Come remains my all-time favorite. There are so many details and Easter eggs hidden in each panel. Every time I re-read Kingdom Come I find even more.
Its insane that I just watched a run through of this comic and you uploaded an analysis right when I was looking for one! Thank you sir!
My favorite one of Ross's notes about the character design is that Norman McCay's first name and appearance are an homage to his father.
My favorite comic ever. I remember seeing the posters for it when I was two years old. This book helped introduce me to comics and how amazing they can be.
I have to say that Kingdom Come and Alex Ross are what brought me back to superhero comics. I was so disenfranchised with Marvel and Image in the 90s because of just the fatigue of seeing the similar approaches to the artwork.
The art and story in Kingdom Come drew me in. I have a couple of copies of KC and the other Ross books. This was a renaissance for me.
The art makes this just seem so real....
Thank you for covering this series its one if my all time favorites, and I don't feel its gets the kind of respect it deserves. I would put this series right up there Watchmen, and Darknight returns as a all time classic.
Anyone remember that Wonder Woman panel where Ross had to use himself instead of a model for some reason in Kingdom Come? It’s funny as hell. It’s Alex Ross in cosplay and WW with a 5 o’clock shadow. I think it’s a corner panel when they’re at the Statue of Liberty, in case anyone wants to see what I’m talking about. Lol
Chris, you're so good at this!
I've been struggling to write about Kingdom Come for my dissertation, since I'm currently working with comics language vis-à-vis film theory, and your videos always help me look at these narratives from such an interesting perspective! Really, thank you for everything. :)
I first got into comic books at 16 because of Kingdom Come and then using wikipedia to look up every character i didnt recognize. I had no idea how rich every characters story was! A great entry point into the depth of the DC universe
Once again Chris leads the way with high quality comics content. Best channel out there.
I borrowed a copy from the library in high school and it blew my mind. I love the way that Alex Ross paints clothing--his costumes look like impressive and dignified but are also clearly still cloth and metal.
Thanks Chris 😊. This commentary was excellent! I've heard other commentary on the same story, and yours is the best!!
Chris, you never fail to amaze. With either your analysis, or your wonderful cold opens!
Wonderful and thorough critique of the art and story found in Kingdom Come. Thank you for honoring Ross' fantastic art while articulating its storytelling shortcomings.
I had Kingdom come as an audio drama on a couple of cassette tapes back in the day. I thought it was fantastic. I would just sit there following along page by page as the audio drama played out. Super immersive.
Wonderful review! I remember learning about and reading Marvels and Kingdom Come in late 90’s. All of the little cameo’s in the art were so fun to discover. The story line was such a refreshing look at the anti-heroes at the time. Thank you for putting this video together
I am so glad you reviewed this amazing story.As you know it is spoken of often,and with good reason.you did a good job explaining this masterwork to those not familiar with it.only The Watchmen, in my opinion, comes close to this.
Thanks so much for analysing my favourite superhero comic book of all time.
Whenever Kingdom Come comes up I feel that it is always a good point to mention that KC was not an exception on it's day, and in fact I remember quite clearly when it got initially released, that it got some rough press as being derivative of Marvel's "Last Avengers story".
Nobody will argue that, heavy-handed Judeo-christian allegory aside, Kingdom Come holds up much better than the rather simplistic LAS, but the similarities are just far too suspicious:
A depressing, apocalyptic tale of the twilight years of the heroes, showing what happens when a final crisis pulls them (and their cynical, ultra-violent "heirs") back from the shadows with a lot of fanservicey "look what happend to X.." stuff and illustrated by a premiere artist for extra prestige. Definetely part of a trend there. Hope you get around to discussing this one later on as it's somewhat of a forgotten gem with the same themes (and released merely months apart).
Kingdom Come has to be one favorites and I don't find myself reading too many DC comics. It's one of those books that shows you why the world needs a Superman, a Batman and Wonder Woman. Oh yeah, those 3 characters are often call DC's holy Trinity by the comic community.
Kingdom Come, one of four comics that has made me cry. The other three being Mazing Man, Bone and True Stories Swear to God.
Love Alex Ross' work. Have most of the books he's worked on, some of the art/sketch books & a few posters. One of my favorite artists working today.
Loved this series now and when it came out. One of my favorite comic lines every is when they are describing the flash as “living between the ticks of a second”.
I think Kingdom Come was the first time I had ever read a comic and was like "Holy shit ... comics can be AWESOME!" (I'd only been reading comics for a few years at that point.)
You called Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel, thank you.
When I initially read this I couldn't help but associate it with A Christmas Carol and was never able to shake that in my head. Apparently having some extraworldly being take some old man around to see the world is enough of a similarity for me to make a 1:1 association. Didn't enjoy it as a result, which is a bummer since many of my friends raved about it
I would love to see a cg adaptation of Kingdom Come. Create a 3D model of all of Alex Ross's character designs, and they could even work with the estate of Gregory Peck to use his voice for Batman. Not sure how well the whole thing would translate into a film, but would love to see the attempt.
The Art is really the best I seen in a DC comic. If they do in the art style if their animated movie,its not Kingdom Come
Thank you for analyzing my favorite comic!
20:00 Fun fact. The idea of the physical world ending isn't what Revelations is about. That's a bit of a misunderstanding. The word used in the original Greek doesn't refer to a "physical" end, they would've used another word for that. The meaning is actually more "end of an era/epoch". So Kingdom Come is actually quite accurate in that sense.
Now this is something I absolutely love to see. Your break downs are always so thorough and thoughtful from your experience Chris, so having you breaking down one of the greatest comics of all time and one of my favorites is dream come true
I’ve loved Alex Ross’s work ever since I was a kid and found Marvels at my library. I can see what you mean about his panels lacking a sense of motion though. His comics have almost always felt like watching the slideshow styled documentaries of Ken Burns.
Here I was about to talk smack about the fact that you did a a KC episode after Comics explained did an episode…and you go into a deep-dive of Alex Ross-keep going, you magnificent bastard!!!
Comics explained is a little to full of himself. I quit his channel years ago.
@@davidmitchell6873 Tropes is much more knowledgeable. He has a lot of behind the scenes stuff.
This series or Marvels was my intro to Ross (whichever was first). I'd seen painted covers growing up thanks to Dell and Gold Key. But never to this level or sustained for a whole comic let alone a mini series. Even if it'd been just a fluff story it'd have been great, but the story alone would've held me. It does remind me a lot of Mark Greunwald's Squadron Supreme at the core of it, but it stands on its own easily. It also was a nod of hope to me that the grim and gritty post-Crisis comics that drove me (among other things) away from being an avid fan. The hope wasn't actually fulfilled, but it did give me an appreciation for names that hadn't been around yet when I was a kid. Eye-opening for the characters and myself, ironically.
I love Ross' naturalistic work. I think that, despite the somewhat static pose of characters, they project immense power, especially for being so realistic. IMO there's no better representation of Superman in comics than that of Alex Ross. It's the comics equivalent of a Christopher Reeve in the movies. Both are iconic.
What I don't like as much, again, IMO, is that the colors don't look as rich as they should be. That may be a problem of the medium (guache) or perhaps that's related to the color reproduction. But it's likely the former.
LOVE this channel... and Alex Ross' art. Absolutely loved MARVELS when it came out, but didn't reach for "Kingdom Come" (being a Marvel fan), but I think I'll check it out now. Cheers!
By the mid-'90s, I am already a jaded collector. I no longer read many of the comics I buy. I just buy most of them so I could flip them later.
Along came KINGDOM COME, and it brought back excitement to me. It rekindled my love for comics. I must've read and re-read that epic story at least a dozen times since.
Sadly, it is the exception rather than the rule in comics. No other comic gave me that sense of awe and wonder. Kingdom Come set the bar pretty high for the others. It is a game-changer.
Thanks for discussing this amazing series, COMIC TROPES.
More of this Chris!! You excel at doing analysis like this.
This was a great vid. Keep up the good work !
Thanks!
Excellent video,Chris! I was there reading this as it came out! 12 years ago I picked up the Absolute Kingdom Come for 5 bucks at a local Salvation Army store! Waid/Ross really defines DC rich history!
One of the greatest comics in my opinion. The world is so bright with a 50’s camp to it with some kind of depressing elements. Not to mention the absolutely beautiful artwork. Every panel looks like a painting you’d see in a gallery
Ross is one of my top 3 artists but you make a good point about the static quality which lends well for covers or framed wall art but maybe not so much for interior action. It's something I've considered but haven't quite been able to articulate as well as you did here. As always thanks for the fabulous content!
Kingdom Come was the first book I bought twice, I originally got the 4 issues in spanish, but later I bought the absolute edition in english with all the extras, it was also my first collector edition of a series that I ever bought but the extras are worth it.
Kingdom Come always blows me away. I wish I could rewind time and re-read it so I can feel the exact emotions it gave me the first time around.
This and Arkham Asylum are probably my favorite superhero comics out there. Lovely analysis video. :D
Excellent! Loved the series and Alex Ross!
A couple of hopes: DC's The Golden Age series, and a spotlight on artist Paul Pope, perhaps?
Thanks for the channel, and I'll see you in the future, because that's where we'll spend the rest of our lives!
I think Alex Ross is a lovely painter and he has a knack for an epic image. His sequential art leaves something to be desired, though (which, now that I've watched the entire video, is exactly Chris's thesis. Great minds blah blah ;-).
My local library had this and i checked it out so many times over the course of 5th to 7th grade i ended up fixin it whenever a accidental tear or a tear somebody else left happened
Great analysis of the Kingdom Come story and of Alex Ross’ art. Keep up the good work!
Danke!
Excellent analysis sir!
oh hai you caught me wanting to re-read a graphic novel that came out when I was a tad too young to appreciate it! Chris, love the intros, love the serious side as well... You blend both perfectly
For people who care enough, there is an audiobook of Kingdom Come on TH-cam free to listen to. Its not a movie but its still pretty good all the same.
I love DC, watchmen, V for vendetta, the Nolan triology and znyder cut of batman. Now I am in a " too old for super heroes" phase, that might or might not end. But every now and then I still read and love my favorite comic book ever, Kingdom come.
My favorite reference in Kingdom Come is that if you look at Green Lantern's green city, the bottom-most "bubble" where the plane is entering is clearly a reference to the ELO album Out of the Blue, as it's basically a green version of the cover :)
Kingdom Come is one of my favorite.
Wasn't the part were Clark and Diana asked Bruce to be their son's godfather wasn't in the 4 issue limited series, but was added when they were collected in reprints.
The model for the pastor Alex used his father who was a pastor too.
If WB has any brains at all they should fast track a feature film asap.
A great analysis of one of my all time favourite stories. I first read it in university when I ended my first comic book dark age, and it blew me away.
Hey Chris, another great video and about my favorite comic ever :) ComicTropes is one of my all-time favorite channels.
I'll always remember Kingdom for Big Barda's big badocka badocka.
Another well researched and presented video.
Kingdom come is my favorite comic of all time, really glad you’re covering it
Alex Ross is the Norman Rockwell of comic books. They had the same style, imagine Rockwell doing superheroes in the 1940s and 50s.
For anyone who likes this story, I highly recommend the novelization by Elliot S Maggin. It goes into more detail about the world presented in the story, but has less of Alex Ross' beautiful artwork as a trade-off.
Elliot S Maggin also wrote two Superman novels, Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday, which are both worth reading. Mark Waid has said that "Miracle Monday is my textbook on Superman, who he is, and who those around him are."