Reviews»Comic Books»Divinity #1
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Kareem Ali 4.5

Divinity #1

 

  • The good

    Abram is an interesting protagonist with a great back story. Issue flows very nicely transitioning from Abram's past to giving a taste of his cosmic powers

  • The bad

    Journey while in space not shown yet

  • The ugly

    • Divinity #1 is the start of a new series written by Matt Kindt and published by Valiant about a man sent into the deep recesses of space who returns decades later with seemingly unlimited power. Abram Adams, the man sent into space by Russia during the Cold War, was sent in secret in order to compete with the America’s space program. And they would only announce it to the world if it was successful. The plan was to select one who would be the best candidate to take this 30 year journey into space, and who was not only the best candidate mentally and physically but also loyal to the state. And since it would take 30 years they wanted one with no family attachments. This was a huge part as to why Abram was selected. He was abandoned as an infant at the doorstep of the Russian Foreign Minister. His foster parents died when he was young and he was taken by the state and raised in all their programs. He was always at the top of his class, and even though he was black, Russia viewed him as a symbol of their superiority to America considering how blacks were being treated there at that time. However, unknown to the state, Abram did have a girlfriend and that was the only attachment he had. Yet he had a hunger to discover the secrets of the unknown, and no one knows what happened on the trip and it was probably deemed a failure for so long. But Abram has finally returned with inexplicable powers. What happened on that trip, and what does the garden created with Abram’s cosmic powers mean for the inhabitants of Earth?

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    With Valiant’s focus being on the expansion of its universe to cosmic events and characters, I’ve been looking forward to Divinity #1. The idea of a man returning from space with cosmic godlike powers is an interesting concept because it raises many questions including the character’s view of his powers and how he should use them. Would he be benevolent, vengeful or both? Even though it’s not completely clear yet whether certain topics will be addressed on more than just a  cursory level, I did appreciate the potential depth of the character. So I don’t know if the explanation of him excelling and being black in the Soviet Union compared to the U.S. was just to show how it would be plausible or if it would factor into his future mentality. But he was more than just a tool of the state and had his own ambitions, had a girl so he knew love despite not having a family as a kid. And since nothing was shown about his activities in space, and not only what granted him these powers but what he held on to the most when enduring this process. So all of that is yet to be seen. This issue didn’t just deal with flashbacks and Abram’s backstory, and the present is shown including some kind of sanctuary he set up. I’m curious what the world’s response will be considering the way he used his powers but I’m even more curious about Abram’s intentions and his capabilities. So in terms of connecting cosmic elements with the usual Valiant universe, this series successfully does it since it’s off to a great start. I can’t wait to see more.

     

    SUMMARY

     

    Divinity #1 is a solid start to the series and introduces any interesting protagonist with the capability to seemingly shape reality at will. I don’t know how deeply this series will delve into certain issues it mentions or if it was just to give Abram a more interesting background. And the parallel drawn between Abram and another character’s journey after an injury has me intrigued about what happened to Abram while traveling through the universe. And with the sanctuary he’s set up I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the world or what he hopes to achieve with his sanctuary. But I have a feeling it’s gonna be an entertaining ride.

     

    Release Date: 2/11/15

    Writer: Matt Kindt

    Artist: Trevor Hairsine

  • Rating ( 9.25 )
  • Total score 9.3

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