Divinity II #1 is the beginning of a new series written by Matt Kindt and published by Valiant Comics about Valentina Volkov, one of Abram’s companions sent with him on a top-secret Soviet mission. It opens up in the U.S.S.R. when Valentina was a homeless kid surviving on the streets of Moscow when she’s approached by a mysterious doctor. He promised to give her food and shelter if she chose to live with him and his wife because he felt she could do great things. Or at least that’s what she initially believed. She would be raised by them and before his wife died she would tell Valentina that the doctor called her Myshka, little mouse, because she was his test subject. Valentina would ultimately be trained as part of the Soviets secret mission to send cosmonauts to the farthest reaches of space, and she would be selected to be the third in a team that included Abram Adams. The same Adams who would leave them behind on a strange planet and become the entity known as Divinity. With no way off the planet Valentina would be faced with a tough decision to make while her comrade Kazmir lies dying. Will she choose the same fate as Adams? And what will it mean for Earth if she returns just like him with unimaginable power?

This issue started off with the familiar story of a child abandoned by all except the state or in Valentina’s case a doctor working for the state.Clearly there were variations but the theme of taking advantage of these children with no attachments was the same. Yet it felt fresh in the sense of what was being taught to Valentina and how she understood that she was a test subject. It was a touching tale that she told not because she was attached to it like Abram was attached to his love ones but as a tale to an injured Kazmir while trapped on this new planet. So even though the similarities were apparent even in the format of the story the differences were clear throughout this.

It was when Valentina would interact with the same mysterious force and her return to Earth begin that things would heat  up even more. The current relevancy would become clearer and at least her initial role in the valiant universe would start to take shape. Even without much action this was still pretty intense and it would culminate with a shocking but perfect ending based on the way the story was building up. I was initially intrigued by another Divinity series but now it has my full attention.

SUMMARY

Divinity II #1 is an engrossing issue that deepens the mythology in terms of re-examining the situation responsible for imbuing these individuals with incredible power. It doesn’t shed more light on the entity that gave them this power aside from Valentina and Kazmir’s theories but the character development gives a fresh take on the aftermath. Valentina’s backstory and current view of the world and what needs to be done opens up the door to a new, exciting chapter in Valiant’s cosmic universe as well as the Earth. I can’t wait to see more.

Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Trevor Hairsine
Release Date: 4/20/16