Kingdom Come(TM) [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Elliot S. Maggin (Author), Mark Waid (Author), Alex Ross (Author), Full Cast (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

It's the early 21st century. Without the guidance and values championed by the old guard--Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman--a younger generation of super heroes is ravaging the world. "Kingdom Come" is the story of what defines a hero in a world spinning inexorably out of control, and of the final battle that could determine the fate of our planet. Simultaneous hardcover release from Warner Books. April publication date. 2 cassettes. .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the 21st century, the Metropolis that once hailed Superman as its guardian has fallen into decay. The old superheroes?Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and others of their generation?have given way to a horde of self-appointed metahumans with a wide variety of deadly powers and, for the most part, the ethics of gangbusters. Now an elderly minister, Norman McCay, who narrates the novel, embarks on a quest to bring help to a Kansas destroyed by an inhuman power, while Batman plays a deadly game with Lex Luthor for control of Billy Batson?the original but now amnesiac Captain Marvel. The novel is an expansion of a highly successful graphic series in DC's innovative Elseworlds universe, but it can be enjoyed without reference to the original. It can't be enjoyed, however, without the kind of suspension of disbelief that only fans of the DC universe are likely to muster. Even so, these and other readers will find the novel full of vivid characterizations of their favorite superbeings, gripping action scenes and notions of pure whimsy such as Planet Krypton theme restaurants. Maggin, a principal writer of Superman comics for many years, provides a model of how to turn comic books into fiction. Four-color and b&w illustrations by Alex Ross. Simultaneous Time Warner audio.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Based on a popular 1996 DC Comics series by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, and now novelized by Maggin, author of two previous Superman novels: a sort of Twilight of the Superheroes, with the expected action painstakingly, and painfully, eked out with psychologizing, religion, and meaningless flourishes. In 21st-century Metropolis, Clark Kent and Lois Lane are dead, Superman has been missing for ten years, and the city streets are cluttered with young troublemaking ``metahumans,'' some with genuine superpowers, led by the superpowered Magog and his sidekick, Alloy (the result when the Metal Men were all melted together). The Spectre, here a sort of guardian angel, appears to the Rev. Norman McCay and takes him whirling through time and space to observe the state of the world; somehow, you see, the Spectre needs Rev. McCay to help avert doomsday. After a big battle, Magog nukes Kansas, so Wonder Woman persuades Superman to come out of retirement and re-form the Justice League of America. Batman, Green Arrow, and various others, however, have their own agenda and refuse to sign up. The bad hats, including Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage (``he was Cro-Magnon, not Homo sapiens,'' which is sad news for the rest of us), Catwoman, and the Riddler, prepare to rule the world once the superheroes blow each other away. . . . Do you really need to know more? A great sizzling turkey, unpalatably stuffed. Still, if it induces even a handful of readers to switch from comics to books with lots of words, it will have done its job. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Hachette Audio (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570425388
• ISBN-13: 978-1570425387
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,187,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Books on Cassette > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Never ending battle still rages on, November 29, 2004

By 

Jake Phillips (Norton, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kingdom Come (Hardcover)

Now by this point, everyone is familiar with the popularity of Kingdom Come, along with writer Mark Waid, artist Alex Ross, and my personal favorite, Pre-Crisis guru Elliot S! Maggin, who wrote the novelization. It is safe to say that on the top ten of comic fans' lists of the best of all time, DC Comics has a surprising number: Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Kingdom Come. The story of the twilight of the gods never stops inspiring new generations of storytellers, and in this case, it is the twilight of the most iconic and recognizable superheroes of all time. I think half of the charm of this story is the fact that, although we all grew up knowing who Superman is, as we get older, he stays the same, until eventually, you end up older than your childhood icon. With Kingdom Come, time is brought to the timeless Superman, and the results are well worth the weight. the only reason I don't give this a five star rating is that for post-crisis DC readers or the more casual reader who isn't a comics geek, you'd need to do a lot of research to understand half of the characters and references in this thing. There are a LOT of Golden and Silver Age characters and mentions in this, and most of the time, they don't spell it out for you. It doesn't detract from the story, but the numerous 'in-jokes' peppered throughout can make the whole thing a fresh experience on repeated readings. Alex Ross is especially fond of amusing cameos (such as Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids on the run from Batman's robots!) and, apparently, Bjork. The artwork is phenomenal, the story is classic, and the characters are better realized than any previous interpretation. This story has proved to be an influence on DC and comics ever since (and not just the page; Smallville TV fans should look at Clark Kent's civilian clothes in this thing!) I would recommend this to anyone who loves these classic characters.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great novelization!, January 9, 2000

By 

Mark A Shepherd (Richmond, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kingdom Come (Hardcover)

Elliot S! Maggin has always been my one of my favorite writers, both in the comics arena as well as his novels. I am a great fan of his early Superman novels, Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday, so I looked forward to his novelization of Kingdom Come with a lot of excitement. I was not disappointed. The book not only accurately translates the graphic work, it expands and enhances it as well. When you're finished you fully expect to turn on the news and hear about Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. While I'm at it, look for a paperback of Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday. The latter is the best novel of the genre that I have read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Prose paperback review..., August 10, 1999

By 

Babytoxie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kingdom Come (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a very well done adaptation by Elliot S. Maggin of the amazing comic story, one that got me back into comics, briefly. It expands on the minor events in the comic and does an excellent job of fleshing out the main character, Norman McCay. The only problem I have with it is that it's not accessible to everyone. If you haven't read the comic or aren't familiar with the heroes and villains of the DC Universe, you'll probably miss the historical details that made the original series so much fun. Comic characters were designed to be seen, and I feel that they never translate well into prose. Read it as a supplement to the comic, and you'll be okay.