Kingdom Come (Hardcover)

by Mark Waid (Author), Alex Ross (Author), Elliot S. Maggin (Author)

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.

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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446522341
• ISBN-13: 978-0446522342
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #738,017 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Adaptation! Only wish it was longer!!!, May 25, 2005

By	Thomas D. Feeps "Thomas D. Feeps" (Virginia Beach, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kingdom Come(TM) (Audio Cassette)

Having grown up largely on the Marvel comics, I wasn't too familiar with the DC heroes. I read Kingdom Come (the graphic novel) and was blown away. Not only is Alex Ross's artwork amazing, but Waid's characterization brings the characters to life. But enough about the Graphic Novel, let's talk about the audiobook...

Kingdom Come consists of two 90 minute audio cassettes, and although the box is beautiful, it's hardly durable. The adaptation is quite true to the original, and the narratives required by the medium are well placed and are not heavy handed at all. The book is read by a full audio cast, and they do a great job! Rich, enthusiastic readings--any one of them would be a great narrator, but having so many different and distinct voices really adds to the story.

Even though I was familiar with the story, I found myself leaving the tape-deck on after I'd parked just so I could finish a scene. One of the best audiobooks I've listened to in a long time, and DEFINITELY the best of the superhero genre (not that it's flooded with audiobooks).

I had a tough time finding this on tape, and I really wish it was more popular so we could encourage more of the great tales like Marvels and Watchmen to make their way to the audiobook world.

Try it, you'll love it!

5 of 5 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

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the best superhero novel ever written, October 26, 2000

By	Preston Hunter (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

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

I heartily recommend Elliot S. Maggin's novel Kingdom Come. It has been quite some time since I have so thoroughly enjoyed a novel by an author I was not familiar with. Kingdom Come is about DC Comics superheroes: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and many more. But this novel bursts free from the constraints of its subgenre, turns convention on its head, and masterfully and respectfully deconstructs an entire mythos. Kingdom Come may be one of the best superhero novels every written, and there have been well over fifty prose novels published in this subgenre. Moreover, Kingdom Come is excellent science fiction, and is simply a fine novel, period.

If you only read one comic-book based novel ever, make it Maggin's Kingdom Come. If you enjoy good novels and have ever been a comic book reader, you will love this book. Kingdom Come is more than simply an extremely well written, page-turning science fiction adventure. It is a tour de force journey through modern myth, spirituality, ethics, and the whole human condition.