The Wicked + The Divine: 1831 #1

Writer: Kieron Gillen Artist: Stephanie Hans Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: September 21, 2016 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 10 User Reviews: 9
9.1Critic Rating
8.4User Rating

"MODERN ROMANCE"
Critically-acclaimed THE WICKED + THE DIVINE goes back to the nineteenth century, to see what became of the Romantic poets one infamous night on Lake Geneva... Showcasing STEPHANIE HANS (Journey Into Mystery, Angela), this special is NOT included in the forthcoming THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, VOL. 4.

  • 10
    Nerds On The Rocks - Logan Dalton Sep 21, 2016

    If you wanna feel sad about death and art and steampunk Mary Shelley, check out this comic. Read Full Review

  • 10
    AIPT - Alyssa Jackson Sep 21, 2016

    There were two pieces of info that were particularly intriguing to me: one, that gods can be pregnant and have children after they receive their powers. And the second, the creature that the gods created. I think there's an excellent chance we will see this creature again. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Newsarama - Matthew Sibley Sep 21, 2016

    If you’re looking for a The Wicked + The Divine fix before the main series returns later in the year, or haven’t yet jumped on the title and want a taste of what the series can do when it’s firing on all cylinders, or simply want a one-off story, then you should not hesitate to pick this issue up. It’s a stunning issue: Gillen gives us a look into a scenario that’s familiar, but has enough divergence from what we know to feel fresh, Hans’ expressive art breathes life into these characters so the issue can slowly drain them of said life and together they set a high bar for one-shots that follow in the future. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    IGN - Jeff Lake Sep 22, 2016

    It's rare that a one-shot reads as strong or stronger than its flagship title " this one proves the exception. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    Graphic Policy - Ashley Leckwold Sep 23, 2016

    Besides the shenanigans of the Romantics (because who else would be the celebrities of this era), this issue raises a lot of questions about what Anankes endgame was. Especially regarding the hand of Hades. While well never know from the woman herself now, you have to wonder just how the end of this issue might come back to haunt the modern gods later. Read Full Review

  • 8.8
    Multiversity Comics - Ken Godberson III Sep 23, 2016

    A beautiful and horrific look into the past that continued on the themes WicDiv set. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    The Pop Break - Marisa Carpico Sep 21, 2016

    As for the art, Stephanie Hans (with whom Gillen previously worked on 1602: Witch Hunter Angela) steps in for regular penciller, Jamie McKelvie, and colorist, Matt Wilson. Her painterly, softer style perfectly suits the issue's gothic tone. Though The Wicked and the Divine always has a touch of the fantastic, this issue feels particularly odd and other-worldly because of her art, hinting at a type of horror and strangeness the rest of the series never quite has. And while Gillen himself has said that reading this issue isn't necessary to understanding the present-day story, the world he's created is so complex (some might say convoluted) that you can only benefit from seeing more of it. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    We The Nerdy - Jean-Luc Botbyl Sep 22, 2016

    Even my complaints about this issue feel kind of minute, in all honesty. This issue is, after all, a mere glimpse into a different time period, with a different pantheon. It's not designed to be a treatise on the characters of that era, but to give a taste of it. In doing that,The Wicked and the Divine: 1831 AD is a success. Do I wish there was more time to be spent with these characters? Yes. Do I wish there had been more time to flesh out the plot? Sure. But there's so much else to love here that getting caught up on smaller intricacies seems like a bit of a waste. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Flickering Myth - Mark Allen Sep 22, 2016

    The issue's theme is the cost of creation, both on the creator and created, and the idea that true immortality might be passing on one's life rather than living forever. Considering the pantheon always has a pitifully short lifespan, this question seems all the more urgent despite its futility; no-one gets out alive, not even gods. The only hope we can have for the cast of the main book is that they come to terms with this a little less violently than their forbears. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comics: The Gathering - Hctor A Sep 22, 2016

    This one-shot is astonishingly well-crafted but it isn't what I usually expect from the series so I feel like I didn't fully grasp it. That's on me though. I still enjoyed it but I recognize that there a lot of layers here and that I'll end up revisiting it in the future. Read Full Review

Reviews for the Week of...

December

November

More