Round Robin Review: Divinity #1

Every Monday we bring you a quick one paragraph review from each of our writers for this week’s books. Here’s our spoiler free advanced review of Divinity #1.

Amy’s take

First off, I’ve been highly anticipating this book. The concept alone is intriguing, but the promise of Matt Kindt as writer made me doubly excited. This was an outstanding reading experience. Published in the Prestige format, this beautiful book is one you will want in your collection. Many of Valiant’s titles have origins from the Valiant of the 90s. It’s noteworthy that Divinity is the first Valiant title that features an all-new character in the Universe without any ties to existing characters or storylines. Matt Kindt does a great job of introducing this new character Abram to readers, weaving his history into the present. In doing so, Kindt also manages to provide insight into Abram’s personality, which hints at the sort of behaviors we might see from our divine cosmonaut. Readers get an introduction to Abram’s astonishing powers but Kindt leaves plenty to the imagination. I can’t wait to see what happens next and to learn even more about how this singularity came about. Trevor Hairsine’s visual storytelling compliments Kindt’s narrative and propels the reader through each panel. This might be my favorite work that he’s done.

Martin’s take

Divinity has been one of my most highly anticipated books of the Valiant Next launch and it did not disappoint one bit. For long time fans who have been itching to see a Solar-type character in the current universe, this book should fill that want. Kindt has written a beautiful script though it may leave many readers very confused – though it should as this is a completely new character for everyone. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this miniseries develops as we start to get some answers.

Paul’s take

If I had to sum this issue up in two words, they would be “beautifully confusing.” Trevor Hairsine’s art is fantastic and David Baron’s colors make it all the better. Matt Kindt’s story may not leave you with a clue of what’s happening at the end, but that shouldn’t matter. All will be revealed in due time. In the meanwhile, enjoy the bird and butterflies. I know I did!

Scott’s take

More than anything else, this Divinity #1 demonstrates how it’s possible to write a book that is mostly devoted to set-up that is still interesting to read. Of all the Valiant Next titles, this was the one that I was anticipating the most (actually, that’s a lie, because Jeff Lemire is one of my favorite writers and I love Bloodshot more than any person has a right to, but Divinity was a close second). The concept of Soviet Union Dr. Manhattan/Solar is irresistible, but under a lesser writer there was just as good a chance that it could have devolved into nothing more than a gimmick. Fortunately, Kindt is one of the strongest writers in the industry and he also gives a master class in how to write narration that it doesn’t feel awkward, unnecessary, or pretentious. It’s also worth noting how good Hairsine’s art looks here. I have heard some Valiant readers mention that they aren’t fond of his style, but it’s amazing how much he’s toned down his grittiness and delivered a beautiful book.

Originally from ValiantCentral.com