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Divinity
Divinity II
The much-anticipated follow-up to the five-time sold-out series that The Onion/A.V. Club calls the “Best New Superhero of 2015” is here!
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union – determined to win the Space Race at any cost – green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent three cosmonauts farther into space than anyone has gone before or since. Handpicked orphans with no connections to Earth, trained as devout Communists, and restricted from having families, they became lost in the stars and encountered something unknown… Something that changed them.
Long thought lost and erased from the history books, Abram Adams was the first to return, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. But, even with seemingly limitless power at his fingertips, he is concerned only with the secret love he hid away from his superiors and the unborn child he never had a chance to meet.
Now, Myshka, the female co-pilot of the group, has also returned to Earth…but, unlike Abram she had no secret family. Unlike Abram, she still believes in the Communist ideal. And, unlike Abram, she intends to play a very real role in the return of Soviet glory.
Collecting: Divinity II 1–4
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union – determined to win the Space Race at any cost – green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent three cosmonauts farther into space than anyone has gone before or since. Handpicked orphans with no connections to Earth, trained as devout Communists, and restricted from having families, they became lost in the stars and encountered something unknown… Something that changed them.
Long thought lost and erased from the history books, Abram Adams was the first to return, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. But, even with seemingly limitless power at his fingertips, he is concerned only with the secret love he hid away from his superiors and the unborn child he never had a chance to meet.
Now, Myshka, the female co-pilot of the group, has also returned to Earth…but, unlike Abram she had no secret family. Unlike Abram, she still believes in the Communist ideal. And, unlike Abram, she intends to play a very real role in the return of Soviet glory.
Collecting: Divinity II 1–4
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
May 27, 2019
Pretty neat-o story that I didn't realize existed when I read Divinity a while back. I thought it was just some weird one-shot sci-fi story set in the Valiant universe.
But wait! There's more!
It looks like this will conclude in Divinity III: Stalinverse.
Again. I was surprised to discover that this wasn't the end. So, bonus.
The gist is that cosmonauts went out into deep space, ran smack into some wacky-powerful celestial entity, and came back to Earth (years later) with god-like powers over time/space/reality.
Neat premise & I'm looking forward to reading whatever happens next.
But wait! There's more!
It looks like this will conclude in Divinity III: Stalinverse.
Again. I was surprised to discover that this wasn't the end. So, bonus.
The gist is that cosmonauts went out into deep space, ran smack into some wacky-powerful celestial entity, and came back to Earth (years later) with god-like powers over time/space/reality.
Neat premise & I'm looking forward to reading whatever happens next.
February 28, 2019
Abram wasn't the only cosmonaut to see the entity that gave him God-like powers. Now Myshka has returned and she's a hard core communist from the 50's. She uses her powers to put Russia on top of the world and only Divinity can stop her. What follows are 4 issues of philosophy and discussion as they spiral through time and space. It's actually pretty great. Abram has to convince Myshka that things like compassion matter and she shouldn't alter the world.
I like that Valiant isn't resting on the laurels of its old characters and creating new heroes to supplement the universe.
I like that Valiant isn't resting on the laurels of its old characters and creating new heroes to supplement the universe.
February 26, 2023
Liked this book a whole lot better than the first one, but I did find the resolution wholly unconvincing.
February 17, 2018
The second volume of Divinity continues the wonderful sci-fi story from the first volume.
Abram Adams has returned with the powers of a God. But, tempered by his love for his former beau and child, he does not use his powers to their fullest. Enter Myshka, the 2nd of three cosmonauts sent on this mission, and she has no qualms about using her powers. Putting her support and powers behind President Putin-Russia emerges as an untouchable super-power. In time they take over the entire world.
Adams is forced to enter into a conflict with Myshka in order to save the world. Great story, good writing and good art combine to make a fun sci-fi tale. I would say more-but no spoilers for this excellent tale of godlike beings returning to earth.
Abram Adams has returned with the powers of a God. But, tempered by his love for his former beau and child, he does not use his powers to their fullest. Enter Myshka, the 2nd of three cosmonauts sent on this mission, and she has no qualms about using her powers. Putting her support and powers behind President Putin-Russia emerges as an untouchable super-power. In time they take over the entire world.
Adams is forced to enter into a conflict with Myshka in order to save the world. Great story, good writing and good art combine to make a fun sci-fi tale. I would say more-but no spoilers for this excellent tale of godlike beings returning to earth.
October 23, 2016
Wow, what a great series! Thanks, Valiant, for not sucking.
So while Divinity follows Abram Adams, Divinity II follows Myshka, aka Valentina Volkov. Myshka is Abram's foil, a contrasting character with a similar origin, an orphan who is also picked for the top secret Soviet space program.
Much like Divinity, Divinity II strikes a balance between action and philosophy. Philosophy of what? The human condition mostly. Of time and living with regret. Being lonely and angry, but instead of taking revenge on the world, having compassion to help others like yourself.
This reads almost like a philosophical dialog between gods. But with more punching. They discuss politics, morality, love, and the ethics of time travel. It's all very deep and interesting. Not totally groundbreaking, but truly intriguing for what's presented as a science fiction super hero comic.
But I want more story and length. Kindt does great for the space, but these two books took me no time at all to read. So I'm hoping Divinity gets several more volumes to hash out the story and fully develop into five start material.
January 23, 2019
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
Starts off as an interesting story. The characters are interesting, the art is great, it’s very well written and there’s some great action throughout. Unfortunately around half way through it becomes a Man of Steel-esque dick measuring contest of 2 superpowered characters punching each other to see who’s more powerful.
Entertaining but not nearly as good as the first book in the series.
4/5
Starts off as an interesting story. The characters are interesting, the art is great, it’s very well written and there’s some great action throughout. Unfortunately around half way through it becomes a Man of Steel-esque dick measuring contest of 2 superpowered characters punching each other to see who’s more powerful.
Entertaining but not nearly as good as the first book in the series.
4/5
March 1, 2019
And it does take off with this second volume.
One of Divinity’s comrades finds her way back from outer space. After her encounter with The Unknown she possesses the same god-like powers that he does. But she has completely different plans of how to use them.
She’s not exactly happy with what happened to the Soviet Union and since she’s able to travel back and forth in time she figures she should have a little talk with some people.
All of them pretty well known.
So the MI-6, after capturing Divinity in the last book, decides to bring him in for peace talks. Though they might have slightly overestimated their control over him anyway.
Divinity is following his former colleague and tries to talk sense into her while she clearly prefers to kick his ass.
It was great fun. And with the political and historical bits there‘s also a second layer to this. I really like the direction this took after the first volume. I was a little concerned about that, considering how the first book ended. But this turned out to be unjustified.
Looking forward to the third one now.
One of Divinity’s comrades finds her way back from outer space. After her encounter with The Unknown she possesses the same god-like powers that he does. But she has completely different plans of how to use them.
She’s not exactly happy with what happened to the Soviet Union and since she’s able to travel back and forth in time she figures she should have a little talk with some people.
All of them pretty well known.
So the MI-6, after capturing Divinity in the last book, decides to bring him in for peace talks. Though they might have slightly overestimated their control over him anyway.
Divinity is following his former colleague and tries to talk sense into her while she clearly prefers to kick his ass.
It was great fun. And with the political and historical bits there‘s also a second layer to this. I really like the direction this took after the first volume. I was a little concerned about that, considering how the first book ended. But this turned out to be unjustified.
Looking forward to the third one now.
March 25, 2017
(4.5 stars)Solid vol.2 from Valiant, Divinity is a great series that Matt Kindt has written. It is sci-fi at the core but has small elements of superhero and world building into the other valiant series. book 2 picks up with the other two astronauts that Divinity left behind in space, Myshka and Kazmir. Myshka decides to expose herself to the power that created Divinity. Myshka returns to earth and has a great sense of nationalism and thinks Divinity betrayed his country and his comrades. They battle through time and space which provides some cool action panels. I especially like the writing from Kindt when he is explaining time as a book "...but only one page can be viewed at a time, the urge to change and edit is natural but the words are already printed. The best you can do is underline a phrase..." the whole panel is awesome explaining their limitations. The art is beautiful and matches the story well. Looking forward to vol.3
February 26, 2023
It’s an improvement over part one so I’ll give it a 4. Kindt philosophizes about memory, identity, and Russian literature while two demigod-like beings fly around and punch each other. It’s the best of both worlds. Art is excellent, as is to be expected.
April 20, 2019
This is the sequel to the cosmic drama miniseries about a Russian orphan turned cosmonaut who, after being lost in space returns to Earth as a reality-manipulating powerhouse. In this second miniseries, we discover that Myshka, one of the two other crew members that Abram Adams went into space with has returned with the same powers, but without the same benevolent attitude.
I was surprised that I enjoyed this book more than the first. But I loved how it showed the way that different upbringing and the conflicting philosophies and ideologies of the two main characters shape the way they use their powers and how dangerous those powers can be in the wrong hands. As Myshka sets her sights on making the Soviet Union the world-power she's always dreamed of, MI-6 decides to let Divinity loose, in hopes of stopping her. The book is filled with clever, epic battles through time and reality as we know it. Kindt does a great job of making the reality-blending conflicts work well and continue to engage. I'm excited to see where this story goes next.
I was surprised that I enjoyed this book more than the first. But I loved how it showed the way that different upbringing and the conflicting philosophies and ideologies of the two main characters shape the way they use their powers and how dangerous those powers can be in the wrong hands. As Myshka sets her sights on making the Soviet Union the world-power she's always dreamed of, MI-6 decides to let Divinity loose, in hopes of stopping her. The book is filled with clever, epic battles through time and reality as we know it. Kindt does a great job of making the reality-blending conflicts work well and continue to engage. I'm excited to see where this story goes next.
July 6, 2018
Divinity 2 is a direct follow-up to the first one. This time though we have a woman with the crazy powers of pretty much ultimate power. SO in other-words she can pretty much be a god of sorts, but luckily we have a god on our side now.
In the last volume we were introduced to three soviet soldiers who went into space and never came back. Well, we thought they died. However, one came back. Abram came back to earth and the Unity (avengers/justice league of this universe) went to meet him. While almost dying they were able to convince him to go into a cell and stay there to keep him from doing any harm to the world. Myshka is now here and she was the other solider who went with Abram into space and now is back to fix everything. Tus begins the fight for humanity with Myshka verse Abram.
Good: The art is great. Especially when showing different realities and going back and forth between time. I loved the hell out of the dialog between Myshka and Abram. Both upset, both making good points, both trying to do what THEY see is right. The build up story for Myshka was better flushed out this time and you can see her point of view.
Bad: The ending wrapped up to soon like the last volume. I was just getting into it.
Overall this might be a little rushed like the first but I actually felt for the characters and got to see their powers unfold. This was great stuff overall. A 4 out of 5.
In the last volume we were introduced to three soviet soldiers who went into space and never came back. Well, we thought they died. However, one came back. Abram came back to earth and the Unity (avengers/justice league of this universe) went to meet him. While almost dying they were able to convince him to go into a cell and stay there to keep him from doing any harm to the world. Myshka is now here and she was the other solider who went with Abram into space and now is back to fix everything. Tus begins the fight for humanity with Myshka verse Abram.
Good: The art is great. Especially when showing different realities and going back and forth between time. I loved the hell out of the dialog between Myshka and Abram. Both upset, both making good points, both trying to do what THEY see is right. The build up story for Myshka was better flushed out this time and you can see her point of view.
Bad: The ending wrapped up to soon like the last volume. I was just getting into it.
Overall this might be a little rushed like the first but I actually felt for the characters and got to see their powers unfold. This was great stuff overall. A 4 out of 5.
February 3, 2019
Comparing Divinity II with the first Divinity, I have more respect for the artist, less for the writer.
The art was actually quite beautiful. The story.. had.. moments.
The art was actually quite beautiful. The story.. had.. moments.
January 18, 2018
I thought Divinity vol 1 was okay. Not great but not terrible so I gave it three stars. Divinity vol 2 was in my opinion pretty bad but I’ve read worse so I am hinging it two stars. The story was sloppy and the pacing too rushed. The conflict between Myshka and Abram had a very anticlimactic ended. If the price is right I may buy vol 3 just to see how it all ends.
May 25, 2021
Awesome!!!! Some crazy, cosmic, reality & time bending shit from the mind of Matt Kindt. I loved it.
This is the Superman level of Valiant, and while it’s nothing like Superman, it’s at the ubercosmic scale, and I think it adds a pretty exciting top-power end to the universe. It’s a powerful and emotional story, and it definitely comes together at the end really well.
This is an east 5 stars.
This is the Superman level of Valiant, and while it’s nothing like Superman, it’s at the ubercosmic scale, and I think it adds a pretty exciting top-power end to the universe. It’s a powerful and emotional story, and it definitely comes together at the end really well.
This is an east 5 stars.
July 26, 2021
Solid time travel story as two former cosmonauts with godlike powers vie for control of history and the world. In the end love conquers all, just as it did in Divinity. It’s kind of Dr. Manhattan versus Dr. Manhattan in this go-round, which is interesting. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but at least it doesn’t overstay its welcome as many stories are prone to do these days.
March 16, 2020
While divinity I got my be surprise, by divinity II, I knew what to expect. I liked this one better. Still 3.5 and will look into the III chapter.
December 1, 2017
A book whose characters struggle for relevance, in their own story, rarely have much fruit to bear. DIVINITY II is an improvement over its progenitor . . . but that's not saying much.
For those with an eye toward detail, DIVINITY II fails on the very first page. Indeed, the summary of the previous book is a cobbling together of presumption, hyperbole, and phenomenal nonsense. Notably, the summary erroneously boasts, "after a violent confrontation with the deity, [the forces of the West] were easily defeated," none of which is true . . . because the confrontation with Adams, in the previous book, was anything but violent, and the conclusion of the book clearly implied that Western secret military forces had claimed victory (and not, as it is revealed in the current book, Adams himself).
Well, whatever the preamble, the current book bests its predecessor only on the grounds that the creative team doesn't waste any time attempting to force the reader to care about the character or their problems. Valentina Volkov was a fellow cosmonaut who trained alongside Adams. Unsurprisingly, Volkov is an literary cliché: the unperturbed, brutally focused, and icy-cold Russian woman who will sacrifice everything for the motherland. As such, for the comic to give her life, and for the comic to tell her story, the narrative becomes predictable in a heartbeat.
Perhaps there is something to be said about the sagging perversions of American nationalism such that it permeates a comic book of this sort to such nauseating depths. Russian cosmonauts eclipse the will, intellect, and power of all humanity; except, upon returning to Earth, they are softened by western moral indices (Adams) or find purchase in the authority of the old guard (Volkov):
"She was faithful to the ideology of the state she had left. And now she returned with the power to fix things. To fix everything. That was Valentina Volkov's story. The story of the woman I was, but no longer am. Now I am the state. I am Russia. And nothing will stop me."
Mr. Putin makes an appearance, though. Which was expected and somewhat amusing. Sadly, he doesn't actually do anything in the book. And one is left to wonder: what if DIVINITY II had forsaken its "little mouse" metaphor -- of the lost and lonely little Russian girl -- and instead focused its wares on a tale of cultural and political upheaval, using Volkov as the hammer and Putin as the sickle? (Perhaps then readers wouldn't need suffer a three-page montage of global economic crises and a chapter-and-a-half of squabbling god-talk.)
Overall, the book is more engaging than the previous installment but falls short for other reasons. The dialogue has its high points (e.g., the book metaphor makes a lot more sense this time around), but in the later chapters, the pacing is garishly abrupt and often confusing. Hairsine's art is remains extraordinary, even though the coloring is occasionally inconsistent (e.g., Volkov's hair color is both blonde and not?).
For those with an eye toward detail, DIVINITY II fails on the very first page. Indeed, the summary of the previous book is a cobbling together of presumption, hyperbole, and phenomenal nonsense. Notably, the summary erroneously boasts, "after a violent confrontation with the deity, [the forces of the West] were easily defeated," none of which is true . . . because the confrontation with Adams, in the previous book, was anything but violent, and the conclusion of the book clearly implied that Western secret military forces had claimed victory (and not, as it is revealed in the current book, Adams himself).
Well, whatever the preamble, the current book bests its predecessor only on the grounds that the creative team doesn't waste any time attempting to force the reader to care about the character or their problems. Valentina Volkov was a fellow cosmonaut who trained alongside Adams. Unsurprisingly, Volkov is an literary cliché: the unperturbed, brutally focused, and icy-cold Russian woman who will sacrifice everything for the motherland. As such, for the comic to give her life, and for the comic to tell her story, the narrative becomes predictable in a heartbeat.
Perhaps there is something to be said about the sagging perversions of American nationalism such that it permeates a comic book of this sort to such nauseating depths. Russian cosmonauts eclipse the will, intellect, and power of all humanity; except, upon returning to Earth, they are softened by western moral indices (Adams) or find purchase in the authority of the old guard (Volkov):
"She was faithful to the ideology of the state she had left. And now she returned with the power to fix things. To fix everything. That was Valentina Volkov's story. The story of the woman I was, but no longer am. Now I am the state. I am Russia. And nothing will stop me."
Mr. Putin makes an appearance, though. Which was expected and somewhat amusing. Sadly, he doesn't actually do anything in the book. And one is left to wonder: what if DIVINITY II had forsaken its "little mouse" metaphor -- of the lost and lonely little Russian girl -- and instead focused its wares on a tale of cultural and political upheaval, using Volkov as the hammer and Putin as the sickle? (Perhaps then readers wouldn't need suffer a three-page montage of global economic crises and a chapter-and-a-half of squabbling god-talk.)
Overall, the book is more engaging than the previous installment but falls short for other reasons. The dialogue has its high points (e.g., the book metaphor makes a lot more sense this time around), but in the later chapters, the pacing is garishly abrupt and often confusing. Hairsine's art is remains extraordinary, even though the coloring is occasionally inconsistent (e.g., Volkov's hair color is both blonde and not?).
September 14, 2019
I liked the first volume much more than this one. I also thought that the first volume was way more confusing than this volume, so go figure. I felt that the conflict between Mishka and Abram went on too long. It felt drawn out. It had a nice conclusion and definitely had its place, but they could have wrapped it up sooner in my opinion.
June 25, 2019
Reprints Divinity II #1-4 (April 2016-July 2016). Divinity’s return to Earth threatened to tip the scales of power, but the return of Abram’s flight partner Myshka has just done that. Teamed with Russia, Myshka hopes to restore the grander of the Soviet Union and she intends to do it by any means. Unity’s only hope is Divinity who is now their prisoner…but even if Divinity agrees to help, can he stop Myshka’s quest?
Written by Matt Kindt, Divinity II is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Valiant Comics series Divinity. The collection features art by Trevor Hairsine and was also collected as part of Divinity: The Complete Trilogy.
I liked Divinity a lot. I thought it was a unique blend of science-fiction, “far-out” mysticism, and old Cold War espionage. That storyline combined with solid art, fun covers, and a strange tie to the other characters in the Valiant universe. Divinity II is still a good read, but by focusing on the Cold War aspect of the story, it loses a bit of the wonder that the first collection had.
Part of the problem is Myshka. While I admire her devotion to a cause and wonder what a 1960s Soviet would think of the current standing of Russia, I don’t think she’s as interesting as a character as Abram. Her razor vision on restoring Russia serves the purpose of this leg of the story, but the cold uncompassionate character doesn’t breed sympathy.
The Soviets were always the “bogeyman” if you grew up during the Cold War. They were spies and they were going to overthrow us or start a nuclear war that would kill everyone. I’m sure that they thought the same of Americans. Abram was a rounded and human character in the first Divinity storyline. While much of Myshka’s humanity was beaten out of her by “the Doctor”, she feels like every cliché of a Soviet that a Cold War kid would have grown up with. An attempt to humanize her as the story goes on work, but I don’t necessarily believe the change in perspective.
It would be interesting to see how someone who didn’t grow up in the Cold War takes Myshka’s character. While for me, she comes off as a bad stereotype of every USSR agent in every Soviet era movie, to a reader who wasn’t around the “evil” Soviets, they might have a different perspective on the character. Divinity II was followed by Divinity III: Stalinverse.
Written by Matt Kindt, Divinity II is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Valiant Comics series Divinity. The collection features art by Trevor Hairsine and was also collected as part of Divinity: The Complete Trilogy.
I liked Divinity a lot. I thought it was a unique blend of science-fiction, “far-out” mysticism, and old Cold War espionage. That storyline combined with solid art, fun covers, and a strange tie to the other characters in the Valiant universe. Divinity II is still a good read, but by focusing on the Cold War aspect of the story, it loses a bit of the wonder that the first collection had.
Part of the problem is Myshka. While I admire her devotion to a cause and wonder what a 1960s Soviet would think of the current standing of Russia, I don’t think she’s as interesting as a character as Abram. Her razor vision on restoring Russia serves the purpose of this leg of the story, but the cold uncompassionate character doesn’t breed sympathy.
The Soviets were always the “bogeyman” if you grew up during the Cold War. They were spies and they were going to overthrow us or start a nuclear war that would kill everyone. I’m sure that they thought the same of Americans. Abram was a rounded and human character in the first Divinity storyline. While much of Myshka’s humanity was beaten out of her by “the Doctor”, she feels like every cliché of a Soviet that a Cold War kid would have grown up with. An attempt to humanize her as the story goes on work, but I don’t necessarily believe the change in perspective.
It would be interesting to see how someone who didn’t grow up in the Cold War takes Myshka’s character. While for me, she comes off as a bad stereotype of every USSR agent in every Soviet era movie, to a reader who wasn’t around the “evil” Soviets, they might have a different perspective on the character. Divinity II was followed by Divinity III: Stalinverse.
April 8, 2020
Divinity II
Writer - Matt Kindt
Penciler - Trevor Hairsine
Cover - Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic
When Divinity returned to Earth, he left his other two crewmembers behind. Now Valentina Volkov has embraced the power of “the Unknown” and returned to Earth as well, however she is a devout Communist and is horrified at what has happened to her country since she left over 60 years ago. Now, she’s determined to return the Soviet Union to its former glory!
This isn’t so much a clash of super-powered people as it is a clash of ideologies. When Divinity returned it was for his wife and daughter, but Valentina (known commonly as Myshka) returns because it was her mission for the Motherland. Unlike Abram who defied regulations and left a loved one behind, Myshka was all about following the rules and obeying her directives. Her background as a street urchin adopted into a good Soviet family taught her that rules mattered and she had to do her duty for the good of all. She devoted her life to duty, and doing what she was supposed to do - to the point where she can’t understand life without those things in place.
Sure there are some awesome displays of power and some cool action sequences, but this is a more cerebral book - one that speaks to emotions and ideals more than super-heroics. It really all boils down to understanding yourself and each other. And there are so many nice character moments for both Divinity and Myshka (Lady Divinity) that it’s a very satisfying journey. For general Valiant fans, there are cameos by a few regular characters, but they do not play a significant role in the story.
The artwork is amazing! I’m a big fan of Trevor Hairsine to begin with, but in this book he does so much with layouts to embellish the story. Within and outside of panels, between panels, through use of light and shade, all kinds of emotion and character expressions are made real. There are some really emotional silhouettes throughout that really hit you in the feels!
This book isn’t for everyone, but it fills the gap that Valiant has where Solar used to fit in the 90s. But with the Gold Key characters (Solar, Magnus, Turok) under a seperate license, Valiant has created a new character to fill that void. In a lot of ways this book is more powerful and compelling reading and has a much deeper emotional content.
A powerful and thought-provoking story.
Writer - Matt Kindt
Penciler - Trevor Hairsine
Cover - Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic
When Divinity returned to Earth, he left his other two crewmembers behind. Now Valentina Volkov has embraced the power of “the Unknown” and returned to Earth as well, however she is a devout Communist and is horrified at what has happened to her country since she left over 60 years ago. Now, she’s determined to return the Soviet Union to its former glory!
This isn’t so much a clash of super-powered people as it is a clash of ideologies. When Divinity returned it was for his wife and daughter, but Valentina (known commonly as Myshka) returns because it was her mission for the Motherland. Unlike Abram who defied regulations and left a loved one behind, Myshka was all about following the rules and obeying her directives. Her background as a street urchin adopted into a good Soviet family taught her that rules mattered and she had to do her duty for the good of all. She devoted her life to duty, and doing what she was supposed to do - to the point where she can’t understand life without those things in place.
Sure there are some awesome displays of power and some cool action sequences, but this is a more cerebral book - one that speaks to emotions and ideals more than super-heroics. It really all boils down to understanding yourself and each other. And there are so many nice character moments for both Divinity and Myshka (Lady Divinity) that it’s a very satisfying journey. For general Valiant fans, there are cameos by a few regular characters, but they do not play a significant role in the story.
The artwork is amazing! I’m a big fan of Trevor Hairsine to begin with, but in this book he does so much with layouts to embellish the story. Within and outside of panels, between panels, through use of light and shade, all kinds of emotion and character expressions are made real. There are some really emotional silhouettes throughout that really hit you in the feels!
This book isn’t for everyone, but it fills the gap that Valiant has where Solar used to fit in the 90s. But with the Gold Key characters (Solar, Magnus, Turok) under a seperate license, Valiant has created a new character to fill that void. In a lot of ways this book is more powerful and compelling reading and has a much deeper emotional content.
A powerful and thought-provoking story.
May 28, 2018
When Abram Adams travelled to the end of the universe and gained his immense powers, he returned to Earth and settled into a life of memory and quiet. But Abram wasn't alone - now one of his fellow Cosmonauts, Myshka, has also returned, and she's not half as easygoing. It's a war between gods as Abram and Myshka battle across space and time, with the fate of the entire Valiant Universe at stake.
The original Divinity felt kind of undefined, even by the end of the story; this is just as much his story as Myshka's however, and comparing the two characters helps flesh both of them out by highlighting the differences between them. There's a lot of philosophizing and shoulda-woulda-coulda going on, but it illustrates how much our pasts shape our lives as well as how one small action can have long-reaching consequences. Unity are involved here too, but to a lesser degree than the first series; they're happy to just get out of the way and let the two Divinities fight each other. I do like that some limitations are placed on their powers here; they were kind of vague before, but seeing them face off gives us some ideas as to exactly what they can and can't do.
Trevor Hairsine's art is still solid, but the same problem persists from the first volume - in an age of comics where crazy panel arrangements and innovative storytelling are rife, a story like this deserves more than just four panel grids; there's one very good page where everything is cut into slices and the two characters battle across them, but it definitely feels tame compared to what it could have been.
Divinity II is better than the first, but it still feels like there's untapped potential here. Third time's the charm, maybe?
The original Divinity felt kind of undefined, even by the end of the story; this is just as much his story as Myshka's however, and comparing the two characters helps flesh both of them out by highlighting the differences between them. There's a lot of philosophizing and shoulda-woulda-coulda going on, but it illustrates how much our pasts shape our lives as well as how one small action can have long-reaching consequences. Unity are involved here too, but to a lesser degree than the first series; they're happy to just get out of the way and let the two Divinities fight each other. I do like that some limitations are placed on their powers here; they were kind of vague before, but seeing them face off gives us some ideas as to exactly what they can and can't do.
Trevor Hairsine's art is still solid, but the same problem persists from the first volume - in an age of comics where crazy panel arrangements and innovative storytelling are rife, a story like this deserves more than just four panel grids; there's one very good page where everything is cut into slices and the two characters battle across them, but it definitely feels tame compared to what it could have been.
Divinity II is better than the first, but it still feels like there's untapped potential here. Third time's the charm, maybe?
October 22, 2016
I liked the first Divinity quite a bit, and really had my hopes up for Divinity II. Unfortunately, things don't get any better in the second installment. Basically, we learn that another of the three Russian cosmonauts ALSO gained superpowers from the unknown, and became a god. The set-up reads a little lazy, but Kindt does throw a curve-ball, by making her a Russian loyalist. Over the course of Divinity II, the new, second Divinity, uses her power to manipulate the world market in Russia's favor after teaming up with Vladmir Putin. That's kind of the plot, but really, the pacing is so broken in this volume, that really it's only half of one issue. What should be a huge global crisis, addressed across several installments is just sped through in the usual Valiant four-issue format. It doesn't work. The story carries no real weight, with seemingly huge cliffhangers between issues wiped away within the first two pages of the next chapter. There just isn't enough time to tell Kindt's story AND provide any real weight or sense of desperation.
It was fun to read, and while I still think Hairsine was a poor choice in artist, it was a smooth and enjoyable book. I just feel like more than anything, the Divinity concept has become wasted potential with this installment. The ending is somewhat satisfying, with a complete arc at least, but I'm not holding my breath for Divinity III. And that's a damn shame.
It was fun to read, and while I still think Hairsine was a poor choice in artist, it was a smooth and enjoyable book. I just feel like more than anything, the Divinity concept has become wasted potential with this installment. The ending is somewhat satisfying, with a complete arc at least, but I'm not holding my breath for Divinity III. And that's a damn shame.
July 25, 2017
Cuando en el primer volumen nos prometieron un dios comunista ruso, no cumplieron su palabra del todo. Nos dieron un dios, que no obedecía a ningún país y que no parecía tener ninguna afiliación política. Este es el volumen que cumple la promesa.
Una diosa, leal a Rusia y promotora de los ideales comunistas. Se entrega a la causa sin consideración alguna por su propia persona. Se entiende a si misma como una herramienta para la gloria de su nación.
Aunque entiendo las motivaciones detrás de la intervención del grupo de superheroes, no esta clara la causal por la cual Adams decide intervenir. Como una figura que se desarrolla en forma cuasiparalela el orden mundial le debería ser de poca importancia. Parece hacerlo más por un interés hacía el bienestar de Myshka que por el bien del orden mundial. A fin de cuentas eso coincide con su afán anterior de darle a la gente aquello que en verdad anhela.
Pero en fin. Problemas de la historia aparte. Este comic, al igual que su predecesor destaca por la brillante composición de paneles. Con poderes que desafían las leyes de la física y de la continuidad, los paneles normales hacen un flaco favor. Y destaco fuertemente la batalla dentro de la biblioteca, un buen modo de tener algunos paneles extra.
La historia se siente un poco forzada, pero es un buen referente para ver lo que es posible hacer en el medio.
Una diosa, leal a Rusia y promotora de los ideales comunistas. Se entrega a la causa sin consideración alguna por su propia persona. Se entiende a si misma como una herramienta para la gloria de su nación.
Aunque entiendo las motivaciones detrás de la intervención del grupo de superheroes, no esta clara la causal por la cual Adams decide intervenir. Como una figura que se desarrolla en forma cuasiparalela el orden mundial le debería ser de poca importancia. Parece hacerlo más por un interés hacía el bienestar de Myshka que por el bien del orden mundial. A fin de cuentas eso coincide con su afán anterior de darle a la gente aquello que en verdad anhela.
Pero en fin. Problemas de la historia aparte. Este comic, al igual que su predecesor destaca por la brillante composición de paneles. Con poderes que desafían las leyes de la física y de la continuidad, los paneles normales hacen un flaco favor. Y destaco fuertemente la batalla dentro de la biblioteca, un buen modo de tener algunos paneles extra.
La historia se siente un poco forzada, pero es un buen referente para ver lo que es posible hacer en el medio.
February 18, 2018
So we find out that Abram wasn't alone on his mission to the edge of the universe. There were two others that he abandoned and left for dead. Valentina, who is called Myshka by the other Cosmonauts, is a Soviet thoroughly dedicated to the state and the mission.
As she realizes that Kazmir, the third, isn't as dedicated as she, she also discovered out how Abram did what he did. She uses the last of Kazmir's life energy to do the same. When she returns to Russia in modern day and finds the Soviet Union no longer exists she sets out to set things right and Make Russia the greatest and richest nation.
Divinity is brought out of his cell to deal with her, while telling his captors that he can come and go at will. He offers his help and sets out to change Myshka's understanding of her new powers as they travel backwards and forwards in time.
Great installment and great art.
As she realizes that Kazmir, the third, isn't as dedicated as she, she also discovered out how Abram did what he did. She uses the last of Kazmir's life energy to do the same. When she returns to Russia in modern day and finds the Soviet Union no longer exists she sets out to set things right and Make Russia the greatest and richest nation.
Divinity is brought out of his cell to deal with her, while telling his captors that he can come and go at will. He offers his help and sets out to change Myshka's understanding of her new powers as they travel backwards and forwards in time.
Great installment and great art.
January 16, 2022
While the Unity team does appear in this comic, this is less a Valiant Universe adventure story, more a Matt Kindt wants you to know why time travel stories shouldn't work. Much of the "action" is two god-level Russians fighting while also discussing how you can't change time.
It reminded me of the Alpha Flight issue where Northstar has a fistfight with someone while both coming out as queer, and informing the readers that AIDS isn't a disease restricted to homosexuals. It just seems like you should pause the fight for a few seconds to deliver your revelations.
I just don't care about any of the characters in this series. Their backgrounds Should connect with me, but Kindt's writing tends to have better conceits than characters. I found this to be a fairly skippable part of the Valiant line.
It reminded me of the Alpha Flight issue where Northstar has a fistfight with someone while both coming out as queer, and informing the readers that AIDS isn't a disease restricted to homosexuals. It just seems like you should pause the fight for a few seconds to deliver your revelations.
I just don't care about any of the characters in this series. Their backgrounds Should connect with me, but Kindt's writing tends to have better conceits than characters. I found this to be a fairly skippable part of the Valiant line.
March 26, 2018
Divinity II. The second Divinity mini-series has a pretty great premise. It goes back to the beginning and reminds us that there were two other compatriots abandoned in the Beyond and asks what happens when one of them returns. The actual results of that aren't as interesting as the fantastic Divinity, because there's a lot more superheroic fighting. But there's also nice backstory, fun timeywimeyness, a good conclusion, and of course the twist that leads to Divinity III [4/5].
October 8, 2018
The second of three cosmonauts returns to Earth, likewise empowered to near godhood by what she found in some deep part of space. Unlike Abram Adams, Myshka isn't going to just sit in a small corner of the globe and offer a small scale utopia to the people in the immediate vicinity. Myshka is a Communist true believer and instead offers her services to Vladimir Putin, forcing Abram to try and stop her.
The middle part of the trilogy showcases another new character, one with similar powers as the first but a whole new method and motivation to do what she does. Good stuff.
The middle part of the trilogy showcases another new character, one with similar powers as the first but a whole new method and motivation to do what she does. Good stuff.
January 23, 2021
I liked this volume better than the first. In this volume the second cosmonaut makes her way back to Earth, and she's not nearly as benevolent as the first to come back. She has the same powers, and attempts to manipulate the world into one where the Soviets rule. Thankfully, the first cosmonaut intervenes.
There's one volume left in the trilogy, and considering three cosmonauts went into space it's not hard to figure out what the main plot point of the final volume.
This is a really cool concept, and the art is above average. Very interested in seeing how this all wraps up.
There's one volume left in the trilogy, and considering three cosmonauts went into space it's not hard to figure out what the main plot point of the final volume.
This is a really cool concept, and the art is above average. Very interested in seeing how this all wraps up.
July 29, 2017
I enjoyed the first Divinity book a bit more. I will say, that this book did have a trippy moment, that I had to reread, to appreciate. I am not going to spoil it, but it used the format of the comic book to make a metaphysical point. I love when people use aspects of the form of comic books to do something original.I am going to be embarrassed if it had the same artist from the first book, but I found the quality of the artwork, in this book, a bit distracting as well.
January 19, 2020
This is the second volume of the story. In the first volume we learned Russia sent three cosmonauts into deep space during the Cold War. Volume one deals with one of those cosmonauts encountering something that gives him super powers and he goes back home.
In this volume the other two cosmonauts come home and one of them has gained her own powers.
It’s a lot of fun exploring the Valiant universe.
In this volume the other two cosmonauts come home and one of them has gained her own powers.
It’s a lot of fun exploring the Valiant universe.
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