Over six issues, Ram V’s The New Gods Vol. 1: The Falling Sky only moves by inches. The slow pace is fitting, even precedented, for Jack Kirby’s Fourth World, with Falling Sky often more concerned with exploring the mythology than dealing with Darkseid’s death and marauding hordes of otherworldly invaders. This provides even more time for the audience to enjoy pages upon pages of fantastic art — series artist Evan Cagle, but also Jorge Fornes, Riccardo Federici, Andrew MacLean, Filipe Andrade, and more. New Gods is already shaping up to be another masterpiece from Ram V following his The Swamp Thing triumph.

[Review contains spoilers]

At Falling Sky’s outset, we’re in a very capable New Gods story that feels of a piece with Tom King’s Mister Miracle. In the wake of Darkseid’s apparent death in the DC All In special and everyone going a little mad, Orion is charged with killing a Source-powered child, and torn between duty and mercy, he gives Mister Miracle Scott Free seven days to stop him. Marital hilarity ensues as Scott tries to leave his wife Big Barda and infant daughter Olivia “Liv” Free behind, only for Barda to insist they set off together. Meanwhile Fourth World stalwarts from Desaad to Metron to Serifan (plus Max Lord, playing the Morgan Edge role?) conspire behind the scenes.