New Gods Book One - Bloodlines!

In 1988 the New Gods returned yet again. This time it was in the hands of Mark Evanier, Jim Starlin and artists Paris Cullins and Willie Blyberg. This is a pretty robust revival with Cullins' artwork doing a lot to recapture some of the potency of Kirby's original art. Blyberg gives the pages depth and added drama. But it's the writing that really shines. By having Evanier write the series, it's the closest thing we will get to more Kirby without the great man himself. Evanier was there when the Fourth World first unfolded and bore witness as much as anyone an even wrote a page or two back then. 

The debut issue follows on after Cosmic Odyssey by Starlin and artist Mike Mignola. In that mini-series the New Gods had halted the assault on our dimension by a entity identified as the "Anti-Life". With the assistance of Superman, Martian Manhunter, and other DC supeheroes the denizens of New Genesis and Darkseid himself carry the battle to four worlds. One doesn't survive. But perhaps worse despite victory at great cost Darkseid becomes even more dangerous. In this issue Orion battles the Bugs, an underworld society led in part by Mantis, one of Darkseid's servants. He enters their territory to return the body of Forager who had died in the battle against the Anti-Life. 

The next three issues are written by Jim Starlin and have Orion become more comfortable with the Bug culture. This is due somewhat to the ally he finds in the new female Forager. Further he learns that people of New Genesis are responsible for the dire straits of the Bugs who suffered poisoning from long ago activities of the Gods to defend against Apokolips. Orion is infuriated and breaks with Highfather before becoming more deeply involved in the battle against Mantis and his faction of the Bugs. Meanwhile Metron slowly recovers from his catatonic state which started at the beginning of Cosmic Odyssey. Highfather finds a political rival in the military minded Commander, a member of the small committee which governs New Genesis. Also surprising was the return of Lonar who was killed in the 70's revival. I guess he got better. 

In the fifth issue Evanier returns and brings the Bug saga to a tragic and deadly end. Orion reverts to his warlike ways creating a situation in which the new Forager must abandon their partnership. This is a very powerful ending to this story line and I wonder if it was the one Starling anticipated. 

The sixth issue introduces the "Dreggs", walking dead creatures from the era of the Old Gods. In fact these shambling, mostly mindless zombies are those gods hovering on the edge of existence in this new world. Orion goes to Apokolips to confront Darkseid but finds himself the victim of the latter's Omega Rays. Lightray is busy trying to rescue Eve Donner, an Earth woman who needs the support of a strong personality. 

Then begins the "Bloodlines Saga". This is an extended story which sees Orion transported to a differernt part of Apokolips where he makes the decision to find his mother Tiggra who is held captive in Section Zero. To find this area circumstances lead Orion to pose as a recruit in Darkseid's legions where his savage nature marks him as a star. Right under the nose of his father he seeks his mother, aided by a hidden faction called the Hunger Dogs. We learn that both Desaad and Kalibak have schemes of their own and Kalibak's in particular is mysterious. Meanwhile in New Genesis the political struggle for control continues resulting in a plebiscite that strikes at the very foundations of "Supertown". We are treated to much of the back story for many of the key characters in the New Gods saga also as this sprawling saga unfolds. 

After the revelations of the previous issues we turn our attentions to Earth where both Orion and Lightrary find themselves. Eve Donner has returned too but unwittingly brings along a menace called a Reflektor, an Apokolitian creature that confronts people with their deepest fear. There is a reference to an earlier Forever People limited series in which they confront this creature. (More on that later in the month.) Lightray and Orion must confront their fears to defeat this menace, but it is not without incident or disagreement. 

I very much enjoyed this rendition of the New Gods save for one critical factor -- Orion's personality. Kirby was able to render Orion as a complex figure with oceans of suppressed anger, but with a calm and even cold demeanor. Too often in my opinion this series shows Orion as a raging creature, something Kirby also did but in limited ways. This seems to be the way DC saw the character at the time, and it's less effective than Kirby's more sedate Orion. 

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