The state of affairs has changed significantly as we open up this second volume of Orion by Walt Simonson. Orion has defeated Darkseid and has taken command of Apokolips. It's a new age. But is it?
This is the saga of "Red Orion" as Simonson calls him. Read on.
Orion has command of the Anti-Life Equation. That means all life must bend the knee to his will and with this power he begins the "Ordering of Apokolips". Despite his great powers he is met with opposition and must use his strength to win the day. Jim Lee draws a story which gives us insight into Darkseid's schemes.
After Apokolips comes the Earth. John Byrne steps in to supply the art in this and the next issue. Orion might never have always been the hero of his story, but rarely was he the villain. We must reconsider that as we see him take command of the Justice League and as much of Earth as he can. People die to bring the peace to the planet that Orion demands.
But Darkseid's forces have not ended entirely. One ally has taken refuge on New Genesis has used guile and brashness to convince the people of New Genesis that Orion is their enemy. They go to Apokolips to confront this enemy. Meanwhile a Promethean giant has broken loose from the Soul Wall and makes his presence known.
Darkseid assisted by Metron makes his move by sending a version of the Black Racer to deal with the all-powerful Orion. The scheme does not unfold exactly as planned but nonetheless when a miraculous hand reaches out, Orion is removed from this reality and the power of the Anti-Life Equation is voided. In the back up story we learn of one young man's desire to replace his father in Darkseid's Dog Soldier Leigons.
With Orion removed the aftermath of his rule in Apokolips is begun to be dealt with. Metron seeks answers. Scott Free visits the Soul Wall. The New Gods return to New Genesis. Orion finds himself in a strange land of utter quiet and can only get answers from a giant he finds dangling inside an enormous tree.
The Tree of Life at the center of everything is under attack by beings called "Ecruos" and it's up to Orion to save the day, to all days in fact. He feels remorse and guilt for his actions after acquiring the Anti-Live Equation and so is all too ready to sacrifice himself to save us all. As it turns out, he is just the one to do it.
Orion comes to Apokolips unconscious and is saved by the lone Green Lantern who still survives on this desolate planet. Once the Guardians had sent a force of Lanterns to bring the planet to heel, but a bargain was struck and the Lantern forces were abandoned. Now with only seconds of power left this Lantern still tries to live up to his code. The back up story gives more insight into the Lantern's existence in the shadows of Darkseid's grim world.
The saga takes a sideways turn when Slig of the Deep Six is drawn into a scheme of the Joker and under that influence sets about to contaminate the whole of the Earth's oceans with deadly giant mutations. Orion must mee this new enemy despite his recent wounds which have cut him off from Mother Box and the Astro Force.
The threat of Arnicus Wolfram rears its ancient head as Orion is kidnapped and horribly mutilated by Wolfram's forces after Orion puts a final end to Slig's threat once and for all.
Blinded and chained by Wolfram's forces Orion becomes a battery from which Wolfram draws extended life. Orion is still feeling great guilt for his misuse of the Anti-Life Equation, but even so he proves to be too much for Wolfram's forces to keep locked up. That is he does with a bit of help from Lightray who tracks him down and gives him back his link to the Astro-Force and his Mother Box. Still blinded, but rejuvenated to some extent Orion seeks out his new enemy.
The story shifts and is told from the point of view of a thirteen-year old girl named Melissa. She's a child of the streets and does work for Inter-Gang, a group funded by Arnicus Wolfram and armed with Apokoliptian tech. Still blinded, Orion proves a powerful force nonetheless against these mortal enemies.
In the second part of Melissa's story Orion confronts the forces of Inter-Gang and utterly defeats them, despite the ultimate foe getting away. Orion takes steps to see that Melissa is cared for then heads off to finish the fight. Orion is pretty impressive in these issues, his power is impressive and used in very imaginative ways by Simonson. He certainly lives up to his assumed name of "Hunter". I do hate the cap though.
In a story which travels back and forth in time, Orion chases Wolfram to the site of the first Hydrogen Bomb test. Wolfram thinks it's an ideal trap for a "New God" but Orion is able to cleverly turn the tables on his mortal foe, one we learn has been slinking around the planet for centuries. Often Orion is presented as a brute consumed by rage, but Simonson gives us a more complete Orion, a warrior who does use his mind and make use of strategy.
The finale of this series is one of the best I've ever encountered. It's very satisfying and pays off all of the twists and turns which have been established in the twenty-five issues. We learn the secret of the Black Racer and we learn how that individual was able to withstand the force of the Anti-Life Equation. We are treated to a tremdous battle on Apokolips and some true-to-form activity from Metron. Not only is Simonson's artwork dynamic and compelling in this series,but hit has grace. He draws the best Orion other than Kirby. His Mister Miracle ain't bad either.
This volume closes out with some choice Simonson artwork from various sources starring Orion and other members of the sprawling cast.
This is a wonderful work, and in tandem with the first volume arguably the best treatment of the New Gods since the original stories were told by Jack "King" Kirby decades before. Simonson groks the New Gods and is adept at staying true to Kirby's original sources and pays homage in many delightful ways. If you're a New Gods fan this is a must read.
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