"The Wicked + The Divine," written by Kieron Gillen, follows the story of an average 17 year old girl named Laura as she interacts with the Pantheon, a group of 12 deities. From Lucifer (Ruler of Hell) to Sekhmet (warrior goddess of Egypt), 12 deities return every 90 years. These deities have two years to live and during that time are on the front and center stage for the world to love and hate. Their mysticism grants them fame but also puts targets on their backs. In the first volume Laura attends the concert of a Goddess named Amaterasu, which ends with Laura becoming close with Lucifer. As the comic progresses, Lucifer is framed for murder and Laura does her best to help Lucifer by finding out whose really responsible.
One of the strongest aspects of this comic is its character development. The three characters that make the biggest impact in the first volume are Laura, Lucifer, and Cassandra.
Laura is a girl desperate to be in the spotlight. You immediately are given the sense that she wants to be and live a life more fantastical than what’s possible. Laura is desperate to help Lucifer because she is promised power in exchange for her help.
Next is Luci who quickly became my favorite character. Luci is playful and flirtatious; even when she finds herself locked up in jail she continues to be rather nonchalant. She is a badass who doesn’t tolerate it when someone takes a shot at her -- literally. Luci causes the most trouble for the Pantheon and because of this the reader gains a better understanding of what The Pantheon is really like.
Finally there’s Cassandra. Cassandra is a reporter determined to prove that the Pantheon is a complete joke. She is hard-headed and has some hilarious commentary. Her character doesn’t stray from her beliefs even in the second volume when things are really proving not to be a joke after all.
Another wonderful thing about this comic is the diverse characters and LGBTQA+ presence. The deities of the Pantheon do as they please and it’s not treated as anything out of the ordinary. The comic is also visually pleasing as the artists take unique liberties with the layout and coloring, especially in the second volume when Laura goes to a party for the members of the Pantheon.
While these aspects of the comic are exceptional, the main problem with it becomes keeping up with the names. Deities are named without being introduced in the first volume and as a result, it’s sometimes hard to follow who a character is talking about. It becomes easier to identify characters in the second volume when more are introduced and others appear more frequently. Another thing is that the reader may not know anything about some of the deities in which case I recommend a quick wiki search of their name to better understand what abilities they might possess.
Overall, Gillen has come up with a great concept that deserves some more recognition. I’m very interested in see what this series has in store for the reader in the future.
