Kingdom Come is a 1996 superhero comic book miniseries written by Mark Waid and art by Alex Ross, under the DC Comics title.  Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman confront a new, more dangerous generation of villains and a world spinning out of control as the planet hurtles toward the final apocalypse at the turn of the twenty-first century

Plot:  Great story by Waid.  There are essentially two stories; one being Norman McCay and the Spectre watching the events unfold and the other follows the Justice League attempting to gain order from chaos.  The main story follows Pastor Norman McCay and the Spectre who watch a possible future as the world as we know it comes to an end.  The two observe (in like a cool spectral mode where they can’t directly effect what they’re seeing) as the superheroes of old and the superheroes of new clash over ideals.  The story has this really good build up that explosive during the climax.  The story is plenty complex.  It’s not merely just heroes versus heroes.  It’s more about what superhumans mean to humanity. (4 out of 5)

Characters:  The main cast are Norman McCay, the Spectre, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Shazam, Magog, and Lex Luthor.  Norman and Spectre bare witness to a growing conflict between the original members of the Justice League and the newer heroes who’ve screwed what justice means.  For those who’ve hated the Justice League’s rule of no killing Magog takes that and chunks it out the window.  What we get are heroes that wage war with no regard for human life.  I liked Superman.  For those who’ve read the Injustice comics or played the game, Superman becomes a dictator.  But in this story he’s put in a similar position without tittering over the edge.  Of course, Batman is Batman and Lex is Lex.  Both are men who believe that superhumans shouldn’t be running the world and they’re not gonna just sit by why those with superpowers grow an army.   Magog was interesting character and probably shows the most development. He’s this badass hero whose actions have led to a terrible tragedy.  This story is more about Superman than anyone else. There are a lot of characters and some I wished could’ve been fleshed out a bit more, especially the newer generation ones. (5 out of 5)

Art Style:  I don’t know much about Alex Ross’ artwork but I really appreciated his art direction.  The realism of the character designs make this story unique amongst comics, giving it a photo-realistic look. (5 out of 5)

Audio:  I took the liberty of listening to the audiobook and I was not disappointed.  For those who enjoy a good audio production when it comes to the audiobook, it is just fantastic.  The sound effects were done well, the pacing is good, and the voice performances are just superb.  I really liked the voice acting. (5 out of 5)

Writing:  Mark Waid weaves a convincing tale and brings with it, a strong sense of characterization.  Waid’s style is pretty strong but manages to keep it cohesive.  I’m getting into comics more so I don’t know much about Waid.  However, I found the writing captivating, multifaceted. and deep. I like how this story addresses what it means to be a superhero, why we need them, and their purpose in society.  I felt the pacing was done well especially with the mounting tension that eventually leads to the big climatic battle near the end.  The dialogue is written-well to great effect.  Comics tend to be cheesy with the dialogue but it’s deeper in Kingdom Come.  There are some problems with the continuity but it doesn’t take away from the story. (4 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, Kingdom Come is one of the best stories to come out of DC Comics.  It has so much going for it.  Mark Waid and Alex Ross have done a phenomenal job with Kingdom Come.  The story, characters, art style, audio, and writing is of the highest quality and it’s understandable why it’s such a great miniseries.  Kingdom Come gets 5 out of 5.