Kingdom Come

[Sundancer]

I've read this graphic novel several times and am reading the actual novel now.

Here's what I don't get:

The background is that the current generation of superheroes are careless and reckless. But some of them are children of "our" generation of superheroes. the novel mentioned Nightstar, daughter of Kori and Nightwing. Did the current generation universally fail at mentoring and raising their children? How did things get that bad in one generation.

I know a lot were following Magog's anti-hero tactics, but to list none that are redeemable just seems like a plot hole to me.

Thoughts?

 

[KevanG]

It took place over the "next" 20 years in the alternate timeline. Things kept getting worse and after the Jokers murder and people replacing Superman with Magog they really had no one to moderate them anymore as the current generation just all decided to leave/retire/travel with a few exceptions. After all, the heroes are supposed to protect us from the bad guys so they all kept getting more and more vicious to counter the bad guys who escalated it as well.

Eventually, they both got to the point where you couldn't tell who was the bad guys anymore since they had all gone too far as it was.

 

[Sundancer]

Halfway through the novel, and it touches on this point in a couple of ways. it mentions that the metahuman gene suddenly surfaced more, kind of like the people with telekinesis in Looper. There's also a bit of dialogue with Superman and a minor hero where they discuss whether or not the gene makes metahumans more aggressive.

Good stuff in the novel. I didn't know Magog's name came from the Book of Revelations, and now I get the symbolism of his horns. If you don't have it, get it. It makes a great companion to the graphic novel.

 

[KevanG]

I wouldn't figure that the increase in a meta gene would increase hostility. I'd think that due to the flexibility of the gene and the diversity of the abilities it bestows would increase ones ego into believing that they are beyond normal people and they want to prove it. Since there's no one to oppose them but themselves they just beat the hell out of each other.

After all, the metahumans setup various authorities within themselves to contain and deal punishment out to the ones who step out of line. With those authorities disbanding they have no basis to measure themselves against and no ruling body to watch over to correct or punish them besides themselves and they have no interest in doing so.

 

[Sundancer]

I wouldn't figure that the increase in a meta gene would increase hostility. I'd think that due to the flexibility of the gene and the diversity of the abilities it bestows would increase ones ego into believing that they are beyond normal people and they want to prove it. Since there's no one to oppose them but themselves they just beat the hell out of each other.

After all, the metahumans setup various authorities within themselves to contain and deal punishment out to the ones who step out of line. With those authorities disbanding they have no basis to measure themselves against and no ruling body to watch over to correct or punish them besides themselves and they have no interest in doing so.

I'm almost finished the book now, and that seems to be the direction it went in.



Now, I know I'm missing the forest for the trees, but what exactly was the Spectre's judgment