God is a taboo in this world we live. Whether you are a believer or not, it is something that fuels debates, arguments, and lifestyles all across this planet. It is a subject that has an endless amount of force and, in my humble opinion, is a topic that will never truly leave the table. What Divinity does is try to build a God. It shows the world the darkness and humanity that lies deep in this seemingly impenetrable sentinel. It asks the question, what is a God? Who is a God? Not only does it tackle issues, but it creates a damn good comic.
If you are already in the know, you would be aware of Valiant’s increasingly bold movement, Valiant Next, that seeks to bring in new creators and readers alike. If you aren’t in the know, well, Valiant has an increasingly bold movement, called Valiant Next, that seeks to bring in new creators and reader. There you go, now you are in the prior grouping. They have been working with incredible artists to reinvent some of their characters and introduce some more. I can say with a true heart, Divinity is the pinnacle of that movement. It is a quick paced story that builds a new character to thrust among the Valiant Universe. One that I can only imagine will continue to have a solid place among the heroes of Valiant.
The story itself follows Abram Adams, a Russian cosmonaut that is connected to the Russian space program during the Cold War. He is launched deep into space with two other cosmonauts in the hopes of finding the edge of the universe, the edge of existence. After twenty-seven years, what they find is something they could never have prepared for. An entity called The Unknown, which bestows upon Adams the powers of the universe, omnipotence and all. It is in this moment that he realizes he must abort his mission and return home to his wife and child. It is when this God among men descends from the heavens, that this story really becomes somethings unique. A benevolent God helping those in need, and feared for the power just behind the membrane of the tips of his fingers. Feared and revered. A blessing and a threat, Unity, a team consisting of Ninjak, X-O Manowar, Eternal Warrior and Live Wire are sent to clean it up. Only to realize they’ve never played this game with a being of the universe of Divinity’s caliber
I think this story really stands out with writer Matt Kindt‘s choice to focus on this character, making him the protagonist, we root for him, while heroes that we have come to love are faced with taking him out. The moral ambiguity to the actions of not only Divinity, but the people following him religiously and Unity have in this series really makes it difficult to see the flaw in anyone’s actions. 
You understand Divinity is benevolent, only trying to make things better, just as you understand why Unity is forced into action. Kindt could have easily made him a character with more human flaws, more defects, and therefore more of a threat to humanity. He chose carefully to separate him from those traits, he has truly ascended from humanity. A mixture of Dr.Manhattan and the Vision, he loves, but is only ever pragmatic in his decisions. This is a character that has hundreds of stories left in him and I truly hope to see them all.
The intensity of this comic is heightened palpably by the complexity of emotions portrayed through Trevor Hairsine‘s art. He captures personal character moment as if ripped from a photograph, making his players dance on the page with uncanny clarity. This mixed with Inker, Ryan Winn‘s dark and moody shading bring depth to this world, a darker side to this perfected universe. What really caught my eye was David Baron‘s coloring choices. A majority of the physical aspects of this story take place in a desert, but everything Divinity touches; The journey through space, the world he creates in the minds of others and eventually his own mind, and the planetoid he builds as a new eden; they are all brilliantly colorful. As if the character brings life to this desolate world. This team truly brought their A-game to this comic and it is clear these are wildly talented folks.
All in all, this is one of my favorite comics of this year. To think I almost passed up on the opportunity to participate on this cornerstone of Valiant’s rise to the top. They have a long journey ahead of them, but with solid titles such as this one, I expect them to flourish in the coming years. Brilliant creators allowed to do things that stretch the bounds of the Valiant Universe. What could be wrong with that? Make sure to pick up the trade of Divinity if you missed it (like myself in some alternate universe). It arrives in stores July 15 for only $9.99. I may get it and I already own the comics, that just goes to show you how dedicated I am to this series. If you already picked it up, make sure to check out the sequel Divinity II, out April 2016.
