And just like that, our introductory story to the strange being known as Divinity has wrapped up. I got to say that looking back on where I had hoped this series was gonna go, I am disappointed that this issue ended up still devoting a good chunk of time to fisticuffs with Unity. After those first two issues, I had gotten excited at the prospect of a comic with an overly powered being that had a meditative approach rather than resolutions where beams and fists are flying. Still, writer Matt Kindt, penciler Trevor Hairsine, inker Ryan Winn, colorist David Baron, and letterer David Lanphear deliver a solid conclusion that has its share of emotionally charged moments all while making a damn beautiful book.
Since Unity snapped out of Divinity’s time loop at the end of last issue, they’re back to trying to get the cosmically infused being into a containment pod. Meanwhile, we’re returned to the cliffhanger from last issue that sees Adam, Divinity’s human name, reunited with his wife and daughter who we quickly learn are both deceased in the present of the comic. Time being no big thing to Divinity, he was able to pluck them out the timestream and drop them into his paradise. The majority of this issue plays out both of these conflicts as Unity uses Divinity’s memory of this reunion to distract him, the reader learning along with Divinity the folly of his actions as his wife tells his to undo her resurrection. Even with the assistance of followers devoted to Divinity, led by David the rock climber from issue one, things don’t turn out so well for him on either front.
I wasn’t much surprised by Kindt’s script this issue. The ongoing conflict of Divinity determining whether he can resume his past life ends up going a predictable route, but where Divinity seems to be mentally in the last few pages does have me intrigued to what his mission might be moving forward. Most interesting was the inclusion of David and the rest of Divinity’s followers, and their potential involvement in the future of Divinity as a series. Kindt really sold me on Divinity's conversation in the final few pages as we see him gain, even if for just a moment, all that he had lost in devoting his life to his country.
The art team does some astonishing work this issue on both the personal and epic scale. Watching Divinity respond to his deceased wife’s plea to return to death hurts in the right way. Similarly, the panels of Divinity’s lush planetoid crashing to the desert floor worked really well to wrap up Divinity's initial tale as a messiah figure. In his absence, paradise immediately falls apart, and it’ll be interesting to see whether his return will result in another attempt at harmony, or a change of philosophy involving all out death and destruction.
Score: 3/5
Divinity #4 Writer: Matt Kindt Artist: Trevor Hairsine Colorist: Trevor Baron Publisher: Valiant Comics Release Date: 5/27/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital