Comics
[Comic Book Review] “Divinity” #1 – Will Bend Your Mind
Reviewed by Brady Steele. In this premiere issue, we’ve Russian Cold War secret missions, time looping potential paradoxes, and one man who encompass all things mysterious and unknown in the universe. Welcome to “Divinity” #1.
WRITTEN BY: Matt Kindt
ART BY: Trevor Hairsine and Ryan Winn
PUBLISHER: Valiant Entertainment
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 11 February 2015
If your life feels like destiny heading towards the inevitable, what does that mean? Are you meant for big, world changing things? Do you know exactly what you’re supposed to do? If your dream becomes your reality, how can you possibly rejoin the rest of us on Earth? There are so many mind-fluxing concepts and ideas in Matt Kindt’s debut of Valiant Next’s newest character it takes some time for it all to sink in. After re-reading this mind-bender of a first issue, it feels like page one of a self-fulfilling prophecy. That makes it one of the more distinctive introductions I’ve read ever.
The visuals of this new god on Earth named Abram Adams are deftly handled by Trevor Hairsine and Ryan Winn. Hairsine and Winn make everything look as real or as surreal as it needs to be without going over the top anywhere. Abrams’ imagination comes through the pages as genuine wonder. What he does when he gets back to our planet looks like whatever he can think of becomes reality. This makes him a brand new powder keg in the ever-growing Valiant Universe. I can’t wait to see how the rest of this world reacts to his arrival.
Like Ivar, Timewalker and Imperium before it, Divinity #1 comes out of the gates strong. All of these debuts from the Valiant Next line have been very compelling reads indeed. Get a copy of this first issue (Prestige Format for regular price ta boot!) and let your mind bend to this new deity on Earth.
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Mr. Steele enjoys all things comics and imagination-based. Using his lifetime of comic-fu-dom for good, he imparts his knowledge for the universe to enjoy and for you, dear readers, to pass it on.
Twitter: @mrbradysteele
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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