The wicked + the divine

Generally speaking, gods desire nothing but adoration, comments a character in Gillen's The Wicked + the Divine. The 12 gods in question, called the Pantheon, are reincarnated into the bodies of young humans, in which they live for a mere two years before they die and the cycle doesn't repeat for nearly a century. In their quest for one-sided affection, they live the lives of rock-star gurus, gathering crowds of orgasmically adoring humans around them. The hypercocky Lucifer takes a particular liking to one of these humans, teenage Londoner Laura. Laura is consequently plunged into the internal battle that ensues when Lucifer is, ironically enough, framed for murder. In what is more a tour of the Pantheon's world than a mystery or thriller per se, the gods are all hyperbolic emotion and patronizing disdain and prove difficult to like, but Laura, even amid her devotion, feels authentic and engaging. Gillen's penchant for fast, sharp dialogue and McKelvie's razor-lined, intensely colored visuals keep things popping up to the cliffhanger ending.--Karp, Jesse Copyright 2015 Booklist

Every 90 years, a 12-deity pantheon of gods incarnate in mortal form, only to die after two years. These gods wield considerable power and occupy themselves with various pursuits, including pop-music stardom. A series of horrifying events backstage after the goddess Amaterasu's latest concert thrusts a mortal woman named Laura into a quest to help clear the reincarnated-as-female Lucifer of a murder she did not commit. Gillen and McKelvie are the critically-acclaimed creative team behind Young Avengers and Phonogram, and their newest is a compelling gut punch from the very first panel. Laura serves as the reader's stand-in as she navigates the bizarre waters of the pantheon's in-fighting and politics, and Lucifer manages to charm while owing a major fashion debt to David Bowie during his Thin White Duke phase. The rest of the gods are intriguing in their look and character, but why are they here? Little is revealed at this stage of the narrative, but the solid storytelling and clean, gorgeous artwork will keep readers engrossed and eager for more. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.