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Kneel Before Zod #4 Kneel Before Zod #5

Kneel Before Zod #5

Scheduled to arrive in stores: May 7, 2024
Cover date: July 2024

"New Kandor Now" - Chapter Five: "Fire Falls"

Writer: Joe Casey
Artist: Dan McDaid
Cover: Jason Shawn Alexander
Variant Cover: Lucio Parrillo
Variant Cover: John Giang

Reviewed by: JP Rocha
Click to enlarge

Kneel Before Zod #5 Zod remembers his father's tough love lessons and the kindness of Jor-El. But this is a dream flashback that quickly turns into a nightmare as we are back in Zod's head, waking up a monster due to his destruction of the Khund ship's white dwarf engine at the end of the last issue. Zod finds himself strapped to a medical table, still physically deformed but with his powers making their way back. Zod coldly destroys the whole security team and crew before even asking anyone questions; a primal move like that of a wounded animal. All that remains is an attending robot that provides Zod with their location and shares the cargo manifest, a catalog of the inmates aboard. Zod learns that he is aboard a Kaffarian prison ship that salvaged the unconscious Zod from the cold of space. Zod snatches this opportunity and frees the ship's prisoners. Immediately, he takes control over the inmates, demanding their servitude, and establishing his new army, the Legion of Zod.

4Story - 4: From ruler of a planet to ruler of a legion of criminals, having lost everything, what is next for Zod? Without a doubt, Kneel Before Zod is the best Superman book right now. If you are not reading it you should pick it up. Overall, the story is unpredictable, each issue has a significant change. So far, through issue four, we see Zod banishing his son Lor from New Krypton, Ursa challenging Zod, Ursa being injured in the Khund attack, and Ursa dying resulting in Zod snapping and destroying New Krypton and the Khund Fleet. A lot is happening, regardless of the level of complexity of the issue's plot.

4Art - 4: In the first few reviews of this book, I was harsh on Dan McDaid, because the art is not the clean, more realistic DC house style I am used to. "Kneel Before Zod" is a raw and gritty story, and McDaid's art illustrates that feeling. No issue, so far fits that feeling more than this issue. For the whole issue, Zod is a true monster. McDaid's style is showcased as Zod slowly morphs from nothing more than a bony skeleton to an inhuman all-powerful monster.

3Cover Art - 3: Since issue one the covers have been the weakest component of this book. This issue's main cover by Jason Shawn Alexander by default is the one I recommend. The Lucio Parrillo variant is again hyper-realistic featuring a young Zod facing off against Jor-El. The John Giang cover is also hyper-realistic, and the color is muted and distressed, making the awkward layout even more challenging to interpret.

Mild Mannered Reviews

2024

Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

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