Showing Kingdom Come by Mark Waid

As comic books gained in respectability, the superhero comic has remained a much-maligned medium. Oh sure, Batman was given new levels of sophistication by the likes of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, and Watchmen added a dose of reality to the concept of superheroes, but the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman have for years watched their lesser-powered colleagues gain critical acceptance while they were left behind to keep the kids happy. Until, that is, Kingdom Come accorded DC's premier superheroes the respect they have long deserved.

In the near future, Superman has retired, plagued by an inability to accept a world where his generation's super-powered descendants run roughshod over the values he fought for. When tragic events force his return, he gathers his former team-mates and colleagues to once again lead the fight for justice and order. However, their return sparks a chain of events that could lead the world to Armageddon.

With its intelligent storyline and superb painted artwork, writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross have created a thoroughly believable world where superheroes could exist, paying particular attention to the social and political implications of such a world. Why bother with the Olympics when there are beings who can bench-press buildings and run faster than light? What's the point of normal humans making laws when they are powerless to enforce them against superhumans? Above all, where Kingdom Come succeeds is by adding new depths of humanity to some of DC's timeless characters--including icons like Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman--as well as offering interesting future glimpses of the lesser known (but no less interesting) likes of Orion, Blue Beetle and Aquaman. --Robert Burrow