Seven Sons Trade Paperback Review

 

Writers: Robert Windom & Kelvin Mao

Artist: Jae Lee

Colorist: June Chung

Letterer: Simon Bowland & Crank!

Publisher: Image

Price: $19.99

Release Date: March 15, 2023

 

Helicopters circle the cloudy sky above New Canaan, Nevada. Cars clog the foggy streets of the city formerly known as Las Vegas. Priests lead joyous parishioners toward the stadium to celebrate the Second Coming of God to Earth. What happens next? Let’s dig into the new Seven Sons Trade Paperback from Image Comics and find out!

 

Story

In the 1960s, Nicolaus wrote The Book Of The Seven Sons. He was not rich or influential. No one bought his book of prophecy. Then, on the day he had predicted, seven identical sons were born to seven virgins on seven continents. Tragically the mothers died. Allah’s Watchmen killed six of the seven Jesi. Now—in the year of our Lord 1998--before a sold-out arena, the prophet Nicolaus will anoint the surviving Seventh Son--Lord Pergi—as the Son Of God On Earth. If you can’t be there, watch it on Pay Per View!

 

As in the Watchmen movie, events have radically reshaped our world. Belief in Islam, Buddhism, and other faiths has fallen. Former two-term President Jimmy Carter attends Seven Sons services, and Princess Diana still lives. The U.S. Defense Department protects the Seven Sons Church from any danger that threats it. The grand Seven Sons stadium dominates New Canaan. Worshipers receive healing. Peace reigns across the globe.

 

For two thousand years, Christians have awaited the Second Coming of Christ. Lord Pergi, born of a virgin and the incarnation of Jesus, will lead them. Believers can only hope that his reign lasts a thousand years, as prophesied in Saint John's Book Of Revelation.

 

Art

The apostle Paul's words, "Now we see through a glass darkly," guide us through this altered future. Jae Lee's detailed linework and heavy inks suggest that all is not glorious as the prophesied Millennium approaches. People look less-than-glamorous, their faces lined, portions of their bodies often darkened from shadow. They emerge as haunting as the gothic stadium. Such harshness suits Robert Windom & Kelvin Mao's story, as we regularly travel backward to follow Delph's investigation. While proclaimed dead, Pergi's remaining brother lives in hiding, pursued by Nicolaus and the military machine that assisted the movement's rise to power. Thus we follow him through nightclubs, on trains, and even to other countries in his search for the truth. All this we glimpse through irregularly shaped panels. Often, double-page spreads resemble a pane of shattered glass.

 

From the fog-filled streets of New Canaan to the stark blue-and-white lit stadiums, June Chung keeps us awed yet grounded. Whether in the poverty-stricken Middle East, in nightclubs suffused with colored lights, or even at the last Olympic Games in 1988, June mixes muted contrasting colors that never detract from Jae Lee’s stark imagery. Like James Bond's nemesis Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies, the prophet Nicolaus knows how to attract the world's attention. So does she.

 

While Simon Bowland provided lettering for Seven Sons #1, his duties in the remaining issues were assumed by Crank! I only had one complaint about the lettering in the Seven Sons Trade Paperback. Like the Navy's Blue Angels, the Seven Sons Squadron flies over New Canaan. Yet no sound effect helps us feel the thunder reverberating through the ground as the fighter jets scream overhead, and one shoots through the upraised arms of an enormous statue. Only dialogue balloons, with spikes poking out on the sides, relay the commentators' words. Still, the lettering and sound effects enhance the atmosphere overall. The large, uppercase lettering makes this two-hundred-page volume easy to read. Bold words convey inflection, and sound effects help us hear the crowd's applause, the tapping of a young boy's cane, and the explosive detonation of an air strike ordered by Nicolaus' war machine.

 

Final Thoughts

Nicolaus’ brave new world may not last for a millennium, but the captivating story and mesmerizing art pull you effortlessly through the Seven Sons Trade Paperback. Reminiscent of movies like Watchmen and End Of Days, Seven Sons tackles terrorism and religious extremism while emphasizing the need for tolerance and diversity. Far from shaking a believer's faith, it'll challenge preconceptions and encourage growth.

 

Rating 8.5/10

 

To view more of Jae Lee's haunting cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.