Zod finally has his own planet, but he’ll soon realize that there’s a big difference between ruling a planet and conquering one. Your Major Spoilers review of Kneel Before Zod #1, awaits!

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD #1

Writer: Joe Casey
Artist: Dan McDaid
Colorist: David Baron
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Editor: Paul Kaminski
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: January 2nd, 2024
Cover Price: $4.99

Previously in Kneel Before Zod: The longtime Superman foe has finally achieved his goal of having his own planet called New Kandor, which he rules with his wife and son by his side.

HEAVY IS THE CROWN

Kneel Before Zod #1 begins with General Zod being visited by his longtime rival Jor-El, who doesn’t hesitate to tell him that he’s unfit for rule or create a world, that he’s nothing more than a conqueror. His conversation is interrupted by Eradicator who asks who he’s talking to, and it’s revealed that he’s alone. Later on, Zod is informed that his son, Lor, has arrived in an area he was told not to go to. Zod goes to confront him. The two have it out, with Zod winning out and banishing his son from New Kandor, and act that his wife Ursa isn’t fond of. Two months later, Zod is contemplating the future when he finally can bring the inhabitants of The Bottled City of Kandor out of stasis to populate his planet. He’s then alerted that his planet is being attacked and he flies off to deal with the threat in his typical ruthless fashion.

BOTH DEFIES AND MEETS EXPECTATIONS

With a comic focusing on one of the most brutal and dangerous villains in the DC Comics universe, you might expect there to be plenty of severity and violence, but it’s not senseless. There are some cliched elements to this though. With Zod and his family being the main players here, there’s a lot of the trappings of powerful family stories. There’s a rebellious upstart, a strong focus on legacy, and varying, sometimes competing agendas. This whole issue is framed around the idea that the mode that Zod has operated in for so long isn’t what will allow him to reign effectively. Like, while seeing him dealing with the invaders is cathartic and a brutal sight to see, it comes with the feeling that it will either bring consequences or is in itself a consequence. Everything in this issue fits in with this tone as the whole thing feels like comeuppance or the pushing over of a domino. This surprising depth goes further than the plot as well, Zod here is shown to be less than steadfast in his decisions. While he doesn’t spend a lot of time contemplating his actions, there’s definitely some suggestion here that he’s aware that the family traditions and mentality he’s defined by aren’t completely good. The supporting characters also add some complexity here, with Ursa representing a more measured approach to ruling, and his son coming off as a mirror to his more one-note villain history.

CAPTURING THAT DC SPACE LOOK

While the story here leans towards the darker side, the art is colorful and fantastical. There’s a strong effort here to use color and lighting to establish emotion, without being overbearing. The fight scene between General Zod and his son is a great example of this as the color red is used as the background, until Zod is able to gain the upper hand, then the color is only used as the background for Zod and the color behind his son becomes a softer and cooler color. It’s little touches like this that elevate the art here and somehow makes the sillier aspects of DC Universe space trappings not come off as so over-the-top.

BOTTOM LINE: A PROMISING POLITICAL, PERSONAL, AND FAMILY DRAMA

Kneel Before Zod #1 is a surprisingly thoughtful and subdued issue that lays a solid foundation for the series. Even though it takes a few elements from things like Succession, Game of Thrones, and The Tudors. Making this issue more about Zod wrestling with the consequences of ambition and the downsides of the traditions he’s lived his life by, making him both the protagonist and antagonist here, is an exciting take on this character and hopefully will result in even more depth for everyone involved here. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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