The Wicked + The Divine Volume 2: Fandemonium

by Kieron Gillen

Jamie McKelvie (Artist) and Matt Wilson (Artist)

• The second volume of the award-winning urban fantasy series where gods are
  the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. Following the tragic
  and unjust death of Lucifer, it takes a revelation from Inanna to draw Laura
  back into the worlds of Gods and Superstardom to try and discover the truth
  behind a conspiracy to subvert divinity.
• Includes issues #6-11 of the series, plus supplementary material.

• ISBN10: 1632153270
• ISBN13: 9781632153272
• Publish Date: 14 July 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Image Comics
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 168
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Fandemonium brings back the characters and plots introduced in the first volume of The Wicked + The Divine, and I have to say I’m still loving the world that’s been built here. I know it sounds crazy, but between the writing and the artwork this series really works. When I first heard the plot of The Wicked + The Divine, I’m not going to lie, I thought it was a bit lame and overdone (the whole reincarnation of god/goddess and all), but there’s genuine effort put into the idea, with the end result of a fully developed and fleshed out world.



If you thought the first volume was a whirlwind of events and emotion, then you haven’t seen anything yet. I had thought the first volume had ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but this beast of a volume forced me to reconsider my definition of a cliffhanger (seriously, I can’t wait to start reading volume three).
The plot of volume two picks up a month or two after the events in The Faust Act. Laura is still reeling and grieving over the sudden death of Lucy (aka Lucifer), and she hasn’t been able to create a repeat of that little magic trick she did. So it probably goes without saying that she isn’t exactly in a good place.
Which is more or less where this story starts off; Laura trying to find her place in the world, while also working through some pretty intense emotions (grief, anger, frustration, self-doubt, you name it and she’s probably dealing with it).
We got to know a few of the other gods a bit more during this volume, some are far more kind and interesting than I anticipated, while others are even bigger jerks (cough Woden cough) than I thought (which considering I had a base assumption that these gods would all act like Zeus on Earth is saying something). I would have to say that I think Baphomet and Innana probably got the most screen time this volume, but it’s a close call.
While there was a lot about this volume I ended up loving, I think it was Ananke and her search for the final goddess that was the most compelling part of the story. I won’t say who she found (or which character ended up being reincarnated), because that would ruin the fun, but I loved the twist in it.
Which actually isn’t the only twist in this volume. I know this is an older series, but there’s no way I’m spoiling it, but oh my god that twist! I’m going to have to make one of my friends read this series, just so I have somebody to freak out to about it. Because man do I need somebody to talk to about the cliffhanger ending right now (which is related to the final plot twist, naturally). I was going to try and pace myself with this series, but I’m going to have to start reading volume three the moment I finish writing this review, I think.
I still can’t get over how much I like this series. I honestly thought it’d be a decent read, but not one that would completely suck me into the fandom (ironic I say that now, considering the title of this volume), but I was wrong. I can’t wait to get caught up, even if that means I’ll have an agonizing wait between readings.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[ross91]

This series is not for me. The artwork is stunning but the plot is too confusing to be interesting and all the characters are assholes. So yeah, abandoning this one!

[wyvernfriend]

Ooh, *researches Ananke * wonders about the consequences of what went on and how come she has stayed alive...

This one made me ask more questions than it answered.

[celinenyx]

Fandemonium, the follow-up to the fantastic Faust Act, takes a while to get going. After the happenings of the first volume, we see Laura trying to come to terms with what happened. She slowly returns to her life, but her life has been thoroughly changed by the gods.

I thought the beginning was rather slow, and it took a while until I was swept up into this fascinating world of gods walking among us. Halfway I was convinced - and near the end I was blown away. The last few scenes gave me goosebumps. Any comic that can give me goosebumps deserves 5 stars.

[inlibrisveritas]

The Wicked + The Divine Volume 2 picks up a little bit after the first volume ends, and Laura is busy trying to recreate the small miracle she created. The death of Lucifer is tearing at her and as the time of the Gods slowly inches towards the end it becomes more important to discover who is responsible for the murders in the first book.

This one clarifies some confusing points from the first book, and adds a few more to the mix…which is fine since I’m enjoying the ride anyway. We get to know more about some of the other gods including Woden and Inannna, and we get to see how Laura is coping with being famous. I’m not sure how I weigh this volume against the first one. It’s both better than the first, and somewhat worse than the first…and it’s hard to pinpoint where it exactly it falls short. It might be the somewhat rushed discovery of the killer with no real climax in that area of the story.I don’t know, but I know that ending was one that pretty much had me cussing out loud…in front of everyone sitting near me in McDonald’s. It’s one hell of a cliffhanger and over two weeks later I’m still working on processing it.

The artwork is still gorgeous and I’m utterly in love with the character designs. If I could cosplay as every god in here I would, I would be broke but I would look awesome.

It’s going to be one long wait for the third volume to come out, and I’m hoping to avoid spoilers from those reading the issues…but damn I need answers! Fandemonium is another solid group of issues in the series and I’m definitely ready for more.