Writer Notes: The Wicked + the Divine 44

Spoilers, obv.

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Image Solicits for May are up. 

My solicits only get ever more stream of consciousness as we step towards the conclusion. Amazing Emma Rios joins us on this cover, coloured by Miquel Muerto.

Oh - DIE’s first trade collection also comes out this month. FANTASY HEARTBREAKER. We’re very proud of it.

These covers look amazing.

Now Sakhmet is the only one without a portrait cover. Maybe she’ll get it as a variant for the last issue? Kinda like Persephone did for 18.

Also... looks like Minerva either got new contacts or... 

Pantheon at the Parthenon 😈😇❤️

I Am The Resurrection?

Alex: Ever since Rising Action was first teased, something has sat uneasy with me. Ever since the first cover was unveiled. Ever since the final issue of the last arc, in fact. 

Since those immortal words, scribbled in sharpie on a notepad:

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I was thinking about that recently, if Laura coming back lowered the stakes, and undermined the death theme of the book.

I think it did, in a genre savvy kind of way, but at the same time, I think it raised the stakes, by making the WicDiv universe much more real.

I mean, yeah, bringing back a character who we thought was dead does lessen the impact of their death, and makes us think that any (past and future) deaths may not be final. But…didn’t we already kinda think that? Or at the very least, were supposed to think that?

The recurrence, as its name implies, is tied to resurrection, to coming back. The characters themselves tell us that constantly, particularly in the early issues. 

“Au Revoir, just Au Revoir”

We are told they’ll come back in 90 years, that they’ve had past lives, that this is not the end. Amaterasu even believes she’ll see Luci in two years, in some sort of godly afterlife.

And that belief did not stay inside the book. I remember back in 2014 people here on tumblr were fantasizing about Luci and Laura’s reunion in ninety years (the “Laura becomes the new Ananke” theory was really strong back then). 

That belief was even stronger with Laura’s death. Most people probably already believed that Laura would come back in some way, given the Persephone’s myth. We thought she died, and that she would back to life through some magical mean, tied to her powers as Persephone.

Issue #18 and #19 furthered that belief. Her eyes, her performing powers, the “Persephone is in hell”, it all pointed towards an actual resurrection. Both Ananke and Persephone implied that Laura was in some sort of magical undead state.

But issue #20 changed that. Laura didn’t come back to life, she never died. There’s no magical afterlife, that we know of at least, Laura’s powers did not bring her back to life, she simply didn’t die.

Death, actual death, truly is final in the WicDiv universe now. Lucifer isn’t coming back, Inanna isn’t coming back, Tara isn’t coming back, and if Laura ever dies, she won’t come back.

Superpowers aside, the WicDiv universe is much more real now. Despite their god status and powers, the gods are just as helpless against death as the mortals. Maybe that’s the point.

“Just Because You’re Immortal, Doesn’t Mean You’re Going to Live Forever”

Me in 2016: "Lucifer isn’t coming back, Inanna isn’t coming back, Tara isn’t coming back” WicDiv 3 years later:

I was looking back on the 30 day WicDiv challenge thing from two years ago and 

I can’t believe I played myself

WicDiv 40# Thoughts

Hold on to each other

Thats the sentence the kept going through my mind as i read this issue. Just keep holding on to each other and you might survive the final arc.

Those are also the words i heard Florence sing two weeks ago in the o2 when she asked us to hold hands with strangers and embrace each other. But they were no longer strangers, they were people i spent the past 11 hours queueing with.

Do i even have to say it was magical? That it was a peak wicdiv moment, being front row at a Florence show in the o2? None more wicdiv. Well it was.

And thats the thing about the newest issue, it captured what being a fan before a gig was like. The queue that last hours or even days, The manic run towards the barricades, and screaming at the front row with a bunch of people that you suddenly feel more connected with than you felt with any of your close friends for a while now. You are part of something bigger. You are not alone.

But it did get some technical stuff wrong. Why are they queueing outside? The queue starts inside the venue(its huge and freezing by the way). And i dont know a single fan that tries to be front row and doesnt run straight to barricade and will hold the spot even if thier life depends on it. You cant push to the front at shows like this. Not unless your mates are protecting your spot. So thats a big how for me what first row fan will let them through.

Also where is the pre gig stress, i love queue life but the amount of stress and panic i feel before they open the gates… Fuck. Gigs are great but they are also very stressful and putting people on edge.

They did get the major stuff right, tom got it right (lets pretend this pun works) Gigs are fun, but they are so much more than that.which i would have gladly indulge into but this is too sappy even for me.

Baals whole plan is the usual trying to do the right thing in the wrong way. But then you realize those are his fans. Those are 20000 of his biggest fans. People who show him so much love, people who adores him. And he is just going to kill them.and that just makes it worst. He have all of thier trust and breaks it. And lets be honest im sure the machine can work on positive energy and the power of friendship or something that a series less morbid than wicdiv might try.

I dont know if anyone had the manchester bombing in mind while reading this but i did. And that makes it even sadder for me.

So Theory Time

The creature minerva is talking to ? Not the 1831 creature or 1923 creature. Its Jon.

It feels too obvious at this point that its THE creature. But the colors of the lense those are Jons colors (mimirs if you want) thats the first thing that popped in mind when i saw it. But theres more to it

Minerva tells him not to talk back. Does that mean the creature can actually talk? I think this is the major hint it is in fact jon.

But little creature? Since when is our creature little? It doesnt fit.

Lets get back to how they defined a creature in 1831

I think this description works for jon too, he rejected his his godhood. Not to the same level Laura did but still, he refuses it.

But who rejected Jon that he is now Minervas little monster? Im Gonna say Woden.

Also if it is the 1831 creature and not Jon why say now? Its been this way for centuries.

A great start to arc i think. Lets hope its going to be “okay”

Would love to hear yall’s thoughts as well

Re: who minerva is talking to, I feel like it’s the creature. I don’t see why Jon’s POV would have to be reflected via a fisheye lens effect, personally, and it feels like a circle is something we see on the 1831 creature (in the form of 1831!woden’s monocle).

Additionally, the monster/creature divide up there is inanna’s invention, and minerva may not buy into that conceptual framework herself? There’s also the alternative that she does, and so she’s making a jab at the creature by saying “no, I hold the power here and I say who’s rejected who” which does fit the whole oppressive narrative thing we’ve seen being developed.

Mmm didnt even think about the monocle , blinded by my gut feeling.

I do think jon can create some viral computer thingy. Also its a nice take on viral.

Throwing another one into the air -could it be Baph? Blue eyes , and The word Obey which reminds me of

But maybe it is the creature? Could it talk this entire time? Was it just hiding in a cave for 90-180 years? It does seem like it protested. I guess she treats it too human for me to see it as the creature

I definitely assume it’s the Creature. But on the other hand, whenever a theory about Woden or Mimir comes up that seems to be based in doubtful assumptions, weird leaps in logic, and ignoring a much more straightforwardly plausible alternative theory… those are usually the Woden & Mimir theories that end up being true. So…

I am leaning towards it being the creature. Assuming it is the 1830s creature that was later captured in the 1920s.

Also, the creature can talk, at least when she was first created she could.

Then there’s the “You are my monster now”. It may be a reference to Inanna’s speech about creatures and monsters, but I thought it was a reference to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley/Woden.

The creature would be “Frankenstein’s monster”, except that now it’s not Frankenstein’s (Woden’s) but Minerva/Ananke’s.

WHAT.

DID.

I.

SAY.

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #9, written by Kieron Gillen, art by Jamie McKelvie, colors by Matthew Wilson, lettering by Clayton Cowles

This exchange is interesting for a number of reasons.

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Rambling thoughts on Cass and on ending stories. 

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #32, written by Kieron Gillen, art by Jamie McKelvie, colors by Matthew Wilson, letters by Clayton Cowles

This panel sort of has it all.

Spoilers beneath the cut.

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This was great.