Is It Good? Divinity #3 Review

Matt Kindt (writer) and Trevor Hairsine (art) bring us the penultimate chapter of their high-minded science fiction mini-series. Is it good?

Divinity #3 (Valiant Entertainment)

This issue feels like two completely different stories. On one hand, we get an even deeper look into Abram/Divinity’s past. There’s a particularly shocking revelation about his long journey into space that only further deepens the mystery over whether he is a benevolent or hostile being.

But aside from that little chunk of narrative goodness, Kindt’s real stroke of genius is in how he follows up the heartbreaking scene between Abraham and Eva from issue two.

Most authors would end it right there: ‘Sorry my love, but duty calls and it’s time for me go.’ Instead, Kindt actually follows that up, showing the couple dealing with the grief, repercussions, and second guessing that would go with such a decision. It’s a bold narrative choice that Kindt pulls off exceptionally well.

In fact, everything with Abram is great in this issue. Each revelation into his past brings new questions, but not in a David Lynchian ‘What the hell is going on?!” way. The story keeps hooking you along, making the reader truly care for Abram while questioning and fearing him more and more at the same time.

Unfortunately, that fear is being focused through Unity, whose members I am just not connecting with at all. The revelation about how Abram fights them is pretty neat, but I almost wish they weren’t even part of the story. Maybe I’m just not well-versed enough in the Valiant universe to find these characters likable or interesting, but every scene they were in made me think “Can we please go back to the Divinity/Abram story now?”

We shall attack you with our powers of narrative disruption!

Is It Good?

First off, let’s just go ahead and consider Trevor Hairsine’s art a given in the plus column for this series. Ryan Winn’s inks and David Baron’s colors help make every one of his pages gorgeous.

As far as the story is concerned, I loved about 80% of it. I love the character of Abram/Divinity. I love his internal dialogue. I love the concepts he deals with and how he expresses them to the reader. I love the ambiguously thrilling nature of his journey.

What I don’t love is the lens through which Divinity’s potential threat is being viewed. Unity might be a really cool team/title on its own, but it just doesn’t feel right here. It’s not enough to make this a bad issue by any stretch, but it definitely keeps it from being great (It’s still pretty damn good, though).