IXth Generation #1 takes place in the distant future where humanity has ascended to godhood in the form of the IXth Generation. Godhood is not all it’s cracked up to be and the utopia of their generation is anything but. Is it good?
IXth Generation #1 (Top Cow Productions)
The IXth Generation is made up of nine ascended beings who take their names from the ancient Greek gods, though it is unclear whether they have similar attributes. They have awoken after 700 years of slumber and have found godhood to be utterly and completely boring, so naturally they entertain themselves through constant war with each other. There is a catch; upon death, the IXth Generation is able to transfer their consciousness to a cloned version of themselves. One member, Aphrodite IX, stands above the fray and has pulled the Switzerland card, remaining neutral until now.
Her reasoning for entering the fray stems from a moral concern over the hazards of resurrection and the fruitlessness of constant violence and destruction. She believes pieces of the IXth Generations’ identity are lost upon death and conscious transference to a clone. She targets her sibling, Hades IX, the only other sibling besides herself who maintains their original body.
The action sequence is rather short-lived but Stjepan Sejic provides a beautiful full-pager of Aphrodite IX with wings expanded and fury in her eyes imposing her dominance over Hades IX. The technology at their disposal is pretty neat with Aphrodite IX’s wings, but it also remains a little primitive with the use of traditional melee weapons.
The story has deep roots as well and Matt Hawkins provides some ample background as to how the IXth Generation came to be and the reason for their warring. He also hints at events that have taken place in other comics that can provide a more detailed background. It comes together very well and new readers to the world (like myself) will have no problem jumping in.
Halfway through, the story takes a dramatic shift in the pursuit of finding a way to end the violence; Aphrodite IX undertakes a quest with Hephaestus IX to awaken their mother. Hawkins is able to further explore the notion of whether or not anything of substance is lost upon death. This will be a recurring theme that is not answered in this issue, but plays a vital role into the thinking of Aphrodite IX compared to her siblings. She does not want to die and still has a healthy fear of death.
Her fear of death creates suspense with the introduction of a “Big Bad,” which is a rather interesting monster, and if you have not been reading Sejic’s Death Vigil — the man can draw interesting monsters.
The ending sets up the story nicely adding a touch of the sinister and introducing a whole new dynamic. One thing is for sure the IXth Generation won’t be bored now.
Is It Good?
IXth Generation #1 provides a decent amount of background information to let new readers jump into the world without overloading the reader. It has decent pacing and some pretty cool action sequences and suspense to keep you interested throughout. There is nothing groundbreaking or mind-blowing, but it is a fun read with a very interesting backdrop.
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