The cosmos trembles in The New Gods #3 as an intergalactic inquisition tightens its grip on Apokolips and New Genesis, presenting an ominous ultimatum: convert or be destroyed. Meanwhile, on Earth, Mister Miracle and Big Barda, with their child in tow, pursue a mysterious prophecy from Metron, seeking out a new god who could either save the universe or bring about its ultimate doom.
This isn’t my first time speaking with Ram V about The New Gods—I previously interviewed him about the series’ debut, where we discussed his approach to mythology and storytelling.
Now, in an exclusive conversation, writer Ram V and artist Evan Cagle delve deeper into the grand mythology they are weaving—a story of celestial conflicts, deep-rooted lore, and characters navigating the weight of destiny.
Weaving the Threads of Mythology
“One thread follows the conquest of Apokolips by the Tari Inquisition—DC came up with that term, and I love it,” Ram V explains. “Simultaneously, there’s the pursuit of the alleged new avatar, the new god on Earth, by Mister Miracle and Big Barda. And then, there’s an offshoot subplot, which I describe as my Chariots of the Gods issue—my ‘it was aliens’ issue. It ties into why a new god is emerging on Earth and how that connects to existing mythology, both real-world and Kirby’s lore.”
For Ram V, one of the great joys of storytelling is unifying disparate mythologies, connecting the Fourth World with the broader DC Universe in ways that feel both inevitable and revelatory. “The more I thought about it, the more the pieces fit—not just within world mythology, but also within Kirby’s original concepts. The Mother Boxes, the suning of New Genesis and Apokolips—it all connects.”
A Creation Myth or a Creation Connection?
Asked whether The New Gods #3 could be considered a creation myth, Ram V responds thoughtfully. “To an extent, but more than that, it’s the myth that links together other people’s creations. None of it is entirely created by me—Gobekli Tepe, the pyramids, Mesoamerican temples, they all exist, as do the foundations Kirby and later Morrison built. This story ties Earth, New Genesis, and Apokolips together in a way that hasn’t been done before.”
Cagle, who has poured over the visual language of these legendary characters, adds, “I wanted to see what ground had already been covered so I could see the ‘fog of war.’ Not necessarily in style, but in the visual silhouettes of these characters. Some are so iconic that I don’t touch them, but others—ones we haven’t seen in a long time—felt ripe for an upgrade.”
Courtesy DC Comics
Morality and Myth: No Gods Are Truly Good or Evil
A recurring theme in The New Gods is that no character is purely good or evil—a perspective Ram V believes is rooted in mythology rather than modern post-colonial literature.
“The more interesting a mythology, the less likely you are to find characters who are entirely good or entirely bad,” he explains. “Whether it’s Greco-Roman mythology, Indo mythology, or Buddhist tales, they’re filled with fallible characters. The best heroes have moments where they’re schooled by someone perceived to be lesser than them because they’ve become vain or overlooked something important. Mythology isn’t about idealistic tales—it’s about cautionary tales.”
This ethos informs the conflict in The New Gods, where even figures like Orion and Mister Miracle exist in shades of gray, shaped by their pasts but not wholly defined by them. The story doesn’t present simple moral lessons but instead invites readers to see these cosmic beings as deeply human in their flaws and ambitions.
With this layered approach to storytelling, The New Gods isn’t just another superhero epic—it’s a meditation on power, fate, and the nature of belief itself.
Courtesy DC Comics
The Use of Cultural Influences
Ram V also draws from real-world cultural and mythological influences to ground The New Gods in something that feels deeply historical. The story integrates figures and ideas from various civilizations, including Egyptian, Mesoamerican, and early Indian cultures, reinforcing the idea that the concept of godhood is a universal construct. “The idea of the old wise man, for example, appears across multiple cultures without direct connection. You see it in Egyptian mythology, Mesoamerican traditions, and even pre-Hindu Indian civilizations,” Ram V explains. “That kind of connective tissue fascinates me—it makes the mythology feel more real, more expansive, and more deeply rooted in the human experience.”
This infusion of cultural history adds layers of authenticity to The New Gods, making its grand cosmic scope feel closer to something genuinely ancient. By drawing from multiple traditions, the creative team highlights the ways in which mythology, across time and place, continues to shape our understanding of power, gods, and destiny.
Courtesy DC Comics
The Optimism of Mister Miracle
Despite the heavy themes, The New Gods retains a core of resilience, embodied in Mister Miracle. “He’s the ultimate escape artist—no matter how dire the situation, he believes he can get out of it,” Ram V notes. “It’s an underappreciated trait in heroes—the sense that, no matter what, things could always be worse.”
Cagle expands on that thought: “We’re all familiar with brooding heroes with dark pasts, but in real life, the most optimistic people I know are the ones who’ve had the hardest childhoods. They measure everything against how bad it once was. That’s Mister Miracle—his past was so brutal that everything else seems manageable by comparison.”
The Scope of the Story
With a narrative this vast, how far ahead is the creative team planning? “I have about three years’ worth of story in my head,” Ram V teases. “The book has done well, so I think we’ll see the story continue. But I’m cautious about giving a number, because if I say 18 issues now, people will hold me to it.”
Cagle chimes in, “With the way Ram structures time in the story, he could return to any one of these edits and expand them into another 10 issues. That’s one of the fascinating things about his storytelling—each moment is a doorway to a much larger story.”
Courtesy DC Comics
The Future of The New Gods
If The New Gods explores the Fourth World, does that mean it’s building toward the Fifth? Ram V leaves the possibility open. “Well, depending on how long we go, maybe there’s a path to the Fifth World.”
With its grand scale, intricate mythology, and a creative team firing on all cylinders, The New Gods is proving to be an ambitious and essential addition to DC’s cosmic canon. Whether it’s forging a new creation myth or merely connecting the dots in ways readers never imagined, Ram V and Evan Cagle are ensuring this saga will be remembered for years to come.
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