Ram V and Evan Cagle bring their ambitious re-imagining of the New Gods to a close with issue #12, delivering an ending that feels both operatic and intimately human. With so many threads in motion after 11 dense chapters, it would have been easy for the finale to feel hurried, but it never does. The pacing is guided by thoughtful narration that gives the reader room to absorb every choice and revelation.
Credit: DC Comics
The Story
The opening prologue, beautifully penciled by Phil Hester and inked Ande Parks, sets the emotional tone for the issue. It contrasts the divergent yet parallel paths of Orion and Scott Free, offering a distilled look at their core differences. Fear vs. fearlessness, burden vs. liberation and how those traits shaped their destinies. It’s a reminder of the mythic framework behind all the cosmic chaos. It’s an interesting look at how nature and nurture can play out and have differing impacts on a person’s future. Orion was raised on New Genesis, a veritable paradise while Scott was raised in the incomprehensible hellish landscape of Apokolips. But in the end, it is their natures that define them and how they react to their surroundings.
In the present timeline, each character is given space to shine. Orion confronts the monstrous legacy within himself, drawing strength from compassion instead of rage. He is able to hold back the dog of war that is inside of him and think back to a quiet moment from the previous issue, where Kamal offers him compassion and understanding after the death of Light Ray. Scott faces one of his most harrowing challenges yet, grappling not just with Desaad and his impenetrable iron maiden but with the scars of his own past. Even Barda has a “big” moment defeating Granny Goodness and the Furies.
With so much to tie up, the issue still delivers a satisfying ending. Ram V concludes the major arcs while still allowing the New Gods mythology to breathe and suggest more stories beyond the horizon. As with the entire series, the narrative shines brightest when it connects divine struggles to human anxieties—parenthood, partnership, trauma, forgiveness. It’s mythology made empathetic.
The Art
Phil Hester’s prologue, inked by Ande Parks and colored by Francesco Segala, feels like a deliberate shift in visual language. Angular, atmospheric, and reminiscent of Mignola. The mirrored layouts capturing Orion and Scott’s earlier moments stand out as thoughtful visual storytelling.
When the story transitions back to Evan Cagle’s pages, the narrative instantly regains the surreal, sculptural quality that has defined this run. Cagle’s line work continues to be almost impossibly precise, with character acting that conveys huge emotional weight through small expressions or gestures. Battles feel mythic without losing clarity; quiet scenes feel reverent without drifting into stillness.
Credit: DC Comics
Final Thoughts
The New Gods #12 is confident, emotional, and purposeful. It resolves the character arcs with care, respects the grandeur of Jack Kirby’s original mythology, and still carves out its own identity as a modern epic. Ram V and Evan Cagle stick the landing on a series that has consistently grounded cosmic storytelling in deeply personal stakes, exploring how even gods struggle to navigate fear, love, grief, and hope.
As an ending, it feels complete. As a chapter in the broader New Gods tapestry, it feels like the start of something larger and I look forward to seeing where this creative team takes the New Gods in the future.
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