The post-apocalyptic landscape comic has really started to make a resurgence in recent years. Whether it’s Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta putting a sci-fi spin on the biblical apocalypse with Image’s East of West or Vertigo’s iconic Y: The Last Man from Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, the end of the world has given comic creators plenty of creative fodder. That’s especially true of Kingdom of Earth #1, which takes the post-apocalyptic setting in a supernatural direction.
Set in the year 2036, Kingdom of Earth #1 envisions a version of the United States that was overrun by a horde of monsters who’ve driven humanity to near extinction. Those who remain have two paths ahead of them: become slaves to their monstrous overlords, or become food for them. One human, Frankie, manages to escape the monsters and attempts to strike out on their own, but discovers that a world of monsters is far harder to survive than they expected. Frankie’s fate lies in the hand of an unexpected figure.
Kingdom of Earth #1 is the brainchild of David Dastmalchian, Leah Kilpatrick, and Soo Lee, who slowly ease readers into the strange world they’ve created. Dastmalchian is quickly becoming well known for his comic career, including Dark Horse’s Count Crawley and Image’s severely underrated Knights vs Samurai; both series show that he has an affinity for monsters. Thanks to a sharp script, Dastmalchian and Kilpatrick makes the world of Kingdom of Earth stand out from other dystopias. The monsters within bicker and haggle like normal humans, and have formed their own hierarchy as a map in the opening showcases the new state of well, the United States.
Dark Horse
Lee’s artwork brings plenty of variety to the table, illustrating the different monsters that now walk the Earth. Horned dragon-like creatures shake the ground with every step. Pale, vampiric creatures tear at flesh with razor-sharp fangs. There’s a very horrific, clown-like creature that feels like it belongs in Goosebumps that tries to kill Frankie. The beast that stands out the most is Orpheus Knox, the shadowy figure who runs a human trafficking/human feasting ring. I say “shadowy” because Knox and her subordinates are literally living shadows, whose bodies twist and contort with every word. Those words also take on a shadowy form, courtesy of Lee and letterer Frank Cvetkovic, resulting in some truly haunting imagery.
The ending of Kingdom of Earth #1 also throws a curveball at readers, fully leaning into the promise that this series is meant to be a take on stories like The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. I like that idea, but I do think that it could have come a little earlier in the issue. Placing it at the very end makes it feel like the series has missed an important step in its world-building. For what it’s worth, this turn actually makes me want to pick up the next issue.
Kingdom of Earth #1 puts a new spin on the post-apocalyptic genre, introducing a visually compelling world of monsters. It also continues to cement David Dastmalchian and Leah Kilpatrick as unique voices in the realm of horror comics, which bodes well for their upcoming series The Accessories.
You must be logged in to post a comment.