Art by: Dan McDaid
Colors by: David Baron
Letters by: Troy Peteri
Cover art by: Jason Shawn Alexander
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: March 5, 2024
Kneel Before Zod #3 brings the pain to New Kandor when the Khunds's invasion attempt leads to the detonation of a devastating weapon.
Is Kneel Before Zod #3 Good?
Kneel Before Zod #3 is just okay, excluding a wow-ish moment on the last page. Joe Casey's tale of General Zod's trials and tragedies on his new home planet puts the Superman villain through the wringer, but the main criticism from the first two issues remains.
When last we left General Zod, he got a chastising lecture from his wife, Ursa, to man up and send the invading Khunds packing. Now, the two Kryptonians lay waste to the Khund invaders when the Khund battleship in orbit launches a barrage of chem-eclipse missiles (that they just so happen to have on board) that change the local sun from yellow to red., temporarily rendering the Kryptonians helpless. Zod takes a beating but survives long enough to wait out the sun's return to yellow, but when he searches for Ursa in the chaos, he finds she wasn't so lucky.
Death in modern Western Periodical comics is regularly reversible, so it's unlikely Ursa's apparent death will stick. However, the discovery of Ursa's body hits Zod hard, so you feel the gravity of that moment.
What's great about Kneel Before Zod #3? You get plenty of action fit for two Kryptonians against an invading army. In fact, the entire issue is one long battle, so if you're tired of supers standing around and talking, you're in for a reprieve.
What's not so great about Kneel Before Zod 3? The positive could also be seen as negative. This issue is nothing but a big fight with a death (maybe) at the end. Plot-wise, there's no meat on this bone.
Further, the lack of plot development, direction, purpose, and momentum is a persistent problem with this series. We don't know what super-weapon Zod is building, what it does, or why he's building it. Zod is a perennial villain, so we don't know why we should care about what he's doing or the stakes of his success/failure. In short, we've not yet been given a reason to care about any character in this story or their journey, which is a fundamental flaw that needs fixing.
How's the art? Energetic but rough. Dan McDaid gives readers strong fight choreography and plenty of dramatic panels, but the details are lacking, and the figure proportions are off in a few spots.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
Is Kneel Before Zod #3 Good?
Kneel Before Zod #3 is just okay, excluding a wow-ish moment on the last page. Joe Casey's tale of General Zod's trials and tragedies on his new home planet puts the Superman villain through the wringer, but the main criticism from the first two issues remains.
When last we left General Zod, he got a chastising lecture from his wife, Ursa, to man up and send the invading Khunds packing. Now, the two Kryptonians lay waste to the Khund invaders when the Khund battleship in orbit launches a barrage of chem-eclipse missiles (that they just so happen to have on board) that change the local sun from yellow to red., temporarily rendering the Kryptonians helpless. Zod takes a beating but survives long enough to wait out the sun's return to yellow, but when he searches for Ursa in the chaos, he finds she wasn't so lucky.
Death in modern Western Periodical comics is regularly reversible, so it's unlikely Ursa's apparent death will stick. However, the discovery of Ursa's body hits Zod hard, so you feel the gravity of that moment.
What's great about Kneel Before Zod #3? You get plenty of action fit for two Kryptonians against an invading army. In fact, the entire issue is one long battle, so if you're tired of supers standing around and talking, you're in for a reprieve.
What's not so great about Kneel Before Zod 3? The positive could also be seen as negative. This issue is nothing but a big fight with a death (maybe) at the end. Plot-wise, there's no meat on this bone.
Further, the lack of plot development, direction, purpose, and momentum is a persistent problem with this series. We don't know what super-weapon Zod is building, what it does, or why he's building it. Zod is a perennial villain, so we don't know why we should care about what he's doing or the stakes of his success/failure. In short, we've not yet been given a reason to care about any character in this story or their journey, which is a fundamental flaw that needs fixing.
How's the art? Energetic but rough. Dan McDaid gives readers strong fight choreography and plenty of dramatic panels, but the details are lacking, and the figure proportions are off in a few spots.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
Kneel Before Zod #3 delivers an issue-long fight that ends in a bitter victory. If all you want is to see two Kryptonians destroy an invading army, you're in luck. But if you want a series that gives you a reason to care about the main characters, look elsewhere.
6/10
