REVIEW: DC's Kneel Before Zod #1 (2024)

What do you get for the man who has everything? This is the question for Krypton's most notorious and vile villain,General Zod.In his first limited solo series, penned by Joe Casey, with visuals by Dan McDaid, colors by David Baron, and letters by Troy Peteri, Kneel Before Zod #1 has the terrifying rogue general getting everything he has ever wanted -- complete and absolute power over a planet, an army of his own to create, engineer and command, a devoted wife in Ursa, and a young son, Lor, with another on the way.

But all is not well on the planet of New Kandor. Zod isn't happy. He's unfocused, distracted, afraid, and tormented by visions of Jor-El and his son Superman, and his family, especially Lor, has noticed. And they're not the only ones. Zod's dominance and power over New Kandor are being challenged from all sides -- internal, external, and beyond. If he's going to be the leader he wants to be, with the fresh start he so desires, Zod will have to prove himself worthy in the most brutal way possible.

While the Superman mythos has come under scrutiny, deconstruction, and reconstruction in recent years, his enemies seem to have come out unscathed. This is what makes Kneel Before Zod #1 a refreshing read. On the other hand, Kneel Before Zod #1 spends so much time establishing its characters, their motivations, and their visions for -- and the hard work they put into -- New Kandor that, ironically, very little gets done. The narrative is somewhat stagnant, with little progression. Kneel Before Zod #1 feels more like a series of events than a linear storyline or chapter. Things do happen in this issue. Zod and his Lor go head to head about their ambitions for their new, developing military paradise, leading to Zod's enactment of one of the more draconian rites of passage and traditions. Zod and Ursa do have to contend with an attempted invasion in between doing morally ambiguous supervillain things; Zod especially must play nice with the United Federation of Planets to stay alive and keep his ill-gotten planet. There's plenty of angst to be had and blood to be shed. There is terrifying genetic engineering to be done on Zod's new army. There's some family drama even beyond the fraught father-son confrontation. But these events are disjointed, barely affecting one another from scene to scene in sequence.

Kneel Before Zod #1 feels less like an issue with a clear, linear plot and more like a chapter in "A Day in the Life of Zod." It's less action epic and more soap opera. This isn't to say that Kneel Before Zod #1 doesn't have its merits -- clearly, it does. As the first solo issue for one of Superman's most persistent, personal, and malignant villains, there is a lot of potential here. Flashes of compelling brilliance and a couple of hooks make this issue, and potentially the entire series going forward, worth a decent, closer look. Zod's mental state is clearly unraveling -- a perfect plot device for a story centered around villains, with a nice Shakespearean edge á la Macbeth. Considering how deeply Kal-El's family played a role in Zod's past, it's great to see this dynamic -- and its continued consequences -- being explored. In true tragic villain fashion, Zod cannot let go of his vengefulness, arrogance, or obsession with the past, and how it affects his seemingly ideal present, even in the subtlest of ways, is palpable and promising. Zod's relationship with Ursa is also of note. There is some trouble in the waters despite their shared brutality, callousness, and mutual respect; something writer Casey should hopefully touch upon further in the following issues.

Artistically, Kneel Before Zod #1 is solid, if not particularly flashy. Much like the writing, Dan McDaid's art and David Baron's colors are staid, reserved, and almost muted, as though reluctant to detract from an already pared-down and slow storyline. There's a subtle vintage quality to McDaid's line art, hearkening back to the Silver or early Bronze Age of Comics. This is appropriate, as this is a story about starting fresh -- or at least attempting to-- despite baggage from decades past. The line art is of medium weight, with only the slightest variations from foreground to background. Expressions are strong but perhaps too consistent -- emotions are either too extreme or convey little. This is especially noticeable in close-ups. Where the art should shine -- such as in this issue's two most pivotal fight scenes -- the fight choreography is awkward and unfocused, leaving these central moments anticlimactic or hard to follow.

McDaid's use of negative space in many panels means that colorist David Baron has some heavy lifting to do in order to fill it. His palette is a mix of subdued neutrals, metallic shades, earth tones, and light, icy colors with striking bolds, mainly red, orange, vermillion, yellow, violet, or green, mostly in the backgrounds and in his use of color knockouts and gradient light. While this contrast makes some pages and panels pop out to the eye, adding appeal, in other scenes, the waters get muddied -- especially in the latter half of the issue.

While it has some engaging moments and plenty of narrative potential, Kneel Before Zod #1 is surprisingly restrained for the first General Zod solo run, with few hooks and a meandering narrative. However, there are enough bright spots in this issue that, despite all the time lost on setup, there could be a stronger story -- with plenty of juicy angst, drama, and ironic tragedy -- in issues going forward.

Kneel Before Zod

6/ 10

Writer Joe Casey and artist Dan McDaid created Kneel Before Zod, a 2024 comic series that follows General Zod, aka one of Superman's most dangerous villains, on his journey to conquer the universe. He won't stop at anything to get what he wants, so the series is far from a heroic story.