Divinity III Review: Stalinverse Comes To Valiant
By Matt Conner
Stalinverse takes over Valiant with Divinity III, recasting beloved heroes in an age of global communist rule. Scary and satisfying!
Divinity III: Stalinverse #1
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Trevor Hairsine
Published by Valiant Entertainment
Stalinverse has arrived, moving Valiant’s most powerful new characters into one of my favorite comic tropes, the alternate reality.
Divinity, one of Valiant’s most successful post-relaunch properties, has followed the lives of two Cosmonauts returning from a space mission with the powers of God. Abram learned to peacefully coexist with the world, but Myshka has used her abilities to bend time and reality. The result? Stalin takes over the Soviet Union in 1922, and by the 90s, the world has become Soviet.
This issue follows Ninjak as he debriefs key figures in Myshka’s new world order. Peter Stanchek of the Harbinger Renegades now uses telepathy to root out the disloyal. X-O Manowar and a familiar ally help pipe oil from the Deadside. And the rioters in California face suppression by this guy:
The parallels to the X-Men’s Age Of Apocalypse are clear and well-deserved. In that epic, Marvel stopped publishing its most popular titles to detail versions of the characters struggling through a dystopia where Apocalypse has taken over. The resultant four-month event pulled the core values of each character to the surface despite fantastic cosmetic change.
For the Valiant characters, that means Ninjak is a communist bureaucrat but still smart, paranoid, and sneaky as Hell. Bloodshot is misguided but loyal and lethal. X-O Manowar is dedicated to his people, and Peter Stanchek is still uncomfortable with his amazing potential. Longtime fans will love seeing their heroes in new costumes, and newcomers get enough introduction in this issue to enjoy the characters and invest in Ninjak’s desperate plan.
It’s hard to describe a communist takeover as “fun,” but this winter miniseries will definitely entertain. Don’t miss this one.