Second Coming Rises Again

Second Coming Rises Again

After DC/Vertigo initially cancelled orders, the satirical comic book series Second Coming will start new life at AHOY Comics.

The series depicts Jesus returning to Earth and becoming disappointed with contemporary Christianity. He moves in with Sunstar, a Superman analogue.

Originally slated for release in May, DC/Vertigo pulled orders after an online backlash condemned the book for being supposedly sacrilegious. An online petition at Citizen Go received 235,000 signatures while asking the publisher to remove the series from its schedule.

The petition’s author’s asked, “Can you imagine the media and political uproar if DC Comics was altering and poking fun at the story of Muhammad … or Buddha?”

Second Coming will now release in July.  Series writer Mark Russel said that the series does not seek to make fun of faith.

“It’s not a satire of Christ so much as it is a satire on how his followers of the last 2,000 years have turned his message of forgiveness and empathy into one of power and domination, which is as un-Christlike as one can possibly imagine,” he said.

AHOY Comics picked Second Coming up after DC allowed the creators to take back the rights. The series will run for at least six issues. AHOY have previously published work by the likes of Grant Morrison.

The series features art from Richard Pace and covers by comics legend Amanda Conner.

“After all the manufactured outrage, we’re looking forward to seeing what the intended audience for this book thinks when they read the first issue this summer,” Mr Pace said.

AHOY Comics’ Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer was one of the original editors for Vertigo when DC first founded the imprint.

“There are going to be people who don’t want to read Second Coming, and that’s fine,” Mr Peyer said.

“It’s not for everyone. But I don’t think it should be controversial to maintain that the rest of us have every right to enjoy it.”

Mr Pace claims he has received death threats since the project was announced.

Issue One of Second Coming releases on 11 July 2019.

Jonathan Foye is Insights’ Editor

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