Review: Kneel Before Zod #4

Kneel Before Zod #4 came out last week and was another interesting and somewhat vexing issue within this series. We are a third of the way through the book and the focus and events keep shifting radically, perhaps showing how chaotic life as Zod must be. But I wonder if all the plot threads and ideas that are being showered on me in this book will ever be resolved.

Joe Casey continues to write an enigmatic Zod. At times he has been his usual ultra-violent militant leader. At other times he has been portrayed as a weary old man perhaps suffering from a mid-life crisis. At times he has been strictly obedient to old Kryptonian cultural norms. At other times, he seems ready to break away from the past. In this issue, Casey ultimately shifts the location of the story and gives me two more mysteries to solve as Zod rampages. The plot seeds intrigue me. But the execution seems lacking.

I'll point to this issue as an example. We are rushed a bit on two significant changes to the world Zod has been building, shown with nary an explanation. And that would be okay. I don't mind mysteries. But the whole back half of the book is Zod tearing apart a space ship. Wouldn't some of those pages have been better served fleshing out the plot?

Dan McDaid remains on art. I think no one shows 'insane anger' like McDaid which serves this book well. He also leans into some Donner-esque takes on Kryptonian science which pleased me. I wouldn't mind seeing McDaid on a more grounded book. His style seems perfect for a gun-toting spy or something like that.

So I feel torn about this book. Interesting ideas for sure. On to the book.

Last issue Ursa was killed. 

To make sure we know this is a death that will 'stick', we see Zod send Ursa off with a Viking-like funeral pyre. 

I don't know if I have ever heard or seen of this particular 'transcendence' ritual on Krypton. Feels a little antiquated for a science-driven culture.

Remember that Zod sent Lor away because Zod felt compelled by Kryptonian customs. So seeing Zod sort of pick and choose what he believes in terms of Kryptonian culture is a nice wrinkle.

With Lor and Ursa gone, it seems like Zod's interest in this new Krypton has faded.

In a plot thread I completely don't understand, Zod takes the bottle city of Kandor, puts it in a crystal space ship (very Donner in appearance, even the domed launch site) and shoots it into space. 

Everything Zod is doing on this planet was in the hopes of reviving his people. Why would he shoot the city into space when almost anything can happen to it? A scavanger ship, a meteor or comet, a gravity well ... almost anything could destroy the last remaining Kryptonians. 

Why not keep it with him What could be a better protector for his people than Zod himself? Or why not give it to Kal for safe keeping?

I don't understand the 'why' here. I would have liked a little more.

At least we see that Zod is still insane, seeing visions of Jor-El who taunts him. 

I suppose almost any bad decision (like Kandor being sent to 'realms unknown' can be laid at the feet of mental illness.

And then the next mystery.

Zod triggers the Eradicator program to do something to the planet.

It seems to wink out of existence. Perhaps he is pulling an old school 'Rokyn' trick? Sending the planet to another dimension for now? But if he is sending the planet to someplace of safety, why not keep Kandor on it?

I suppose Zod could be destroying the planet. But why would he do that?

With Kandor and the planet both gone, the infrastructure of the book is gone.

I really would have liked some more explanation or background of these two events.

Zod is now on a revenge mission against the Khunds who killed his wife and brutalized New Krypton. 

Finding the Khund fleet, he confronts the captain asking how he knew about New Krypton and the 'massive weapon' we heard Zod was building. \

We see in flashback that it was Lor-Zod who betrayed his father. Now that is a great plot hook. 

And I love that last panel. I told you, no one does insane anger like McDaid.

Zod destroys the ship's white dwarf powered energy core, a blast which severely injures even him.  We see his body floating in space until it is picked up by a trawler.

Seriously, the last 11 pages of the book is Zod tearing apart the ship with only one page with any meaningful dialogue and plot, the Lor-Zod panel above.

11 pages. 

And this ending, with Zod being picked up by a ship only made me ask to myself, again, why something like this wouldn't happen to Kandor. Why would Zod just shoot the last remaining piece of his world into space?

I guess we have lots more to learn. The problem is, given the scattershot nature of the book so far, makes me wonder if we will ever get back to these New Krypton concerns.

Overall grade: C+