The Pull List – Second Coming #1
It’s been over two millennia’s since Jesus walked the land and hope to bring humanity back to a paradise. But Jesus was denied his return and stayed in heaven with God. But the hero Sunstar has been giving humans hope and gains the attention from God himself. Inspired by Sunstar’s heroics, God sends Jesus to become Sunstar’s roommate and shadow the hero to become a better savior. Now Jesus has returned and is being trained by Earth’s mightiest hero, but there a few learning curves to get over.
When God created the Earth, he never knew thought it would a lifetime of maintenance to keep the place in order. So when Jesus wanted a turn, God was ready for a vacation. Jesus arrived with a mission to forgive humanity for their sins and help them get back into the Garden of Eden. However, a few challenges made it difficult to spread the world. In modern times, people and culture have changed, and Jesus wants another shot at helping humanity. Sunstar is an alien stranger that protects the innocent. Sunstar is a beloved hero that is growing frustrated with his home life and his place in the world. Jesus and Sunstar make a deal to help each other handle their responsibilities and maybe save each other.
Second Coming playful takes a controversial topic of religion and cleverly spins it to match the familiar tones of a superhero story. Mark Russell builds a fun narrative that uses the bases of Christianity in a light-hearted perspective without feeling too cynical. Russell is able to cleverly parody religious elements that tell a meaningful story. God is an all mighty creator, that has become jaded with years of handling humanity for so long. Jesus steps up to the challenge to see he can help, but it’s a fun dynamic between father and son.
This issue features artwork from Leonard Kirk and Richard Pace, each designing the look and feel from moments in the heaven and Earth. Kirk’s overshaded artwork gives the heavenly scenery a biblical tone, while Pace’s have a retro, golden age of comics vibe that plays up the superhero angle. The artwork is an interesting blend that easily builds up the momentum of the story and showcases a lot of the emotional sides of the characters.
Second Coming is a smart comic that utilizes its source material without being insulting. It’s a smart comic that treats the characters with respect while exploring a more mature look at religion and mankind. Comic fans that want something off the typical beaten path of comic stories, will find a highly enjoyable story aims to make its readers laugh.