G.O.D.S

This grandiose outing by Inkpot winner Hickman (the Fantastic Four) drops readers into a cosmic blend of all-new, otherworldly deities and conceits, but is so densely plotted it proves baffling even to those schooled in the arcane corners of the Marvel Universe. The world is ending thanks to the nihilistic force the Cubisk Core, and only through the mystic defenses of Wyn from The-Powers-That-Be and Aiko Maki, agent for The-Natural-Order-of-Things, can the universe's natural order be maintained. But it's Aiko's new human apprentice, Mia DiMaria, who may emerge as the true savior as the battle stretches beyond time and space to destroy--or remake--the world. Cameos by Doctor Strange, the Black Panther, and other superheroes may give fans some brief purchase to hang onto, but the epic story line is otherwise a bewildering jigsaw. Plot points are doled out piecemeal and in nonlinear fashion (familiarity with the existence and background of obscure Marvel character The In-Betweener will be a major plus for readers). Schiti draws elaborate costumes and startling visual effects, but there's a caginess to the script that will leave many loyal Hickman fans frustrated. This is too enigmatic for its own good. (Aug.)