Divided Kingdom #1: Comic Review
Divided Kingdom #1 is the first in an ongoing comic series from the British creators Andy Hamilton, Bill Clark and Adam Oehlers.
2030, the world as we know it is ravaged by floods, forcing communities to higher grounds for any hope of survival. Instead of politicians or charities, salvation appears to come in the shape of billionaire tycoon Dereck Lock. Faced with the possibility of homelessness, famine and plagues, survivors embrace the one man who appears to be in the position to help them.
Fifteen years later, what is left of the world are painfully aware of the mistakes that were made. Dereck Lock was not a man to be trusted and survivors of the flood are paying the consequences. Britcorp, Lock’s company, has turned the UK into a police state. Slave labour is the norm and when dissension leads to being shot, few are willing to fight back…but those few can make all the difference.
The first thing that will undoubtedly strike you when you open up the first pages of Divided Kingdom is just how beautifully detailed the artwork is. Within a few pages, Andy, Bill and Adam create a clear and overwhelmingly claustrophobic dystopian world. As with most first issues, this comic lays all the groundwork for what sounds like an incredible story, with survivors slaving away on what is left of planet Earth and the wealthy looking down on it all from Olympus Britcorp HQ in outer space. There are a few characters that I’m placing bets on becoming important in future issues, one being a survivor of one of the most wonderfully gory scenes I’ve ever seen in a comic book (oh yeah, this one isn’t for the faint-hearted!). I don’t want to say any more than that because no one likes too many spoilers, but I like to think I’m pretty hard to shock and it took me by surprise…in an excellent way.
The writing is fluid and concise (it’s nice to read a Birmingham accent in a comic too), the illustrations are wonderfully detailed and the explosive use of colour is used to significant effect. The only annoying thing about finishing Divided Kingdom #1 is that I don’t have #2 yet! But trust me, I’ll be sorting that out ASAP. I loved this first issue and can’t wait to see where it goes.
Buy your copy of Divided Kingdom #1 online now.
You can currently pick up Divided Kingdom #1  for just £10
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If you want to know more about Divided Kingdom and it’s creators you can listen to the Gobsmack Comics podcast below: