EXCLUSIVE: ‘The Wicked & The Divine’ #1 Covers By Jamie McKelvie & Matt Wilson
Described writer Kieron Gillen as "a superhero comic for anyone who loves Bowie as much as Batman," The Wicked & The Divine launches this June from Image Comics. The first issue will come with two covers by series artist and co-creator Jamie McKelvie and colorist Matt Wilson that succinctly and spectacularly express the core relationship of the story, that of the goddess Luci(fer) and her devotee Laura, who wishes to make the move from fan-to-pro, as it were. Both covers are now available as high quality, limited edition giclee prints directly from the artist.
Speaking with ComicsAlliance's Andrew Wheeler earlier this year, Gillen characterized The Wicked & The Divine as a story about the creation of art and culture that uses gods, mythology and other archetypes in an urban fantasy setting. Specifically, the writer explained:
Every 90 years or so, twelve gods incarnate in the bodies of the young. They are charismatic and brilliant. They stand before crowds, speak in tongues, and send them into rapture. They’re rumored to perform secretive miracles. They save people’s lives, either metaphorically or literally.
They are loved. They are hated. They are brilliant.
Within two years, they’re dead.
Familiar names include Baal, Sekhmet, Minerva, and the Morrigan, but it's Lucifer who takes center stage in The Wicked & The Divine -- or at least, in the first arc of the ongoing series -- as you can see in the typically nontraditional and plainly gorgeous cover illustrations by McKelvie & Wilson. What we know about the relationship between Lucifer and series co-star Laura is that it's one of mutual advantage, with Laura wanting to graduate from fangirl to god, and Lucifer in need of help that Laura can provide.
The Wicked & The Divine #1 doesn't go on sale until June, but McKelvie fans can already pre-order both covers as a set of prints from the artist's website.