KINGDOM COME

It's hard to imagine the comic book medium translated into audio. After listening to KINGDOM COME, I can hear why. The 1996 mini-series from DC Comics was poignant and well written, with fully painted artwork by Alex Ross. In contrast, this dramatization is often hokey and stilted. The story, set in the early years of the twenty-first century, tells of a world in which the classic super-heroes--Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.--have all retired. In their absence, not-so-heroic "meta-humans" are wreaking havoc on the planet. The old heroes band together to set things right before it's too late. This dramatization is elaborately produced with a full cast and sound effects, but too many scenes have a hollow, echo-chamber feel, as though recorded in a fish bowl. S.E.S. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 99]