The Good
Two things to note about this issue: (1) Baal is unapologetically cool, and (2) I'm certain that THE WICKED + THE DIVINE is making me think more critically about entertainment.
This issue (and the series as a whole) is brimming with layered pop culture observations -- which I suppose isn't much of a surprise, given PHONOGRAM, but is interesting anyhow. #WICDIV prompts us to examine a standard-ish frame-up mystery plot via obvious in-group dynamics that parallel our expectations and opinions of celebrity and consumable culture. It's a brilliant balance between fiction that's just plain entertaining, and entertainment serving as a package for thoughtful discourse.
If there's one thing this creative team has mastered, it's the art of cool. I adore how it's laid bare, especially in this issue as we see Laura's inner monologue at odds with her aloof exterior. There's commmentary here, about how we act in the face of the pop culture we consume, but I'm probably not cool enough to expound on that.
I've noted this before, but it's a constant, and a positive one, at that -- THE WICKED + THE DIVINE is one of those books that makes me want to learn things. I expect that I'm not the only reader who picked up this issue and delved into a research rabbithole over the various deities who share the name Baal, and I also expect that I'm not the only reader who did a compare-and-contrast between said deities and Kanye West. If there's a marker of reader buy-in for a series that has any roots in pop culture, it's inspired research.
Artsy analysis aside? This issue's got some serious forward movement, and wraps with a totally satisfying root-for-the-villain moment.
The Bad
Side effect of the hyper-analysis this series seems to invite: I can't read the pantheon scene without wondering who's missing and why. It's impossible to tell whether the absent gods are gone for story reasons, or simple practical ones, like not over-crowding a scene.
The Verdict
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE is a consistent must-pull for anyone who enjoys music, pop culture, criticism, and/or storytelling that hits on multiple levels. It's an exquisitely made comic book (writing, art, lettering, all of it), but it's also more intellectually intriguing than a lot of books in publication right now. I'm finding myself enjoying the ride more than I care about the resolution to this arc, and if that's not a reason to pick up a book in single issues, I'm not sure what is.