Comic Book: The Second Coming

Overview
Mark Russell's 2019 comic Second Coming imagines a startlingly simple premise: Jesus returns to Earth and finds himself competing with a modern superhero for the public's attention. The story sets the gentle, bewildered figure of Jesus against the polished machinery of contemporary celebrity hero culture, embodied by a caped, corporate-friendly crimefighter named Sun-Man. That collision of myth and media drives a satirical, often tender narrative about faith, fame, and what it means to help people.
The setup is compact and provocative. Jesus tries to reconnect with ordinary people and to do what he once did, teach, heal, and challenge power, while Sun-Man represents the spectacle and commodification of salvation. Their uneasy partnership, and the tensions it produces, provide the comic's primary dramatic engine.

Main Characters and Plot
Jesus is written as patient, compassionate, and at times baffled by modern institutions that claim his name while rarely practicing his teachings. He is less interested in doctrinal disputes than in the messy business of alleviating suffering. Sun-Man is charismatic, media-savvy, and marketed as a flawless protector; his image is managed by PR people who turn heroism into branding. The contrast between the two figures clarifies how different approaches to "saving" can lead to very different outcomes for ordinary people.
The narrative follows their attempts to cooperate and the consequences that follow. Publicity, politics, and corporate interests complicate even simple acts of kindness, and both men must confront how their public personas affect the people they aim to help. As their philosophies clash, the comic explores how power and influence are wielded, who benefits from spectacle, and how genuine moral courage gets sidelined by convenience and profit.

Themes and Tone
Russell uses humor and satire as scalpel and balm: jokes and absurd situations expose the hypocrisies of organized religion, political opportunism, and celebrity activism, while quieter moments reveal sincere longing for justice and mercy. The comic interrogates the gap between religious rhetoric and lived practice, asking whether uplift comes from grand gestures or from sustained, humble engagement with others' needs. It also asks whether a culture built on image and branding can ever fully accommodate a message that demands self-sacrifice and radical compassion.
Beneath the satire there is evident empathy. Characters are sketched with both flaws and humanity, and the narrative regularly checks its barbs with scenes that emphasize connection, repentance, and the small, stubborn work of care. Those contrasts keep the book from descending into mere mockery and allow it to pose serious questions about belief, responsibility, and community.

Art and Presentation
The visual style complements the writing by alternating between broad, expressive caricature and quieter, more intimate panels. The art leans into comic timing for jokes and uses restrained, human gestures for the story's tender beats. This balance reinforces the book's shifting moods, from satirical set pieces to sincere encounters, so that neither the humor nor the moral seriousness overwhelms the other.
Lettering and pacing keep dialogue brisk, and the layouts favor accessibility: moments of spectacle get the space they need, while small interpersonal scenes are given room to breathe. The overall design supports the premise by simultaneously celebrating and undermining the aesthetics of superhero comics.

Impact
Second Coming provokes discussion by forcing readers to reckon with familiar stories in an unfamiliar cultural context. It is confrontational without being nihilistic, comedic without being cynical, and it uses the collision of sacred narrative and modern spectacle to reflect on what it would take to actually help people in a complicated world. The comic's mix of satire, heart, and moral inquiry makes it a memorable and often surprising meditation on faith and public life.