Divinity III: Stalinverse

It’s the year 2016, and the U.S.S.R. rules America under President Putin. (Yes, it’s fiction.) In America, rebellion and defiance by a secret underground attempts to strike at Soviet rule, but is easily (and bloodily) put down. Only state agent Colin King remembers real American history and knows that his world is an altered reality. Someone has changed history, but who? And how to get it back? The script by Kindt (4001 A.D.) encompasses a wide swath of history and a large assortment of characters from the Valiant superhero universe. Hairsine’s (Divinity II) characters are distinct even without the usual trope of colorful costumes, and his talking-head scenes are as lively and gripping as battle sequences. Baron’s coloring uses muted tones to paint its drab Soviet-style world. A handy timeline at the beginning helps make sense of this alternate history of the Valiant superhero universe, but the story is eminently accessible and intriguing on its own. (May)