A Flawed Religious Organization
[Vess] But what if… What if you found something here that seemed wrong? That seemed out of place? [Krikko] I would go straight to Mother Proxima and ask for guidance. That’s why she’s here. [Vess] And… If the something wrong had to do with Mother Proxima herself? [Krikko] Then I would question myself. Because doubting her would mean I had strayed from my vow of obedience.
[Mother Proxima] And this troubles you? [Vess] Of course it does. You preach against Lux every day. They lead people to places where the light can’t reach them. They’re our enemies – the enemies of the invisible kingdom. [Mother Proxima] We are growing. That takes money. That which I take from them, I use to maintain this house – and all the souls within it, including yours. [Vess] But if you can’t walk the path without taking money from those who have strayed, what use is it? What use is any of it? [Mother Proxima] That’s enough. You’re very young, Vess. And because you are very young, I will make allowances for your disobedience.
Ideals clashing with messy reality. What is Lux’s motivation? Bankroll its main opposition so that it remains in control of the narrative? Is Lux a lifeline of any large organization? If so, why not publicly factor in its role in the tenets of the religious tenets? ’s author notes specify that Lux provides support in exchange for leaders of The Renunciation containing the more radical members to prevent an outright rebellion.
Characterizations
[Mother Proxima] Yet sometimes the greatest temptation comes not from without, but from within. Disobedience. Pride. Thinking that you understand the path in ways your teachers do not. These are forms of spiritual blindness.
[Grix] You mean steal stuff from the poorest planet in the system? [Turo] Oh, stop pretending. You know who the real villains in this story are. Rool is poor because their resources are exploited by the inner planets. Lux makes junk and sells it back to the people they stole it from in the first place – and the Renunciation fleeces any free thinkers dumb enough to believe they’ve escaped Lux. [Grix] Look, I get that you think you’re a real revolutionary, out here taking things without asking and thinking deep thoughts. But I’ve seen my share of cheap outer planetary philosophers, and I’ve come to the conclusion you’re all the same person in different suits.
[Eline] She can’t stay focused to save her life. Every new problem she encounters becomes the biggest, most important problem, and has to be solved right now. It was fine – it was cute – until we were all five minutes from certain death.
[Grix] And Mother Proxima? [Krikko] What do you think she really believes? I think she believes that whatever she does must be right, because she is incapable of being wrong. I think that’s what makes her so dangerous.
Status Quo
[Xether] “Of course they’re corrupt. Everyone is corrupt.” “How is this news? As long as Lux delivers my antigrav shoes on time, I’m good.” “The renunciation are hypocrites anyway. Tell me why I should care.” It… goes on from there. [Captain Grix] I don’t understand. We just revealed the biggest piece of news in a decade. [Eline] Maybe they think being cynical makes them more interesting. [Captain Grix] I don’t get it. I don’t get it. We risked our lives – our lives are still at risk – so that people would know the truth, and nobody cares? [Vess] People don’t want the truth. They want only information that supports what they think they already know. #societal-apathy
proposes that such online responses are a way for folks to redeem passive lurking by trying to appear above the situation. Online, folks are in a position of impotent omnipotence - the world is at their feet, but they cannot really act in it except to pose and acquire. The individual wants to wrest back some semblance of control.
[Grix] I just wanted to give people information they deserved to have. I never wanted to lead a revolution.
[Grix] When we broadcast the conspiracy between The Renunciation and Lux Corp, we thought the whole solar system would rise up, but they didn’t. But maybe we don’t need the whole system – just a small group of people who stay angry and refuse to back down.
The Corporation
[Grix] … Turn me in? Are you… Are you serious? I saved your life… [Halofer] Doesn’t change anything. This is the job, Grix. You must have known when you went on the run that this would be the outcome, whether you really stole from the company or not. [Grix] The company doesn’t exist. It’s not a person. It’s… numbers on a page. I’m talking about me – us – our crews, real people who depend on us. [Halofer] You can’t throw out our laws just because you’re angry. That’s not how it works.
[Lux] For decades, we have helped keep the peace in this solar system. First by catering to the consumers' every whim, then by telling them what their whims should be. We created the world of things, and with things, the people remain busy and pacified.
Individual vs. The World
[Vess] If I break my vow, it should be for some higher purpose. I should go home and save my species. This is something else. Something selfish.
[Vess] The awakening saved your life. I was merely a vessel. I only did what needed to be done. [Grix] Are you seriously going to make me say it? [Vess] Say what? [Grix] I love you. I mean I’m in love with you. [Vess] … And I love you. But there are more important things than love.
Pray I Don’t Help You Further
[Vess] But – do we really have to kill people? Mother Proxima? Nones who are loyal to the Renunciation? [Father Echo] Ah, Vess… Some, like you, are quiet enough to be brought to the path with a whisper. But others can only hear a scream. So we must scream. We must stroke fear into their hearts, for only in terror will they turn from false paths.
[Vess] I am prepared to sacrifice myself. But to sacrifice another– [Brother Profuni] You probably think such self-sacrifice is noble. But it is pride, Vess. You have been marked out for something greater. Let those who matter less throw themselves in harm’s way. You are needed elsewhere.
Others' Reviews
Awards: Eisner Winner for Best New Series of 2020.
Wilson aims to explore the fault lines between faith and religion, in a more general way than through the lens of a real religion.
Invisible Kingdom uses color judiciously. Grix and her crew in outer space have vibrant and swirling psychedelic colors, while Vess in the monastery is surrounded by neutral and muted tones. Grix’s path is laden with chaos, while Vess’s path occurs in calm.
References
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 1: Walking the Path. Part 02. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2019.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 1: Walking the Path. Part 03. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2019.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 1: Walking the Path. Part 05. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2019.
- INTERVIEW: G. Willow Wilson talks conspiracy and religion in INVISIBLE KINGDOM. Jessica Dunlap. www.comicsbeat.com . Aug 28, 2018. Accessed Dec 3, 2022.
- List of Eisner Award winners. Best New Series. en.wikipedia.org . Accessed Dec 3, 2022.
- The Impotence of Being Clever. Alexander Stern. hedgehogreview.com . 2022. Accessed Dec 3, 2022.
- Book Review: 'Invisible Kingdom: Vol 1' by G. Willow Wilson & Christian Ward. Miriam Atkinson. lairofreviews.com . Feb 20, 2022. Accessed Dec 4, 2022.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 2: Edge of Everything. Part 02. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2020.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 2: Edge of Everything. Part 03. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2020.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 2: Edge of Everything. Part 04. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2020.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 2: Edge of Everything. Part 05. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2020.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 3: In Other Worlds. Part 01. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2021.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 3: In Other Worlds. Part 02. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2021.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 3: In Other Worlds. Part 03. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2021.
- Invisible Kingdom Vol. 3: In Other Worlds. Part 04. G. Willow Wilson; Christian Ward. 2021.
- Foundation - Apple TV+ Press. www.apple.com . Sep 4, 2021. Accessed Mar 11, 2023.
Krikko and Vess have a different attitude towards their beliefs. For Krikko, Mother Proxima is the unmoved mover. While anchoring on a human has perks like concreteness and simplicity, a human is still fallible. An idea, on the other hand, has a better chance at being infallible, e.g. explicit philosophical debates, despite still being the product of human minds.
Some religions that have human unmoved movers have been criticized for being cult-like, e.g. Netflix’s Keep Sweet; Pray and Obey that features Rulon Jeff of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.