Second Coming from Ahoy Comics, while always a delight, is particularly insightful when it focuses on the character of Jesus Christ. After a couple of issues focusing on the series’ Superman stand-in, Sunstar, Second Coming #4 shines its light back on the Son of God and his experiences in the modern world, to significant effect.

This issue sees Jesus in jail, learning more and more about how his teachings have been misconstrued and misapplied in as the years passed, while Sunstar asks for help finding him. Jesus makes friends and enemies in his time incarcerated and learns quite a bit from both. Meanwhile, Satan does what he does best--tries to make a deal.

As always, Mark Russell’s writing is layered and full of heart. He writes Jesus, Sunstar, Satan, Larry Pinecone, and even a white supremacist Jesus deals within jail with equal parts unflinching truth and deep sympathy. Russell’s trademark humor is on display--look for a running gag where Russell gently lampoons Batman in the best way.

Richard Pace continues to do excellent work handling most of the art chores for this issue. His Jesus is soulful, his Satan unexpectedly genial and honest, and the characters in prison realistic and well-rendered. On the pages focusing on Sunstar, Pace is finished by Leonard Kirk and colored by Andy Troy, giving those pages an almost-but-not-quite DC house-style sheen. Letterer Rob Steen ties the two different styles together and gives the comic consistency.

Second Coming remains one of the best comics on the stands right now. Fans of novelists Douglas Adams and Christopher Moore, in particular, should seek this title out, ASAP.

Grade: A+