Combine Y2K, the mushrooming effect of global terrorism, unpredictable weather, computer viruses and mischievous hackers, religious Armageddon prophecies, solar flares and the upcoming major planetary alignment, and the accelerating pace of progress in general, and it's clear that we're in for a period of anxiety. If you sense that everything's crumbling around you, you might want to do some mental preparation. You could meditate or practice tai chi. And read some of the Apocalyptic comics that have flourished in the past decade.

The Legend of Mother Sarah: Tunnel Town - Katsuhiro Otomo (Dark Horse;
graphic novel, b&w, $18.95).

The promise of a new Millennium didn't dampen political madness and the unthinkable finally happened. A nuclear holocaust scorched the Earth and left the planet a poisoned wasteland. Humanity's survivors retreated to orbiting space stations and set out to rebuild civilization. But there's fierce disagreement over how to proceed. A league of scientists and technologists calling themselves The Progressives want to explode a bomb and try to shift the Earth's axis, disrupting climates and dislodging the polar icecaps in an attempt to begin a process of environmental cleansing. Opposing them are The Neo-Conservatives, who believe that humanity blew its chance and Mother Earth should be left alone. Radical elements from both parties fought bitterly, but the bomb was secretly built and used, and the struggle shifted to the planet's surface. The long process to reclaim Earth began. A single mother named Sarah, fearful of the growing anarchy on the space station decides to help colonize the new Earth. But she's separated from her four children during a terrorist raid. Now she roams a desolate planet in search of her family.

Japanese cartoonist Otomo created the groundbreaking series Akira, a comic and animated movie that introduced many Americans to Japanese manga and anime. Akira delved into the dark side of human nature and the temptations and corruption that accompany absolute power. But in The Legend of Mother Sarah, Otomo explores the power of hope. Struggles for political power and control become the backdrop of a personal spiritual quest. In the graphic novel Tunnel Town, Sarah is traveling with a peddler who scavenges the wastelands for anything of value that he can trade with colonists. They visit a military outpost which is both a mining operation and a holding pen for political prisoners. When gold bars are discovered in an underwater cavern, it triggers off a whirlwind of greed and violence. Swept up in the turmoil are a young girl and her grandfather, a boy soldier trying to prove his courage and Sarah, the voice of reason in the face of temptation. There's a very satisfying karmic conclusion to this story, which won a 1995 Parents Choice Award.


Kingdom Come - Mark Waid and Alex Ross (DC; graphic novel, color, $14.95).

For 50 years Superman stood tall on the planet as a force for truth and justice. Though he's battled the most vicious of creatures, he never broke his oath to ever knowingly take a life. But a New World order -- more violent and anarchic -- begets a grimmer breed of super-hero. This new generation of meta-humans plays by its own rules and is not above killing. Indeed some of them glory in it. One of the mightiest is Magog, who assembles a squadron of super-powered followers, violent vigilantes masquerading as humanity's guardians. Paranoia reigns and humanity cowers in fear, while a panicked United Nations tries to control the volatile super-creatures. 10 years previous, a worried Superman saw the warning signs and tried to warn the authorities who denied there was any danger. Disgusted and disillusioned, the Man of Steel went into seclusion, retiring to a farm in the Midwest. Without his leadership, the Justice League tried to maintain order, but the chaos accelerates and tragedy occurs. In a battle with Magog's minions, the nuclear-powered Captain Atom is split open and radioactivity decimates the American heartland.

The accident spurs Wonder Woman into visiting Superman and her passionate plea prompts him to return to action. Rounding up the rogue heroes, he imprisons them in a massive gulag with the intention of re-educating them. But the prison becomes a powder keg of tension threatening to explode. And in the background, other forces prepare to make their play. Batman, his broken body supported by a metal exoskeleton, has joined forces with Lex Luthor. The Dark Knight has been training a strike force to go up against Magog while unbeknownst to him, Luthor has been preparing a wild card, brainwashing the mighty Captain Marvel to be his pawn. And the UN decides that the use of nuclear weapons is the only way to halt the impending supercharged Apocalypse.

You can read this award-winning story as a high-powered suspense thriller and as a metaphor for modern times. Writer Mark Waid poses seemingly unsolvable problems, and with his character's responses, adds a veneer of metaphysical maturity to Superman and Batman, et al. The vivid, painted art by Alex Ross conveys the increasing sense of urgency as humans and metahumans march toward Armageddon. I had no idea how this impasse would play out and found the unexpected ending enlightening. Highly recommended.

The Invisibles: Countdown to the Millennium (DC/Vertigo; final12 issues,
color, 32p, $2.95).

("There's a war on; been going on for a long, long time, behind the world you know.") These words whisper "conspiracy," suspicions that tug at our mind, play havoc with our emotions, rob us of innocence. All of history hints of mighty forces behind the scenes battling for power, influence, control. Evolution is a cosmic tug-of-war between good and evil, order and chaos, freedom and control, individuality and conformity. And throughout history, organizations and individuals have helped to maintain the precarious balance, putting forth potent ideas, provoking controversy, fomenting rebellion. Gnostics, Freemasons, Rosicrucians, the alchemists, the artists of the Renaissance, our founding fathers, the Illuminati, the Mafia, Swedenborg, Ben Franklin, St. Germain, Casanova, de Sade, Adam Weishaupt, Timothy Leary, Terrence McKenna. They stretch up and down through time forming a loose-knit gestalt, a worldwide web, an invisible college.

In this thought-provoking comic, writer Grant Morrison has been exploring the nature of this cosmic conspiracy. Two forces are at war. The Archons want to impose strict order and control. Their human agents control governments, armies, media. The Invisibles champion individuality and free choice, and are dedicated to undermining of the structures of Power. Organized into units of five, one Invisibles cell is led by the charismatic King Mob. One of his compatriots, Ragged Robin, is a time-traveling witch who has journeyed into the future and made a startling discovery. History is scheduled to end on December 22, 2012. But the universe will continue and the Archons want to stake their claim to the new reality that will emerge. Having already established a power base in England, they intend to place an occult monster on the throne of England. They also view the celebration and chaos surrounding the new Millennium as the perfect opportunity to bring their cosmic scheme to completion. And the Invisibles find themselves in a literal race against time to stop them.

The Invisible's comic attracted a fiercely devoted cadre of fans, but never achieved wide success. I suspect Morrison's intricate, carefully woven tapestry of conspiracy, rooted in history, mythology, magick and metaphysics, was too sophisticated for the average comic's fan. After multiple attempts to re-launch the title, DC is finally canceling it. This 12 issue maxi-series (which counts down backwards from 12 to 1) is wrapping up the storyline. Still, conspiracies never truly die, and I suspect this isn't the last we'll see of the Invisibles.

Also recommended:

Y2K: The Comic (New England Comics, one issue). Seven short stories explore various perspectives and impacts of the Y2K bug. The comic includeda comprehensive article about Y2K preparation. A good bet for a future collector's item.

Judge Dredd (Titan/DC, various series and collections). In the future, the East and West coasts have each coagulated into one gigantic urban megasprawl. Life is so chaotic that policemen are empowered to pass sentence on criminals on the spot. Brimming with sly social satire, Britain's most popular comic's hero has inexplicably never caught on in the States.

The Adventures of Martha Washington (Dark Horse, mini-series and collections). In a decaying near-future, one woman, an ex-soldier, takes a stand against political corruption and corporate exploitation.

20/20 Visions (DC/Vertigo, 12 issues). Also set in a decaying urban near-future, this maxi-series speculates on the human impact of current social trends.

Transmetropolitan (DC/Vertigo, ongoing series and collections). Also set in a decaying urban near-future, this comic explores its brave new world through the eyes and pen of an anarchistic journalist.

Ruins (Marvel, two issues). The definitive death of the Marvel Universe.

Revelation: The Comic Book (Draw Near Art Studios, 6 issues). A laudable attempt to adapt the Apocalyptic book of the Bible to comics.