Mini Reviews: G.O.D.S. #1 arrives!

Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

G.O.D.S. #1 (Marvel) – Jonathan Hickman, Valerio Schiti, and Marte Gracia set out to flesh out the magical side of the Marvel Universe and mostly succeed. Their take on the mystical arts reads like philosophy 101 meets a tabletop RPG with two players going through a divorce, but it makes for a lot of action and some heartfelt moments. I initially wasn’t sold on protagonist Wyn and his wish.com Dr. Strange energy, but his interactions with his wife Aiko (Amplified by Schiti’s nine panel grid layouts.) show how romantic he is. Wyn would rather find true love than upset the current magical order so I find myself rooting for him as he barters for magical objects with sidekick Dmitri in tow. G.O.D.S. #1‘s price tag is steep, but it feels like a full meal with a summer event level of stakes that still has room for filling out a whole section of the Marvel Universe and introducing compelling new characters. Wyn is like a Vertigo or Image protagonist stranded in the Marvel Universe and sans Dr. Strange and some cameos, G.O.D.S. #1 feels like Hickman’s new creator-owned universe rather than a take on a pre-existing property although some of the fight scenes evoke classic Steve Ditko psychedelia. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy

Pharoah Miles

G.O.D.S. #1 (Marvel) – Neil Gaiman is one of those authors that you feel like as if he could be your best friend. His works always consist of characters that we always root for.  As most are flawed but have the capacity to be and do good.  It is their fallibility is where we identify with them the most. Gaiman’s American Gods is a perfect example of what fans love most about his works. We see how, despite the fact most of the characters are deities, their flaws are what rules them in the end. Gaiman seeks to show that despite their perceived power, they more human than us.  In the debut issue of G.O.D.S.,  writer Jonathan Hickman delivers a similar concept. The issue pulls back the veil, uncovering just how powerful deities are in a world filled with aliens, mutants and super powered beings. Overall, G.O.D.S. #1 is an engaging debut which more than excites. It adds to Marvel’s vast canon. The story by Hickman is masterful. The art by Valerio Schiti, and Marte Gracia is gorgeous. Altogether, the debut is a fun introduction to these exciting new characters and teases how they fit into the greater Marvel Universe. Overall: 9.0 Verdict: Buy