The most rewarding comics are the ones that challenge your ideas and make you uncomfortable. Thought the medium’s history here’s been a long line of them, as early as X-Men in the 1960’s to modern books like Preacher. Tons of books either subtlety or forthright confronted notions core values are based on. Boom! Studios new book Godshaper looks to put itself on that level. Does the creative team of Si Spurrier (Marvel Zombies) and Jonas Goonface deliver such a comic book?
GODSHAPER #1
Story: Simon Spurrier
Art: Jonas Goonface
Letters: Colin Bell
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Godshaper is a world that’s gone to sh**. Everyone has their own personal deity that replaced things about society such as electricity and currency. Only those who have personal gods can accrue wealth while one in 10,000 people can’t have a god. They’re forced to wander the planet, reshaping and modifying the gods of others. This book focuses on one such individual named Ennay, a flamboyant drifter obsessed with music. Accompanied by the one god who doesn’t have a follower (BUD), the two find themselves in the middle of a battle between an ex-military and a wealthy (what passes for in this world) aristocrat.
Si Spurrier has a poignant idea that has the potential to ask some deep questions of the reader’s beliefs. If the religion many people take part in everyday was tangible? Would it be such a good thing? What things in our lives do we unknowingly worship?
We’ll talk about where this book lands in a minute. First, we have to mention the art of Jonas Goonface. It’s best described as serviceable. A fine job of sequential story as well as an eye for intentional crudeness to characters. There’s just a lot of panels that feel so convoluted it becomes hard for the eye to focus on what it should. Particularly in the scenes that introduce Ennay but a symptom persisting throughout the issue.
God shaper is in a delicate place many debuting comics find themselves in. A book can debut with glimpses of a good idea and yet not give you enough to make a decision on whether or not it deserves a place on your pull list. Spurrier is on to something with the drama of this world and there’s enough action at the end to make you immediately want to know what happens next, but not quite enough content to decide if you’re in for the long haul.
[WON] Godshaper #1 does some really interesting but not revolutionary things. It’s definitely earned itself a number 2, but needs to expand upon its hook in a really tantalizing way for people to fully commit.
Here’s a list of this week’s #1’s
- MY LITTLE PONY LEGENDS OF MAGIC #1 (IDW)
- ROSE #1 (IMAGE)
- BLACK PANTHER CREW #1 (MARVEL)
- DEADPOOL VS PUNISHER #1 (MARVEL)
- WEAPON X #1 (MARVEL)
- X-MEN BLUE #1 (MARVEL)
- ALL TIME COMICS BULLWHIP #1 (FANTAGRAPHICS)
- DOCTOR WHO 12TH YEAR THREE #1 (TITAN)
- IMMORTAL BROTHERS GREEN KNIGHT #1 (Valiant)
- SPENCER AND LOCKE #1 (ACTION LAB)
- Z NATION #1 (DYNAMITE)
I think there are better descriptions for that art than serviceable…. I think it definitely has some appeal, even if it does have those clarity issues you mention.
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