Review: G.O.D.S. #1
G.O.D.S. #1 — Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Valerio Schiti (Artist), Marte Gracia (Color artist).
Rating: 7/10
Marvel already has Gods. There is Thor and Loki. They are powerful, undying, but walk among earthly heroes. A little bit bigger are the Celestials. Those are the giant odd looking gods who are served by the Eternals. A little bit bigger still is Infinity, the Living Tribunal and Eternity (that was the one at the end of the Thor movie Love and Thunder granting wishes).
So who or what are the G.O.D.S. of Jonathan Hickman’s new Marvel miniseries?
After issue one of G.O.D.S. the answer is, we don’t know. Which isn’t to say the issue is bad, it’s actually quite good.
There are a couple of difficulties with G.O.D.S. The first is, it’s a good story. There is a sense of urgency and pace. We are introduced to new characters. There is a dangerous event threatening the fabric of existence. Different groups team up and help avert the danger and defeat the super villain. His name is Cubisk Core.
That is a problem because, having finished the issue, the story is complete. A satisfying experience, but at the same time slightly confusing.
The title suggests the presence of gods, but presents it as the acronym, G.O.D.S. Hickman has referred to the acronym as a puzzle and we aren’t told what it means in issue one.
The issue does introduce the two gods as The-Powers-That-Be and The-Natural-Order-Of-Things, except there is no introduction to the gods. Instead, the comic introduces their representatives. Wyn is the Avatar for The-Powers-That-Be and, his wife, Aiko has just been recruited as a Centivar for The-Natural-Order-Of-Things. Wyn is on his own, although he has a sidekick, while the Centivars are more of a team. The whole marriage thing is a problem because these two groups and the gods they represent are in irrevocable opposition to one another.
Beyond not being given a sense of the gods, the characters are new, but a little too familiar. When Wyn appears in panels with Doctor Strange, they have a similar vibe, even though Strange defers to Wyn. Which is the next problem; we are being asked to accept the presence of these characters and their gods as entities that have existed in the Marvel universe, we just didn’t know about them.
As for Aiko and the Centivars, they come crashing in like a task force from the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with a little more technology and dressed in white. Which is the necessary addition of technology to Doctor Strange’s magic.
Issue one of G.O.D.S. has a lot going on. There are some new locations (The Library of Worlds, a hidden A.I.M. station) and some familiar figures like The Collector and The Contemplator. There is a great dynamic between Wyn and Aiko and the story is visually impressive.
It’s a satisfying story with vibrant and diverse characters. Despite a great deal happening, the story is easy to follow and brought to a successful conclusion. G.O.D.S. #1 could have been a one-off, except it isn’t.
NeuroMyths enjoys reading comics and did not receive this comic for review purposes and isn’t sure how to feel about issue #2.
Pick up your copy of Jonathan Hickman’s G.O.D.S. #1 (this is a paid affiliate link and as an Amazon Associate I will earn a small income from qualifying purchases, but won’t cost you any more).