Customer Reviews

A God Somewhere (New Edition)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

(SPOILERS, this one was too hard to write without them)

I went back and forth whether or not to pick this up when I first saw it announced. The only exposure I ever had to writer John Arcudi was his run on Gen 13 Volume 1, and I just thought it was ok. The premise was intriguing but it wasn't something I hadn't read in other forms before. All of this coupled with the fact it was an original graphic novel with a $24.99 cover price, made me very hesitant to invest in it. I'm happy to say it was well worth the risk.

Normally, one of the strengths of graphic novels is that they don't have to rely on cliffhangers every 22 pages like a comic book. The writer has more freedom to structure his story any way he wants. Here, Arcudi chose to do 4 chapters at 50 pages each. It'd be interesting to see if this was originally envisioned as a 4-issue mini series but if it was, I'd find it hard to believe each issue would've been 50 pages. But regardless of the original intent, this format works very well here because it allows for cliffhangers and also allows for the passage of time between chapters.

Speaking of time, Arcudi's got an interesting story structure where we follow the 4 main characters in the present while periodically showing flashbacks of significant events in the past between the characters. The main character is Eric Forester. We also follow his brother Hugh, his wife Alma, and Eric's best friend Sam Knowle. Arcudi does a great job of setting up each of these characters and their various struggles before we even get to the superhero parts of the story. But Arcudi doesn't give us too much exposition. He gives us just enough up until the point where Eric is bestowed with his powers.

From here, the story takes off in a very interesting direction. In the story Eric is a Christian so he believes God has blessed him with these powers. Now I must pause and let you know I am a Christian myself (don't worry, I'm not going to start preaching from here on), so that's the perspective I'm coming at this story from. The way Eric takes authority over his powers is almost unbelievable. But Eric is so euphoric about the whole thing, Arucdi lets us feel the elation Eric feels about these new powers.

This brings me to Snejbjerg's art. He does an amazing job throughout the novel but it's his facial expressions on Eric that really convey how happy Eric is this has happened to him. When you look into Eric's eyes as he tells Sam everything's going to be alright and then proceeds to jump out a window and fly into the sky, its Snejbjerg's art that makes you believe Eric.

Of course, from here we follow as Eric becomes a messiah of sorts (even though he outright states he does not compare himself to Jesus Christ). But his godhood loses its impact as he begins to see the corruption of man and how despite his great powers, the corruption still remains. At this point Eric has been simultaneously hurt by society and by those he loves like his brother, Hugh. It is this realization that begins to send him over the edge and where Arucdi takes us to some very dark places.

The battles that ensue which Snejbjerg illustrates beautifully are absolutely brutal following these events. Those following Boom Studios' Irredeemable have gotten a taste of the "superhero gone bad" story but here, there is no holding back. The story becomes heartbreaking as we see Eric driven mad by the idea that humanity is lost and not worth saving. There are even two plot points which I thought were interesting because they are two possible origins to his powers. One is where Eric dreams that he was once a god of another smaller universe who became bored and came to our bigger universe. The other is that Eric's powers are telekinetic in nature which could either be separate, or go hand in hand with the "god" explanation. In fact, the origins of his powers are never fully explained but that's ok because in this story they are mainly a catalyst for everything else.

By the end, Arucdi is not shoving some religious message down out throats. He is simply giving us a human story in a superhero setting. To see these ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances and how they handle it is the strength of this story. I cannot recommend this graphic novel enough. It is a further testament that comics can be a powerful medium to convey meaningful stories that can reach a lot of people.

A God Somewhere is a tragedy, in the classic comedy/tragedy sense of the word. Whereas the progression of a comedy goes from bad to good, tragedy begins with its characters in a good place, and over the progression of the story turns to bad. A God Somewhere bestows one man with infinite powers. But rather than tell the traditional superhero tale of a man rising to protect humanity, writer John Arcudi and artist Peter Snejbjerg tell the tale of a man corrupted by ultimate power, essentially becoming the villain. In that, it is already somewhat unique, but the duo takes it one step further and tells the story from the perspective of a group of the character's friends who are impacted by the change, rather than focusing on the all-powerful man.

Comics have long been based on the premise that power brings with it responsibility. That's why our comic characters, when bestowed with something special, use that power for the good of humanity. Of course, that's one side of the story, and the other side is full of villains who have used their respective powers for evil. Arcudi and Snejbjerg, if A God Somewhere is any indication, present, for our consideration, that it is much more in man's nature to wind up on the dark side of things.

Eric and Sam are best friends. After a mysterious disaster that kills many at his apartment complex, Eric finds himself with Superman-like powers, which he immediately uses to pull the other survivors from the rubble. What causes the disaster or Eric's powers is never fully explained, and in the scheme of things, the true cause is irrelevant. What's relevant is how Eric thinks he attained the powers--either God bestowed him with them or he is, in fact, a god himself. And that belief ultimately leads to his feeling of separation from the rest of humanity.

Its human, "What if it happened in the real world?" approach to comics may sound like something out of the old cynical and grim likes of Alan Moore's Watchmen. And it is hard not to be reminded of the line from that book while reading A God Somewhere, "The Superman exists, and he's American." As Arcudi suggests with A God Somewhere, if the Superman really is American, that could be a problem.

Arcudi's tale is very much about the modern world. And, much like any great superhero tale, has a lot less to do with fantasy heroics as it does with real-world concerns. A God Somewhere is a tale about a man. It's about humans, nations, attacked by someone (or something) who thinks he is of holier stock than the rest of us. He applies flawed logic to the situation, surmising that if he was the one granted these special powers, and if he indeed has power over the rest of us, it is because he is better than us, and therefore his way must be imposed upon the world by using those powers.

The story is told from the perspective of Sam, who--as Eric increasingly shies away from public attention--makes something out of the situation for himself, and ultimately becomes our window to Eric. Even as Eric commits increasingly unspeakable actions, it takes Sam longer to hate him than anyone else, especially when there is something in all of it for him to benefit from. In many ways, we're intended to relate most with Sam. There's a difficulty in recognizing how out of hand a power has become when one is so close to it, and profiting from the mess is all too easy. But Sam isn't bad in the scheme of things. He tries to talk sense into Eric. Tries to understand him. Even if it's all to no avail.

It's an incredibly well told, well-paced story, thanks in large part to the art of Snejbjerg. The opening page of A God Somewhere is one of the most engaging and haunting I've seen in a comic. As much as the art, the coloring of Bjarne Hansen contributes to great tones that help depict the tragic downfall of Eric and his friends. When we see the background stories of the four main characters, we're looking at a very different style than when we're looking at the aftermath of Eric acquiring his powers.

A God Somewhere uses the comics medium to offer a fresh take on a tale of power corrupting absolutely. It wisely uses its origins to bring race into the conversation. And ultimately, as Mike Mignola suggests on the paperback's cover, brings readers one of the most "human" superhero stories in the medium. From start to finish, it is gripping, and while it has debuted with less attention than it deserves, will undoubtedly find a spot among some of the great graphic novels of this age.

-- William Jones

I've just finished reading John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg's A God Somewhere and I'm still mulling it over ... In fact, I think I'll be mulling it over for a little while to come. It'd be easy to hang one of a dozen cliches on it. It is this generation's Watchmen, and it is The Authority with consequences, but beyond that it's something more. This book asks you to imagine what would happen if just one person ended up miraculously gifted with super powers. Then it asks: What if it was the wrong person? These are quite heady concepts on their own, but they have been touched on before. If A God Somewhere left it there then it would be easier to dismiss ... But it asks one further question of its readers which really gets you thinking: Is there actually a 'right' person? And there's the kicker.

Like any great super powered origin, it starts with an unexplained explosion and a miraculous bestowing of powers. No one knows how or why, and that's not really the point - the fact is it happened, and Eric Forster is forever changed as a result. He gains super-strength, the ability to fly, a seeming invulnerability, and other powers we can't even begin to understand. At first he uses these powers to help - rescuing others from the rubble of his building, stopping bank robbers and thwarting crime - but slowly he withdraws from those around him and becomes more insular, like an island or a god unto himself. And so Lord Acton's words ring true once again, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

I think most people are familiar with this famous adage and think of it in circumstances such as these. Lord Acton said it so well, but over 100 years previous William Pitt the Elder said something similar which holds even much more significance for this particular tale ... "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it; and this I know, my lords, that where laws end, tyranny begins." Eric Forster is a corrupted man. The law no longer applies to him, at least in his mind, and as he comes to that realisation the real changes come. Nothing matters to him anymore - not politics or religion, friendship or brotherhood. It all pales before him, and that's when the tyranny starts. Eric wages a one-man war against the world, starting with those closest to him and radiating out in a spiral of unstoppable destruction. It's brutal, it's graphic, and it's shocking. I found some things hard to read, yet it's illustrated with a sensitivity that makes you realise just how desensitised you've become.

I feel almost wrong saying this, but I didn't know John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg had this in them. Both have been good solid creators over the years, and each has produced some memorable work, but this ... This is something else. And when did Wildstorm become such a boutique publisher? I used to just think of them as big boobs, big battles and big guns. They still have those, by the way, but they're also cultivating a wonderful library of brave and innovative releases like A God Somewhere. It's an interesting juxtaposition and I like it. I really don't want to say too much more about the book because this is a review, not a synopsis. I don't want to spoil anything, I just want to tell you to buy it. Buy it, read it, and pass it on to your friends. Talk about it and consider what it says. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but, like any great work, it asks you to think, and that's what makes it really worthwhile. Bravo! I give it 9 out of 10 because a perfect score would seem to contradict the high concept of the book. See more reviews like this at Pop Culture Hound (popculturehound dot com).

Having read almost all of the great mythologies, I had to read A god Somewhere many times to comprehend it. How can Eric be lucid, near omniscient, with telepathic and telekinetic powers, and at the same time be a berserk monster? In other words, as Sam says, he is a "mass murdering Buddha." Imagine the carnage if the Hulk's battles with the Army were shown realistically. This is a graphic novel, and the carnage is graphic. Yet, Eric is much more than the Hulk. He can defeat an Army brigade with his mind alone. Indeed, his powers are god-like, and that is the rub. A being with Eric's powers has to be either accepted as a god, or go insane.

Or perhaps it was inevitable he go insane. God never spoke directly to Eric to explain his powers to him. At first he believed God gave him his powers, and then Eric came to believe he himself was a god, somewhere, in some other, smaller universe. But how could he be a god in our universe, without a clear link to God? How can he be a god, with his brother putting him down? Instead of looking up to him, putting him down. With a put-down like that, it was easy for Eric to go from god to monster.

A god Somewhere is an incredible mix of superhero, mythology, and theology, never seen before in comics or graphic novels.

Others have reviewed more in depth so let me just say that this is a very well constructed story that takes a very adult approach to the material. I don't mean "adult" as in sex (though there is a little) or violence (there's a LOT) but in terms of its structure, which includes flashbacks and non-linear storytelling, and some fairly important themes you don't see every day in comics (race relations, familial jealousy, religious (?) violence). I'm new to both the writer and the artist and I was pretty well knocked out.

A God Somewhere is an interesting graphic novel. It is about a man who one day becomes super powerful. Little by little he starts thinking of himself as a new God. The book in a way is a study of what could happen with a superhero on the real world. Comics have dealt with this question many times. While this is a topic that has been covered many times, I think this book was worth reading for several reasons. First of all, the book builds up slowly and has plenty of characterization. The first ten or so pages are about the normal lives of the main characters and there are some flashbacks throughout to give more depth to the characters. The wonderful art helps a lot in this, because a lot of the characterization comes through subtle drawings (such as facial expressions depicting disappointment when the dialogue doesn't make it evident, just as it would happen in real life). Another reason this is very good is that it follows the surroundings of the "hero" more than the hero. We get to see how his actions affect his family and his best friend. Finally, another great reason why this comic is very good is the conflict that the best friend has. It is interesting to see how a man reacts to seeing his best friend, a great man, become a monster. Very interesting.

The art in this comic is superb and the story is very good. Without too many pages (about 130) the comic changes a lot, from a superhero tale to a monster tale. The main drawback for me was how the transformation wasn't truly explained. The main character is very vague and his transformation is quite drastic. I think this makes the book very interesting but at the same time it feels like it could have used a few more pages. One could argue that all the information that is not in words is in the art.

A very interesting book. Worth reading and one that probably feels different if read multiple times since a lot of it is vague.

Clearly John Arcudi's finest work, "A God Somewhere" explores how human beings deal with blessings and tragedies beyond their control. In this beautifully illustrated novel, chance occurrences lead to enduring relationships, which color the actions and motivations of the protagonists. Two white brothers, Eric & Hugh, come to the rescue of an afro-american teen, Sam, being beaten by schoolyard bullies. A deep friendship arises between Sam and one of the brothers, Eric. The other brother, Hugh, marries a beautiful afro-american woman, Alma, to whom Sam is attracted. Hugh's rivalry with Sam for Eric's affections and Sam's desire for Hugh's wife Alma become poignant subplots to the novel's exploration of Eric's sudden transformation into a being with superhuman, god-like powers. But superpowers do not make the man nor do they inform the tragedy. Instead, each character's human frailties and complex social and emotional interactions inexorably move the novel to its tragic conclusion. Here, there is pathos, ethos and the cruel but inexorable logos characteristic of classic tragedy--How could it have ended otherwise?

I will reread this novel for many reasons. The jarring beauty of Peter Snejberg's artistry, especially his use of familiar compositions (for example, Michelangelo's Last Judgement) to engage the reader. John Arcudi's homage's to Stan Lee's Hulk (Must power beget responsibility?). Bjarne Hansen's use of a limited color palette to simultaneously focus and expand the reader's vision. The pacing which sweeps the reader on a journey that is gripping, breathless and demanding. But the chief reason to return to this novel is to explore what makes us human. Much as Euripides used the great heroic stories of his age to display men as they are, so John, Peter and Bjarne have taken our superhero mythos and provided deep insights into our frailties.

There is ugliness in this novel, but there is great beauty, too. As its cover suggests, "A God Somewhere" will leave footprints in your soul.

John Arcudi wrote one of my favorite "forgotten" comics of the 1990s. MAJOR BUMMER, his series with Dough Mahnke, was a humorous take on the "average joe gets superpowers" concept; it was funny, action-packed, and at its core, like John's best work, human. A GOD SOMEWHERE, his creator-owned graphic novel with Peter Snejbjerg, takes that same basic concept and flips it around. This is the serious sibling to Bummer, a harsh examination of absolute power being visited on the common man and corrupting absolutely.

Smartly jettisoning any convoluted origin or explanation, A GOD SOMEWHERE drops special abilities on Eric Forster by way of an explosion. Whether caused by an outside force or emanating straight from Eric, it's a shared disaster that takes many lives while also changing his. A religious man, Eric thinks that he is somehow blessed and starts doing good with his new abilities. At first, everyone loves him, but soon he starts to sense the fear that some harbor. He begins to resent that fear, and so he starts to purposely live up to those dark expectations.

There have been plenty of other comics about superheroes turned bad, but Arcudi's is unique for its subtle use of religion to question the vagaries of human nature. Eric is ultimately mercurial, selfish, and cruel--traits we all too often share with the supreme beings we invent to govern our moral lives. This is the central conundrum of A GOD SOMEWHERE: is Eric the way he is because that's the way he is, or is it the way other people view him that warps his mind? Arcudi uses flashbacks to give us insight into his character, and he also explores the core relationships in Eric's life. It's not so much a book about one man as it is about four friends: Eric's smarter and more responsible younger brother Hugh; Hugh's wife Alma; and their best friend Sam. Much of the narrative is through Sam's eyes. He is the human assistant who at first takes advantage of his closeness to the muscle-bound cause célèbre, only to become the victim of his own hubris. He's also the only compassionate pair of eyes left to forgive Eric's decline.

The art for A GOD SOMEWHERE is by the Danish team of Peter Snejbjerg and colorist Bjarne Hansen. Snejbjerg's draftsmanship is impeccable. His grasp of anatomy and expressions gives true life to the characters, and his intuition about page layout and his impressionistic approach to violence and gore lend a flare to the narrative. Hansen uses color to effect mood, embracing monotone and shadow to amp up the more dangerous scenes in the book. The killing goes way over the top, but that's as it should be if this concept is to be examined with true seriousness. It's never sensationalistic, however; the carnage is meant to make the reader queasy, and it works.

This done-in-one comic has a strong story arc, finishing in a sweet spot that sews up both the plot and thematic structure of the book in a way that doesn't leave the reader wanting. It's a book that tackles some tough subjects by a couple of guys tough enough to do so. Surprisingly, A GOD SOMEWHERE was published under DC's recently shuttered Wildstorm imprint. It's often forgotten that Wildstorm was a place where creators were occasionally afforded the chance to go out on a limb of their own making. A GOD SOMEWHERE got little fanfare on its release last summer, despite Arcudi's popular ongoing work on Mike Mignola's B.P.R.D. series. It's too bad, this is one that deserves to be unearthed and reappraised.

It's not because Arcudi doesn't give all the motivations and origins of some things that happen in this book that this is bad writing. It's more a book about how something that seems like a blessing can tear apart your life and the lives of others. The fact that not everything gets explained doesn't harm the heartbreaking story of the people on the sidelines who helplessly see everything happen before their eyes and one of those people is the reader...

In my eyes it's brilliant stuff !

Although this story is very well presented, the characters are very cohesive in their imaginative believability, and the common archetypes of the hero and his fall from grace that surround this story are very solid, but there is a great flaw...its already been done, and better.

This is an almost, at least in the most basic of terms, identical retelling of the manga epic AKIRA. I understand that in a comparative sense, the scope of the material is limited by the length of the medium, but i would like to say that this story could be more. It could have a longer introduction, where the characters, their relationships, and the world that they live in develops, but no...it does not, which in turn leaves some of the sections not complete, not "fulfilling" from either an artistic perspective or from the perspective of the overall story.

Good for a read when you are expecting to have the world change because of this book, but Akira Volume 1 (Akira), will most certainly accomplish this feat.