Psychopathic reptilian humanoids, seers whose powers only manifest while receiving a blowjob, stitched together hermaphrodite pimps, and a young boy trying to save his dying sister are just a few of the characters you will encounter in Godkiller:Walk Among Us, Vol. 1.
Is it good?
Godkiller Vol. 1: Walk Among Us (Black Mask Studios)
I didn’t know what I was getting into when I picked up this book. If you couldn’t tell by the opening sentence, this is a book for a mature audience with sexual behavior occurring throughout. I mean, one of the selling points is weaponized orgasms. Once I got over my initial shock of the graphic portrayal of the human body, there is quite a good story on display.
The book details the story of young Tommy Stark as he searches for a heart for his dying sister. Accompanying and aiding him on his journey are Mulciber, an aged member of the Burnt, a religious order that has become largely a myth, and Halfpipe, a young prostitute who services Mulciber, granting him precognitive powers.
Matt Pizzolo does an excellent job of characterizing these individuals. In a short time, they are fleshed out, have motivations/emotions, and each one has their own initial troubles. Mulciber is haunted by his aging body and past, while Halfpipe finds herself a slave to the pimp Beezal, working to buy herself out of a life of slavery. Tommy, as previously mentioned, is searching for a compatible heart for his sister and has to deal with a doctor who continues to stymie the progress in saving her. There are also a number of intriguing lesser characters mainly playing the role of antagonists. At this point, they all have base motivations, mainly to either satisfy an innate hunger within themselves or to profit at the expense of others. There is one character, Dragos, who seems likely to be the main antagonist that may have much larger plans and end goals outside of his own personal fulfillment.
Not only does Pizzolo craft intriguing characters, but the world itself is haunted. He places us in a post-nuclear world where the common currency is not dollar bills but instead blood and flesh, specifically organs. The purer the blood and the organs the greater the value and Tommy’s blood is as pure as it gets: Virgin blood.
I also enjoyed how Pizzolo details the abilities of the individuals in this world. Unlike in Sex Criminals whereupon having an orgasm stops time, orgasms have different effects depending on the individuals having them. For example, Dr. Mulciber is able to enhance his precognitive abilities while Halfpipe’s partner, Angelfuck, somehow becomes stronger and quicker upon orgasm, using it to tear apart her victims. It empowers the individuals who have them, all except Tommy and Halfpipe who have not mastered these powers yet.
Anna Muckcracker Wieszczyk illustrates the activation of these abilities to great effect. She is able to transform the face of Halfpipe into a pseudo heat signature, removing all flesh and only depicting the energy inside. This creates a clear transition from the present into the dream state of the future or as Mulciber himself details it, an ocean within the ether comprised of thoughts. Wieszczyk is able to capture this description and bring it to life.
Many of the panels are detailed when it comes to depicting the characters, but there is nothing in the background besides clouds of colors. This actually enhances the idea of a post-nuclear world, but also focuses the reader’s attention on the actions of the characters. She also employs slanted panels, like many other artists, to depict action sequences that quicken the pace. She does use some interesting geometrical shapes for inset panels, but those are few and far between.
Is It Good?
Godkiller: Walk Among Us, Vol. 1 is not for the faint of heart. Matt Pizzolo tells a strange story that is really just getting off its feet. He does a great job of creating his characters and providing them with tough challenges outside of their post-apocalyptic environment. Anna Muckcracker Wieszczyk’s artwork creates the idea of the post-apocalyptic environment and is able to conjure the images Pizzolo’s words bring to mind and put them on paper. This has been one of the most shocking and strangest comics I have read, but it also told a good story with some stellar character development.
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