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Review: “God is Dead” # 5

Published

10 years ago

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“God is Dead” # 5 is the most important issue of the series. The plot progresses to a point of no return and a major battle takes place. Jonathan Hickman and Mike Costa wrap a plot tighter than they ever have before. This is the bursting point of the first arc and Di Amorim magnificently brings it to life. If you’ve been following this series you absolutely cannot miss this issue, you’ll be holding your breath until you read the last words.


WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Hickman & Mike Costa
ART BY: Di Amorim
PUBLISHER: Avatar Press
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: January 15, 2014

This is a series that has completely reveled in its title. “God is Dead” is more about gods being alive and cutting a hole through the earth than being dead. Hickman and Costa have shown the demise of science and the beginning of a second dark age. With nowhere left to turn and the apocalypse just around the corner the myriad band of scientists decide to create their own Gods.

The conflict on the surface has reached a boiling point. Odin and the Asgardians descend upon Mount Olympus in search of Zeus. Costa gives you the conflict you’ve been waiting for and Amorim doesn’t hold back. Blood is shed, heads are blown off, and the world is all but destroyed. The scenes here are among the best the series has to offer.

Meanwhile the enclave of scientists decide to create their own Gods. The fallout from last issue still lingers but is quickly left behind for more pressing matters. The result is staggering and manages to push the series into a completely new direction.

Di Amorim has really embraced the insanity of this series. His depiction of the Gods is reminiscent of older 70’s style comic art that shows these men and women not as beautiful, but in menacing peak physical form. The battle between the Olympians and the Asgardians is pulse pounding and totally shocking. The sheer power of Zeus commands the page, and every moment of the conflict is intensity in ten cities.

The work on the lightning or Thor’s hammer is better than any offering from Marvel. While the final pages show some of the most disorienting panels that will put your heart in your throat. You feel panic until the final page where you’ll breath a sigh of relief. But know this, Amorim pushes the book into an entirely new playing field here. Nothing will be the same after this issue.

“God is Dead” has the most outstanding premise of any current comic that I can think of. It also embraces it wholly and fully. The result is one of the most progressive looks at the role of Gods and deities in the modern world, and a thoughtful reflection on what it means to be a God. It’s also jam packed with action that never lets up. This issue manages to bring an already insane plot to a boiling point that will surely lead into an overwhelmingly awesome conclusion. You’re fucking crazy if you don’t read this book and have any love for mythology, philosophy, or just plain amazing action!

Rating: 4/5 Skulls.

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‘The Toxic Avenger’ Returns with Cover Artwork for First Issue of New Comic Book Series [Exclusive]

Published

5 days ago

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May 13, 2024

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With a remake on the way and a new 4K restoration of the original classic now streaming, it’s a good time to be a fan of Troma’s The Toxic Avenger. Additionally, Matt Bors — the founder of The Nib and a political cartoonist who has twice been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist —and acclaimed artist Fred Harper (Snelson) are collaborating on an all-new 5-issue comic book series starring the satirical superhero of the Troma Films cult classic films!

TOXIC AVENGER #1 will land in stores on October 9, 2024.

While you wait, you can exclusively check out the issue #1 cover art from Fred Harper below, along with a set of emojis designed by Harper for the extremely online teens of Tromaville.

“The Toxic Avenger delivers what Troma fans want,” said AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer. “The series has violent action, gross mutations, bursting pustules, eye-popping visuals, and trenchant humor.” 

“If there was ever a superhuman hero for these toxic, miserable times, Toxie is the one!” said Lloyd Kaufman. “Only AHOY Comics and Bors & Harper could pull this off…er…mop this up! Toxie and the Troma Team can’t wait ‘til you read -no, experience – the art and stories that the Toxic Avenger Comic Book will explode in your brain, your soul, and your heart. Above all, remember – Toxie loves you and so do I.”

“This series will combine elements of the original films with the Toxic Crusaders cartoon and characters in familiar ways, updated to tell a story of environmental devastation, corporate control, and social media mutation,” said Bors. “The Toxic Avenger is first and foremost an environmental satire, one about a small town and its unremarkable people trapped and transformed by circumstances they don’t control. The story Fred Harper and I are telling is about people frustrated by authorities telling them not to worry about their life, that things are fine, even as their dog mutates in front of their eyes. And at its core it is about a powerless boy, Melvin, who finds out he can be incredibly strong, hideously mutated, well-admired, and incredibly heroic… but still ultimately powerless over human behavior.”

In The Toxic Avenger, teenager Melvin Junko helps run his parent’s junkyard in Tromaville, a small town in New Jersey where nothing much ever happens — until an ill-timed train derailment of toxic waste transforms Melvin into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength: the Toxic Avenger!

Under a media blackout imposed by Biohazard Solutions (BS) and their PR-spewing Chairwoman Lindsay Flick, Melvin emerges as a hero fighting against BS and the mutated threats that keep popping up around Tromaville.

Eventually Melvin uncovers a vast conspiracy more far-reaching than he could have ever imagined — but he knows if everyone is simply made aware of the crisis, they’ll act to stop it. Right?

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