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Godland #1 Book Released: 27 Jul 2005 Review posted: 08 Aug 2005 Writer: Joe Casey Artist: Tom Scioli Colors: Bill Crabtree Publisher: Image Comics  3.00 out of 5 Stars Reviewed by Adam White

The thing that initially drew me to Godland #1 was the cover — it evokes sensibilities from 1960s/70s era Marvel and DC while also drawing heavily from Jack Kirby. So the cover alone got me to buy it without any other knowledge about its contents, but the story between the pages is what will likely bring me back to it in the future. Godland #1’s pages draw from the same source as the cover and make it an enjoyable, retro read with some modern sensibilities.

Joe Casey has been all over the place in the last several years, but when he lands on a project his heart is into he really delivers. The plot involves astronaut Adam Archer, the sole survivor of the first landing on Mars, who stumbles onto an alien device that grants him cosmic powers (don’t they all?). He lives in Infinity Tower in Manhattan (reminiscent of the Baxter Building) with his family of extraordinarily talented sisters and state-of-the-art technology. Archer leaps into action when an alien being crashes into the Great Wall of China, fights it in a misunderstanding, and ends up interrupted by Kirbyesque science fiction villain extraordinaire, Basil Cronus.

Casey keeps the tone light while interjecting some modern themes as well. Casey also weaves in the first part of Archer’s origin throughout the issue, further paying homage to a bygone era of comic storytelling. Which is not to say that it’s perfect — Archer persists with goofy banter while battling the alien, yet constantly wonders what compels him to do it (answer: the writer). It’s almost as if Casey is second-guessing himself in his choice of tone for the book. Godland would work much better if it didn’t question its own validity; it is done in an older style of comic and it’s a lot of fun because of that. Casey should embrace that style and not worry about whether the reader gets it or not — we do.

Tom Scioli’s art also produces an effective imitation of Jack Kirby’s art throughout the book. Scioli’s choice of characters’ body language especially evokes the King, and is half the fun of the series. His character designs also fit the book perfectly and really give it an authenticity that makes it seem like a lost Kirby series (which is the point). The first few pages had some stiff renderings involving secondary characters as if Scioli was trying too hard to recreate Kirby’s style, but then he hit his stride when Archer got involved in the story. Scioli’s villainous Basil Cronus only shows up for one panel, but he was immediately my favorite character design for the series.

Bill Crabtree’s colors for Godland also evoke the perfect feel for the series and give it its luster, which is an especially amazing feat considering he was brought on at the very last minute when the original colorist bailed. Crabtree really draws from the tones and schemes of older comics while still making the color dynamic with today’s coloring techniques. So bravo to Bill for not only stepping in but stepping up and making this series look fantastic.

Overall, Godland is off to a good start, but it could be a great series with a few minor tweaks. If you’re a fan of Jack Kirby, science fiction comics, or even just comics in general from the 1950s-70s, I recommend picking up Godland. It’s a fun read with the potential to surmount not only retro comics but also the very series to which it pays homage.