God Complex #1 Review

God Complex #1

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Hendry Prasetya
Colorist: Jessica Kholinne
Letterer: Jaka Ady
Publisher: Image Comics

A Review by Greg Brothers

Over the last few years Image comics has become a company known for its unique creator-owned books. This week from the mind of Paul Jenkins we get God Complex #1.

God Complex #1 is a little hard to describe without giving too much away, so let’s go to the solicit:

In the futuristic city of Delphi, a young digital-forensics investigator named Seneca finds himself embroiled in the bizarre murders of three church acolytes. Guided by his cryptic mentor, the Ruler named Hermes, Seneca uncovers a stunning conspiracy and a mystery that will turn his entire world upside down. From writer PAUL JENKINS (Inhumans, Wolverine: Origin) and artist HENDRY PRASETYA (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) comes a unique vision of a digital future powered by mythological gods.

Let me start by saying that in general I am a huge fan of Paul Jenkins. Origins:Wolverine is a beautiful, complex story that depicted a backstory fitting for the mysterious mutant. That being said, I have more than one complaint about God Complex #1.

First issues are hard. You must introduce the readers to a new world while not giving away too much. On top of that, you need to create some type of hook that will make people want to come back for more. So, let’s start with this new world. It is a dark futuristic-looking world with lots of purples and pinks in the background. Nothing stands out about any of these buildings other than that they are tall and glow. And, of course, in the middle of the investigation it is raining so any evidence these incompetent cops might have found has washed away.

It is here that we are introduced to Seneca: a brooding, silent detective who looks like he has just stepped off the stage of a boy band concert. No one’s hair looks that good when they have been kneeling in an ally over three dead bodies. The brooding look continues throughout God Complex #1. I do not think there was a single panel that Seneca wasn’t either frowning or scowling. It is impossible to care about a character who just scowls the entire time. Even if you managed to find his look compelling, it is impossible to be interested in his words–which just continue to suck the life out of him. Being closed off is supposed to make him mysterious and complex, but the conversation with his girlfriend just makes Seneca even less interesting.

And, do not think that it is just Seneca that is an uninteresting character. Hermes is a god-like creature who has the power to travel between the regular world and the digital world. Sounds interesting, right? That’s the problem. That’s the most interesting part of him. We get no idea of what that means other than that he can somehow connect and see things that your average person cannot see.

The art at times is bright and futuristic, but, just like the storytelling, it is boring. The buildings are tall with narrow alleys, and the whole time I was thinking that it was a futuristic Gotham.  Seriously, why is it that people think they must draw these cities as if they are Gotham? If you want to draw Gotham, get a job with DC and get yourself on a Batman book; then you can draw Gotham.

Verdict: Skip it.

God Complex #1 is a bland, uninspired, and generally uninteresting read. It is filled with characters that are impossible to connect with in an environment that is a generic backdrop. Do yourself a favor: skip this and wait for the next #1 from Image, which will hopefully be better.