Dean Poling
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA — Writer John Arcudi with artists Peter Snejbjerg and Bjarne Hansen create a tragic take on the traditional superhero tale with “A God Somewhere.” A young man named Eric awakens one day with miraculous powers. At first, he does the expected. He saves people. He enjoys his powers of flight, strength, invulnerability. He is impressed by the people he meets through his powers. But power changes him. He realizes that even the President fears him, even family members fear his powers. He reckons that they have good reason to fear him. They cannot stop him. They cannot comprehend him. Rather than a gift from God, the religious Eric comes to deem himself a god. Not a beneficent god, either. But a wrathful god who does whatever pleases him, be it forcibly taking his brother’s wife, slaughtering a town, or demolishing an army. Arcudi pulls no punches and neither do the artists. “A God Somewhere” is an emotional powerhouse in terms of storytelling, hitting upon not only the mythos of comic books but delving deeper into the philosophy of religions. Snejbjerg and Hansen’s art is violently blood-and-guts graphic. In terms of both technique and viscera, their style is reminiscent of legendary comic artist Richard Corben. “A God Somewhere” is not a graphic novel for children or young readers. Not for the timid, it is a book that will prompt thought and discussion.
