Comics! Punk Rock Jesus #1

Punk Rock Jesus #1

Sean Murphy: story and art

The Solicitation
The newest reality show hit has the unlikeliest celebrity of all in this new black and white miniseries from writer/artist Sean Murphy (JOE THE BARBARIAN, Off Road)! J2, the TV series starring a clone of Jesus Christ, causes chaos across a near-future United States in PUNK ROCK JESUS, a new miniseries written and drawn by Sean Murphy, the acclaimed illustrator of JOE THE BARBARIAN and AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. J2 causes outrage and adulation. Religious zealots either love or hate the show, angry politicians worry about its influence on the nation, and members of the scientific community fear the implications of cloning a human being at all – let alone the Son of God. And what effect will this all have on Gwen, the young woman who is selected, through an American Idol-style process, to be the mother of the new Messiah? All this leads to the hiring of Thomas McKael, the clone’s bodyguard and a former IRA operative with a turbulent past who must protect the new Messiah – a baby who captivates the world, but grows up to become an angry teenager.

No Preview.

Why I Bought It
Punk. Rock. Jesus. A six issue series that sounds rather intriguing. I decided to give the first issue a go to see what it was like.

What I Liked
Wow, that was a much better read than I anticipated.

It hits all the notes it needs to set up the world the story is taking place in. Time jumps rather quickly, but its at a pace that is comfortable and not jarring to the reader. When I finished reading the book I could tell you exactly who everyone was and what their role would play in the story, and it just fits perfectly.

There is a lot of complexity here that I didn't see coming. The setting of the story is just as important as any of the characters, and it gets it moments to shine as well.

The art style really surprised me. I liked that Murphy went with a black and white style to this instead of trying to put some color into it.

And if Thomas isn't supposed to be some sort of stand in for The Punisher, I'll rip this comic to shreds.

What I Didn't Like
The fact that this is a six issue mini-series. There is so much of a sense of world building that I don't really want it to end after six issues. We'll see where the story goes and if everything can keep with the pace that has been set in this first issue. If it can't, maybe I'll be glad its only six issues long.

Panel to Remember
The last panel really sticks out. The way the rain comes down and hits Slate as he is killing someone is just nicely done.

Quotable
"And if I have to resurrect Jesus Christ to do it, then I will." - Can be kinda corny, but this just seemed to be a defining line for the character who said it.

Grades
Words: 8/10
Pictures: 8/10
Buy Next Issue: I'm game for it.