American Gods

Dark Horse

Release Date: 3/15/17

Words: Neil Gaiman

Pictures: P. Craig Russell

The Sitch:

If you don’t already know Neil Gaiman, his novel American Gods, or the latest Starz adaptation of said novel…. dude! What the hell!? Basically, Gaiman is a master storyteller. He cannot disappoint. He’s my storyteller god. He just is. If you’re not familiar, American Gods is a kind of horror/supernatural, crime, action/adventure story. Shadow Moon is newly released from jail to find his life is gone. His wife is dead, leaving him defeated, broke and aimless. In his uncertainty he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday who offers Shadow a job as a his personal bodyguard. Here begins Shadow’s journey into the supernatural world where ghosts come back and the war between the old gods and the new gods come to a head.

The Confession:

I’m too biased in regards to this story to be fair, I suppose. But I’ll tell you anyway: I love this story! I have always had a soft spot for the kind of tales your elders would tell you over a fire or on a dark and stormy night. I also love folklore, myths and fairy tales. American Gods incorporates it all. If you’ve read and loved The Sandman, this is a no-brainer. If you’ve read the novel this is just more icing on the cake. If you can’t get enough, the Starz adaptation is really good, too. Casting is spot on and Bryan Fuller knows how to translate this story with his visuals. The art in this book reminds me of The Sandman days. It feels both old and timely. It changes depending on the story tidbit being told. Also, the David Mack covers for the variants are worth it alone. It pretty much speaks for itself.

Most of the inside art will contain spoilers so I’ll leave you with two David Mack covers that I am in so much love with.