Posted in: Comics, Image, Review | Tagged: bryan lie, cyberpunk, God Complex, Hendry Prasetya, image comics, Mystery, paul jenkins, sci-fi, Sunny Gho, top cow

God Complex #5 Review: Refreshingly Complex Cyberpunk

Seneca is still struggling with his augmentations. He returns to Hermes and Hephaestus who tell him that he can go into the Stream at any time. He does so and is assaulted by Deltoids, but this allows him to have some insight into the Trinity. Afterwards, he leaves to meet with Apollo and plan their next move.

God Complex has taken some interesting turns since I last visited the comic. Now Seneca's distrust of the "gods" is more open; their alliance is only fueled by his greater hatred of the Trinity. This creates tension in every interaction between Seneca and the gods, especially Apollo whom has no patience for Seneca's attitude.

There is an extended sequence in the stream which doesn't exactly compel. The "realism" of a physical body entering an electronic information space aside, it is hard to get a grasp of the stakes when everything you're looking at is assumedly metaphorical, and the Deltoids don't have a particularly interesting visual design.

The comic does kick into high gear in the second half, when Seneca and Apollo butt heads and we speed towards a confrontation with the Trinity, appropriately, below a church.

Also, Seneca's issues with his augmentations are more complex than (Buster Bluth voice) "I'm a monster!"

Hendry Prasetya's artwork is consistently gorgeous throughout, hang-ups about the appearance of the Deltoids aside. The visual design of God Complex's world is stunning, especially the appearance of Seneca's augmentations and the gods' helmets. The world is highly detailed, and expression is easily attained through body language and facial movements. The characters do tend towards appearing stiff and nonmobile, but that isn't too much of a problem. Sunny Gho's color art is vibrant and highly contrasting, and it looks great with the wild and high-tech design of the world.

God Complex #5 impresses with hits cyberpunk visuals, its high-concept plot of self-styled gods clashing for control, and the marriage of technology and religion therein. Prasetya and Gho impress with their art style, and Paul Jenkins' script consistently intrigues. This one comes recommended. Give it a read.

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