A God Somewhere
Encyclopedia
A God Somewhere is a graphic novel
created by John Arcudi
and Peter Snejbjerg
. It was published by DC Comics
' Wildstorm
imprint in June 2010
.
It tells the story of Eric, the first human to develop superhuman abilities, through the eyes of his friends and family.
Years later, Eric's apartment building mysteriously explodes. Sam rushes to the scene to learn if Eric is alive, and is stunned to find him in a scorched room without any injury. Sam takes Eric to a hospital, where they meet Alma. She says that she and Hugh split up to search for Eric, but Eric is sad his brother is not there for him. The TV informs them that there are still people trapped in the apartment rubble, and Eric rushes out of the hospital to help them. Sam chases him, but is awestruck when Eric flies away. Eric returns to his apartment and rescues multiple survivors using superhuman strength and senses. He is caught on film by news crews, and becomes an overnight sensation.
Over the next few weeks, Eric uses his abilities to protect various people. He also becomes more religious, believing God is speaking through him. Sam uses his relationship with Eric to garner girls and career success in journalism. Hugh and Alma are upset by the sudden attention, and wish things would get back to normal. They are also slightly afraid of what Eric has become. After a tense meeting with the President of the United States
, Eric beats his brother, rendering him paralized, and rapes his sister-in-law.
Sam visits Eric in jail, where Eric claims to have been a god in another universe. Sam demands to know why Eric assulted his family, but Eric says he can never understand. Eric then escapes from his cell, murdering many guards and innocent bystanders.
Eric proceeds to leave a path of destuction across the US, killing any soldier or civilian he encounters. Sam is hired as a journalist to follow and document the effort to capture Eric. The military discovers Eric is vulnerable to lasers and is able to give him a mortal wound. Eric kills all the soldiers present and has a brief talk with Sam. Eric tries to explain his actions, but Sam does not understand. The Air Force arrives to drop a nuclear bomb on Eric, and Eric saves Sam's life by throwing him from the blast area. Eric mentally controls Sam's flight path, giving Sam a taste of what superpowers were like. Eric is killed by the bombs.
Sam is famous for what he has written about Eric, and his agent pushes him to write a book. Because his news articles inspired a cult devoted to Eric, Sam declines to write anymore. He visits Hugh and Alma, learning Alma still suffers from Posttraumatic stress disorder. Sam leaves, deciding to move on with his life.
. Fangoria
called it "artistically riviting." Onemetal.com said "John Arcudi’s original graphic novel evolves from a simplistic, almost cliched tale of a man who wakes up with superpowers to an unrecognizable nightmare."
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
created by John Arcudi
John Arcudi
John Arcudi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on The Mask and B.P.R.D., and his series Major Bummer.-Career:Arcudi worked for Malibu Comics upon its founding in 1986, working on its Eternity line...
and Peter Snejbjerg
Peter Snejbjerg
Peter Snejbjerg Nielsen is a Danish comic book artist. He was educated at the Kolding Kunsthåndværkerskole from 1983 to 1987. Some of his major works include the epic science-fiction/fantasy series Hypernauten, the adventure story The Hidden Protocol , the DC Comics title Starman, and various...
. It was published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
imprint in June 2010
2010 in comics
-Events:*February 18: Jim Lee and Dan DiDio were announced as the new Co-Publishers of DC Comics, both replacing Paul Levitz.-January:*January 3: Tibet dies at age 78...
.
It tells the story of Eric, the first human to develop superhuman abilities, through the eyes of his friends and family.
Plot
When Sam, a new black student in a predominatly white high school, is attacked by other students, brothers Eric and Hugh come to his rescue. The three form a strong, lasting friendship that is strained when Hugh marries Alma, a girl all three boys were attracted to.Years later, Eric's apartment building mysteriously explodes. Sam rushes to the scene to learn if Eric is alive, and is stunned to find him in a scorched room without any injury. Sam takes Eric to a hospital, where they meet Alma. She says that she and Hugh split up to search for Eric, but Eric is sad his brother is not there for him. The TV informs them that there are still people trapped in the apartment rubble, and Eric rushes out of the hospital to help them. Sam chases him, but is awestruck when Eric flies away. Eric returns to his apartment and rescues multiple survivors using superhuman strength and senses. He is caught on film by news crews, and becomes an overnight sensation.
Over the next few weeks, Eric uses his abilities to protect various people. He also becomes more religious, believing God is speaking through him. Sam uses his relationship with Eric to garner girls and career success in journalism. Hugh and Alma are upset by the sudden attention, and wish things would get back to normal. They are also slightly afraid of what Eric has become. After a tense meeting with the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Eric beats his brother, rendering him paralized, and rapes his sister-in-law.
Sam visits Eric in jail, where Eric claims to have been a god in another universe. Sam demands to know why Eric assulted his family, but Eric says he can never understand. Eric then escapes from his cell, murdering many guards and innocent bystanders.
Eric proceeds to leave a path of destuction across the US, killing any soldier or civilian he encounters. Sam is hired as a journalist to follow and document the effort to capture Eric. The military discovers Eric is vulnerable to lasers and is able to give him a mortal wound. Eric kills all the soldiers present and has a brief talk with Sam. Eric tries to explain his actions, but Sam does not understand. The Air Force arrives to drop a nuclear bomb on Eric, and Eric saves Sam's life by throwing him from the blast area. Eric mentally controls Sam's flight path, giving Sam a taste of what superpowers were like. Eric is killed by the bombs.
Sam is famous for what he has written about Eric, and his agent pushes him to write a book. Because his news articles inspired a cult devoted to Eric, Sam declines to write anymore. He visits Hugh and Alma, learning Alma still suffers from Posttraumatic stress disorder. Sam leaves, deciding to move on with his life.
Reception
A God Somewhere debuted to mostly positive reviews, and has a 3.8/5 according to goodreadsGoodreads
Goodreads is a privately run "social cataloging" website started in December 2006 by Otis Chandler, a software engineer and entrepreneur. The website permits individuals to sign up and register books to create their library catalogs and reading lists. It also allows users to create their own...
. Fangoria
Fangoria
Fangoria is an American magazine devoted to horror and exploitation films, which has a number of associated brands:* Fangoria Comics* Fangoria Films* Fangoria RadioFangoria may also refer to:* Fangoria , a Spanish electro pop band...
called it "artistically riviting." Onemetal.com said "John Arcudi’s original graphic novel evolves from a simplistic, almost cliched tale of a man who wakes up with superpowers to an unrecognizable nightmare."