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The announcement of the “Jersey Gods” ongoing series came as a pleasant surprise to me. The two one-page comics of “Jersey Gods” that appeared in “Popgun Vol. 2,” were my favorite part of that tome-sized anthology. The clever writing and energetic art packed into those short comics made me wish for an actual comic from the creative team of Glen Brunswick and Dan McDaid. Earlier this month, the inaugural issue of the “Jersey Gods” ongoing hit the stands and it did not live up to my expectations.
The series revolves around the War God Barock and his romance with normal Earth-girl, Zoe. Barock, from the God Planet Neboron, moves to New Jersey to be with his paramour only to bring the world of the Gods crashing into the world of men. This premise had the pop of a Mike Allred comic being smashed up with a Kirby epic. While much of what this premise had to offer was present in “Jersey Gods” #1, I did not expect how much the series would draw on the troupes of the romantic comedy. From Zoe as lonely-heart to Barock as the man completely unprepared for a commitment, the series heavily grounds itself in the language of that genre. This heavy use of stock romantic comedy elements really grounds “Jersey Gods” in that genre and the one of superheroes equally.
It is this tone that threw me off and left me unsure about the series. One would think, with having read the previews and knowing the premise that I would have an exact idea of how the book was going to feel. Beyond this initial jolt, “Jersey Gods” plays out fairly well. Brunswick does a good job of synthesizing the two styles of the comic together. Artist McDaid uses brush heavy, cartoony style that seems prepared to tackle both elements of the comic. There are moments where Brunwick or McDaid deliver work that is a little too functionary but overall the book shows enough potential to keep me interested upcoming issues.
If you want to check out the book yourself, Comic Book Resources has an eleven-page preview.
-Nick
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