Godkiller: Tomorrow's Ashes #3

Godkiller: Tomorrow’s Ashes #3

Black Mask Studios 2021

Written by Matteo Pizzolo

Illustrated by Anna Muckcracker

Lettered by Jim Campbell

Halfpipe is horribly wounded, but pushes through to try and rescue Tommy. Tommy is bound and drugged, but struggling to escape and rescue Halfpipe. Will they find one another? The final issue of Godkiller vol 3 is here.

I am so into this book it isn’t funny. There is something about the story itself that pulls you in and really grabs you and then the interiors have this crazy visual pull that it kind of defies explanation. We get to see this crazy story that begins to really take shape the way it does kind of smacks you in the face and makes you sit up and take notice. Nothing about this is normal and that’s the complete joy of it, it is so far outside the box that you are either going to love it or hate it, there is no inbetween here. This is a great example of the entire package working in such sync or concert with each other that they individual parts can make the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

I am thrilled beyond belief with the way that this is being told. The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exquisitely. The character development through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter really helps us see and understand them as real people. How we see the pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more we as the reader both understand and get a tad lost in the prospect of what is happening and that alone is priceless.

How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is so incredibly well rendered. The way we see these avenues being explored and the emotions and feelings that they bring to the reader to this unexpected and amazing place. The journey that this story takes us on is simply stunning and it’s the experience that makes it feel this way. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably achieved.

There really is something about the interiors here that hits you in the gut. The way this is constructed with backgrounds that feel like they are computer generated and then the characters drawn into the picture in a different style is so powerful and impactful. I love the linework and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail within the work is absolutely amazing to see. The backgrounds do great things with enhancing and expanding the moments. They also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a great understanding of how colour works and how to maximise their effects.

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Black Mask isn’t afraid to bring us these far from the ordinary and introduce us to worlds of pure awe and wonder. I get goose pimples from this series and that doesn’t happen a lot and when it does it means i’m in the presence of something special. The writing is intriguing and the characterisation is phenomenal and add these amazing interiors into this mix and you’ve the most original and unique book currently on stands.