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The Goddamned #2 Review

Comic Books

The Goddamned #2 Review

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Jason Aaron’s first issue of The Goddamned it’s that the world prior to any written history was in a very bad state — run down, in ruins…it doesn’t look like one any God would smile upon. God certainly isn’t smiling on Cain, the protagonist of the last issue, but it’s damn good drama.

Can this issue keep it up?

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The Goddamned #2 (Image Comics)

The Goddamned #2 Review

Last issue we learned Cain was a miserable person who’s roamed the Earth so long all he wants is his miserable life to end. He can’t though, as he’s been cursed to roam forever. He’s roaming to find something that would kill him off and the last issue concluded with him taking on a beast that looked very much like a dinosaur. History and science be damned!

Why does this book matter?

After speaking to Aaron in our interview we learned this series isn’t all about Cain, but an exploration of a world gone mad. God created everything sure, but he’s also left it all for dead. Like a great western the setting is set to establish a ruinous world with awful characters. Sounds like fun!

The Goddamned #2 Review
You gotta love that reflection!

Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?

This issue aims to do two things: establish Noah and further flesh out the world around he and Cain. Both are very well rendered by Aaron and artist R.M. Guera. The issue briefly opens with Cain to show us what happened after the cliffhanger of the last issue, but then we quickly get a fantastic scene with Noah. The man is hard and unfriendly, but also a man of reason and calm. It’s clear Aaron is establishing him as a beast who shouldn’t be trifled with, but also a man of God. Considering our hero hates God this is a fine foil for Cain to go up against.

Noah must fight off some robbers who fully admit they’re rapists and cannibals. They’re grotesque in appearance and clearly riddled with disease and infection. If Aaron could speed up the eventual flood that’d be great. Aaron also establishes Noah’s caravan of cages and some interesting twists that make Noah so powerful. He’s essentially a superhero as he’s acquired some rather advanced tech like the wheel for instance.

The strongest aspect of this issue is Aaron’s rendering of Cain who in the first issue was an uncaring and depressing bastard. Here though a good side is being shown as he has a bit of heart and heroism. He’s clearly about as caring as a fly, but there are flashes of goodness and it’s fun to read after Aaron layered on a lot of the opposite.

Guera is delivering his best art yet and I think it’s due to having nothing to hold him back. Gone are modern clothes and things set in reality. Strange beasts, disgusting cannibals and child monsters are all in the cards and it’s fantastic to see. This world is very much a cesspool and Guera is to blame for making it so beautifully awful.

It can’t be perfect can it?

People who believe in the Bible might take offense to this story veering off from the original tales… unless they understand how fiction works that is.

Nitpicking here but doesn’t Noah look like Krusty the Clown on the cover?

The Goddamned #2 Review
I don’t remember Noah being such a badass in the Bible.

Is It Good?

This issue tops the first with more character development, world building and awesome action than the first. Guera and Aaron are putting together an awesome series.

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