By Dustin Cabeal

I rarely pay any attention to solicits. They tend to just be giant spoiler sellers, but that also means that I rarely know how many issues a series is expected to run if it’s not on the cover. BOOM! varies a bit, but the majority of their mini-series run four issues which would mean we would be there. Clearly, that’s not the case since this issue sets up the story for more. Again, I don’t actually want or need a comment telling me how long the series is running for because it’s an intentional ignorance. Too many reviews give a series a pass because “Well it only had four issues” or worse, “It was originally supposed to be six.” What’s there is all I have to go on, and I won’t make excuses for a title.

At any rate, we’re here to talk about Godshaper, which in my opinion is currently BOOM!’s best title. Surprisingly the story rushes through the ending of the last issue in which we see technology working in a world without technology. There is a fantastic narration from Ennay that leads into his performance on stage at a Cantik joint. It’s clear that he’s been on the road for a bit since the events of the last issue and has gotten close to Sarge. After opening up to the audience and being disappointed by them, he begins to grumble and complain until things really go wrong.

Simon Spurrier’s character development for Ennay is outstanding in this issue. There isn’t much in the way of development for the other characters, but it’s Ennay’s story. He opens up so much in this issue, and it’s fucking hard to read. How lonely and out of place he must feel. He admits that he relies on a God more than anyone so that he can scrape by and that must be so frustrating and yet somehow better than the way other Shapers live. That’s the beauty; Spurrier has crafted a character with a lot of layers, a lot of aches and pains that the reader can instantly feel for even in this fictional world.

To date, this is Jonas Goonface’s best work on the series. His art has been incredibly strong from the beginning, but there is just something about the work in this issue that is sharp and vibrant. From the opening in which the present is intercut between the past, but keep simple like a trippy scene from an old Disney cartoon. To the dynamic way that Ennay plays music or the fight that ends up taking half the comic. What stayed with me was the way the crowd changed and reacted to Ennay opening up and trusting them, it was heartbreaking but visually powerful. The coloring is a delight on this series, and Goonface brings out a color palette that fits the world, his style and resonates as something unique in the world of comics.

Usually, the book people run to and read first any given week is some epic story with a sweeping narrative or the freshest and biggest take on a superhero. For me, it’s Godshaper, with its deep character development, a world with many layers and art that screams “look at me!’ in the best possible way. Godshaper is hands down one of the best titles of 2017.

Score: 5/5

Godshaper #4
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Jonas Goonface
Publisher: BOOM! Studios