I don't know if, as a Catholic, I can avoid bringing a bias to this thing, but I want to say I really did try, mostly because I really liked this concept. And for three issues, it's really solid, ironically it only comes apart to me when the title really starts to kick in.
Our Jesus clone starts out as a sweet kid growing up in all the wrong ways. His brain poisoned early on by the corruption of reality TV stardom, Chris is a sheltered boy held by a company who views him as little more than a precious commodity... Kudos on these villains, I gotta say, the shallowness is so unreal it's kind of hilarious. They have all the subtlety of a Captain Planet baddie.
Growing up in this tense environment does its damage to Chris, particularly when he can't perform miracles to make a better life for those around him. These parts of the book, again, are pretty great and represent a really good conflict. But sure enough, the company deems it better to kill Chris's mom and pisses him off to the point of no return.
I should note here that Chris's evolution from "Christian from birth" to atheist is done in a two and a half page spread... Yeeaah make of that what you will...
After that, Chris reinvents himself as a symbol against the world's Christians. This angle could be fantastic if it was "Jesus would be so disappointed in you" or "How DARE you call yourselves followers if you judge others". George Carlin-ish sentiments (from his books, not his stand up) that Jesus's philosophy was a good thing that has been perverted into something completely different and that an atheist could understand that. Instead, Chris comes off as if he's ranting "How DARE you be stupider than me!" The fact that he actively puts his friends and pseudo-family in danger and doesn't give it thought until the end really just makes me dislike him more.
When the story decides to be ironic, like Chris being confusedly happy about visiting a religious cancer patient or his laments at the end, it's pretty good too. Heck, Chris's bodyguard and father figure Thomas Mc Kael is a fantastic character who gets the most insightful lines in the comic. I just wish the rest could have followed suit better.
Mc Kael- "(Regarding his own tragic past and if faith is to blame) BLIND IDEALISM did this to me. And it's doing it to you. There's still time for ONE of us to make peace."
2/5 stars
ComicBook A good concept gone to waste (Spoilers included)
I don't know if, as a Catholic, I can avoid bringing a bias to this thing, but I want to say I really did try, mostly because I really liked this concept. And for three issues, it's really solid, ironically it only comes apart to me when the title really starts to kick in. Our Jesus clone starts out as a sweet kid growing up in all the wrong ways. His brain poisoned early on by the corruption of reality TV stardom, Chris is a sheltered boy held by a company who views him as little more than a precious commodity... Kudos on these villains, I gotta say, the shallowness is so unreal it's kind of hilarious. They have all the subtlety of a Captain Planet baddie. Growing up in this tense environment does its damage to Chris, particularly when he can't perform miracles to make a better life for those around him. These parts of the book, again, are pretty great and represent a really good conflict. But sure enough, the company deems it better to kill Chris's mom and pisses him off to the point of no return. I should note here that Chris's evolution from "Christian from birth" to atheist is done in a two and a half page spread... Yeeaah make of that what you will... After that, Chris reinvents himself as a symbol against the world's Christians. This angle could be fantastic if it was "Jesus would be so disappointed in you" or "How DARE you call yourselves followers if you judge others". George Carlin-ish sentiments (from his books, not his stand up) that Jesus's philosophy was a good thing that has been perverted into something completely different and that an atheist could understand that. Instead, Chris comes off as if he's ranting "How DARE you be stupider than me!" The fact that he actively puts his friends and pseudo-family in danger and doesn't give it thought until the end really just makes me dislike him more. When the story decides to be ironic, like Chris being confusedly happy about visiting a religious cancer patient or his laments at the end, it's pretty good too. Heck, Chris's bodyguard and father figure Thomas Mc Kael is a fantastic character who gets the most insightful lines in the comic. I just wish the rest could have followed suit better. Mc Kael- "(Regarding his own tragic past and if faith is to blame) BLIND IDEALISM did this to me. And it's doing it to you. There's still time for ONE of us to make peace." 2/5 stars