A God Somewhere

by John Arcudi (story), Peter Snejbjerg (art), Bjarne Hansen (colors), and Wes Abbott (letters), 196 pages

Brothers Eric and Hugh, Hugh's wife Alma, and Eric's best friend Sam are just busy living, hanging out together, making plans, and going about their business when an explosion in Eric's apartment building changes their lives, and the world, forever.  What at first seems a miracle suddenly devolves into a nightmare as bonds are tested and broken, morality questioned, and the concept of "god" revisited.

This is not a comic book for the squeamish (which you'd figure out pretty quickly from the first blood-soaked page).  I don't know that I want to read it again, but it did make me think about that whole "with great power comes great responsibility" creed and how it really just comes down to the mental state and perspective of the one with the power.  Unless it lands in the hands of a humble, compassionate saint who never loses touch with his or her humanity, things can get very dicey very quickly.  All the little fault lines that are normal and manageable in human relationships get blown out of all proportion and expand into uncross-able chasms when power gets thrown into the mix.  Egos inflate, insecurities deepen, trust evaporates, and isolation and detachment grow.  How do you judge someone in that situation?  Can you condemn the actions but still love the one committing them?  This dark, violent, thought-provoking story poses such questions, shows how a few choose to answer them, and leaves the reader to contemplate the no-win possibilities for herself.