7.2 /10 1 Votes
Writer John Arcudi Letterer Wes Abbott Originally published 2010 Date 2010 Illustrator Peter Snejbjerg | 3.6/5 Goodreads Penciller Peter Snejbjerg Colourist Bjarne Hansen Page count 194 Publisher WildStorm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Main characters Sam Knowles
Eric Forester Creators John Arcudi
Peter Snejbjerg Similar Peter Snejbjerg books, Other books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A god Somewhere is a graphic novel created by John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg. It was published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint in June 2010.
Contents
It tells the story of Eric, the first human to develop superhuman abilities, through the eyes of his friends and family.
Plot
When Sam, a new black student in a predominantly white high school, is attacked by other students, brothers Eric and Hugh come to his rescue. The three form a strong, lasting friendship that is strained when Hugh marries Alma, a girl all three boys were attracted to.
Years later, Eric's apartment building mysteriously explodes. Sam rushes to the scene to learn if Eric is alive, and is stunned to find him in a scorched room without any injury. Sam takes Eric to a hospital, where they meet Alma. She says that she and Hugh split up to search for Eric, but Eric is sad his brother is not there for him. The TV informs them that there are still people trapped in the apartment rubble, and Eric rushes out of the hospital to help them. Sam chases him, but is awestruck when Eric flies away. Eric returns to his apartment and rescues multiple survivors using superhuman strength and senses. He is caught on film by news crews, and becomes an overnight sensation.
Over the next few weeks, Eric uses his abilities to protect various people. He also becomes more religious, believing God is speaking through him. Sam uses his relationship with Eric to garner girls and career success in journalism. Hugh and Alma are upset by the sudden attention, and wish things would get back to normal. They are also slightly afraid of what Eric has become. After a tense meeting with the President of the United States, Eric beats his brother, rendering him paralyzed, and rapes his sister-in-law.
Sam visits Eric in jail, where Eric claims to have been a god in another universe. Sam demands to know why Eric assaulted his family, but Eric says he can never understand. Eric then escapes from his cell, murdering many guards and innocent bystanders.
Eric proceeds to leave a path of destruction across the US, killing any soldier or civilian he encounters. Sam is hired as a journalist to follow and document the effort to capture Eric. The military discovers Eric is vulnerable to lasers and is able to give him a mortal wound. Eric kills all the soldiers present and has a brief talk with Sam. Eric tries to explain his actions, but Sam does not understand. The Air Force arrives to drop a nuclear bomb on Eric, and Eric saves Sam's life by throwing him from the blast area. Eric mentally controls Sam's flight path, giving Sam a taste of what superpowers were like. Eric is killed by the bombs.
Sam is famous for what he has written about Eric, and his agent pushes him to write a book. Because his news articles inspired a cult devoted to Eric, Sam declines to write anymore. He visits Hugh and Alma, learning Alma still suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder. Sam leaves, deciding to move on with his life.
Reception
A god Somewhere debuted to mostly positive reviews, and has a 3.8/5 according to goodreads. Fangoria called it "artistically riviting." Onemetal.com said "John Arcudi’s original graphic novel evolves from a simplistic, almost cliched tale of a man who wakes up with superpowers to an unrecognizable nightmare."