Gdland Vol. 1: Hello, Cosmic!

Casey and Scioli have decided to ignore whatever are the latest trends in the world of superhero comics and create a book that brings back a subgenre that most would have thought dead by the late 1970s, the cosmic superhero epic. The story features a floating skull in a jar who is a junkie for cosmic enlightenment, a superhero so popular he's a top television pitchman, and a giant talking alien dog-creature. Those and other strange characters all play a role in the life of Adam Archer, the book's hero along with his three sisters. Casey injects plenty of fun by giving each character distinctly hyperbolic speech patterns of the type not seen since Stan Lee. Casey may or may not be trying to channel Lee, but there is little doubt Scioli is keeping the spirit of Jack Kirby alive with the artwork. The thick lines, dramatic closeups and electrifying space-age action all have that flavor of the father of all cosmic superhero epics. The artwork is as exhilarating as Casey's writing as it crams so much action and information into each page. Gødland is a refreshing break from the grim, gritty world of contemporary superheroes. (Feb.)