THIS REVIEW OF GODFELL #1 CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS.
by Brandon Hayman. Godfell is more than just the title for the latest Vault Comics series; it’s also the name of a regional camp set up around and inside the body of God. Yes, God fell from the sky to Kerethim (annums ago, we’re told) and set off a domino effect leading to war between two of its biggest kingdoms: the Dominion and the Rule. With no one king to rule these people, the question is, who’s calling the shots? It’s the person who wields the biggest ax.
Enter Zanzi Vuiline, a warrior for The Rule, Biggest Ax Wielder. Her philosophy: chop first, never ask questions. Zanzi has fought to uphold The Rule’s cause for so long that she had nearly forgotten what or who she was fighting for. With the war nearly over and The Rule’s near-total victory at hand, its king has called on his soldiers to engage in one last fight.
Zanzi opts out, opting to travel back through the kingdoms she once fought against to go home. Though her journey will have obstacles, it’s nothing Zanzi can’t kill. That is until she comes across one obstacle that’s already dead: the enormous corpse of God blocking her path home. Here, Zanzi must choose: go around it—or through it.
Godfell is Christopher Sebela’s first fully-realized fantasy story, a genre he admits he’s “been a bit rude to.” This debut issue reads like he’s checking off all of fantasy’s attendant boxes: Kerethim is a land of warring kingdoms, hybrid creatures, giant castles, and endless pints of ale—the big flourish here being the enormous corpse of God. Some things are working here, and some things aren’t. Godfell begins with a comprehensive six-page narration detailing its histories before a single word of dialogue is spoken. These captions make it abundantly clear that Zanzi is the strong silent type; the character work from Ben Hennessy, which is solid, could have conveyed that with less homework attached. The narration pops up through the story, explaining things and giving context to the panels, which obscures the artwork and slows the reading to a crawl.
What is working here is Zanzi. A female warrior, standing taller than the rest. Sebela has described her as a force of nature, and that’s an element of her character that’s easily felt. Zanzi’s fight scenes are quick, violent, and unforgiving; Hennesy’s visuals convey the determination on her face, her focus, and the speed with which she does furious battle. When Zanzi makes her long trek home, she’s both feared and respected, and we understand why.
With a background in animation, Hennessy works his comics panels like storyboards meant to move. The issue boasts a particular moment where a battle has ended, but Zanzi remains at the ready. She grips her ax, unmovable for several beats, when she finally sits and releases her weapon on the floor beside her. It’s an expertly drawn moment that communicates everything inside her without a word wasted. Hennessy’s panels can be too clean and mannered in other parts of the issue, but as far as storytelling goes, Hennessy’s instincts are sharp. Godfell might be his first with Vault, but the artist is already showing his worth to the publisher.
The tagline for Godfell is “God is dead. Who’s next?” This debut issue never suggests where the next axe could fall—though, with its small character roster, the safe bet isn’t Zanzi—which lowers the stakes. Instead of compounding intrigue, Godfell dutifully works out typical fantasy tropes. Along her journey home, Zanzi is joined by Neth, a more diminutive warrior who decides her safest route home is beside Zanzi. (By contrast, Neth fights her battles with brains instead of brawn.) A great warrior and trusty sidekick journey home through a dangerous land full of mystery and adventure. Sebela is writing his first fantasy story like he’s still figuring out what works for him.
The shortest distance between war and home is a straight line; naturally, Zanzi elects to cut straight through the body of this fallen God rather than take the vastly longer route around it. The ending of this issue inspires mild intrigue to continue reading Godfell—after all, who wouldn’t want to find out what the innards of God may hold, or look like?—but Sebela spends more time catching the reader up with the particulars of his new world than inspiring wonder through his characters. When the decision to go through God is made, there’s no sense of peril, or curiosity, or mystery. God is just a murky cave. The scale of Godfell is impressive, and its characters shrug at it.
Vault Comics / $4.99
Written by Christopher Sebela.
Art by Ben Hennessy.
Colors by Triona Farrell.
Letters by Jim Campbell.
6 out of 10
Godfell #1 is in stores now. Issue #2 drops March 29.
Check out this 9-page preview of Godfell #1, courtesy of Vault Comics:
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