With prophesy as a guide, is there such a thing as a wrong move?

Things are really moving along with Michael now in Issue #7. He’s truly coming into his power and following his “destiny.”  Michael has found solace in interlacing his life with that of Jesus, with scripture being his security blanket and salve, giving him direction and justifying his every action.  Meanwhile, Adam and Noa are getting to know each other, and some secrets may be too much to handle, once revealed.  Adam and Noa operate in a world where actions have consequences, and Michael now lives in a state where his consequences are the only purpose for his actions.

Personally, I’m not much invested in religion. Tough I was raised as a Catholic and even attended a Catholic grade school, I’ve been more on the skeptical side of faith for a long time.  The interesting thing about Betvin Geant’s story and characters is that I can find a great deal of entertainment and “proof” of my side of things within this book, and yet I can see that someone who does have that faith would still find entertainment and a backing of their beliefs, too.  This is the fine line of this work, and I think it can vastly influence how you personally view the work.  For the skeptics, we have the mystery of Adam and the uneasy feeling of Michael using Biblical passages to justify his every act with a recklessness at times that seems to threaten the “Message” with fanaticism.  For believers, we have a new prophet who is trying to understand his creator’s will through interpretation of daily occurrences and being coerced by the Enemy himself, and whether it’s a tragedy or an inevitable extension of the last chapters of the Bible sits with how you view the scriptures.  I have a stronger than passing familiarity with the source material, and it’s fascinating to me how Geant is able to ride the same fine line that the text can sometimes do. In the purely physical world, the pages are simply filled with words, much in the way that Michael is simply a kid with powers and a delusional manner, but for those who believe, the words are those of God and Michael has been chosen by Him to deliver His Will upon the world.  That’s what engages me so much about this series, that the critical element of faith makes all the difference in the interpretation of it and makes the point of it very well.

I love watching an artist develop their aesthetic for a series over the first several issues, and Kay has been doing so with an incredible alacrity.  Though the character models and locations seem the same as they have been, there’s a growing familiarity with the world that shows in the “feel” of the artwork.  Characters move more freely, more is done with less splash, and there’s a growing subtlety to things that makes the really big moments stand out all the more.  It’s a very cool thing to see, and I think that Kay started in a fantastic place to begin with, so the sky’s really the limit on where it goes from here.  I’ve been consistently impressed with the “fervor shots” as I’ve come to call them – the manic energy that supports the duality of the story I mentioned above, where psychosis can look like belief and vice versa.  The line is straddled by the entire team, and it makes for an excellent comprehensive experience.

I hate to use the cliché, but there really is something for every type of comic fan here.  With a source material so (at times) divisive, it’s really interesting to see someone put together a story like this that can entertain either side.  Add to that a man with powers, the invocation of a deity, and the source material that is as well known as it is, and you have a well-researched and well-thought-out story that most can find enjoyment in.

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