God Country #2 Review
Words by Donny Cates
Art by Geoff Shaw
Colour by Jason Wordie
Letters and Design by 
Reviewed by Lorna Maltman (maltmanlorna@gmail.com)
It’s official – God Country is a story of an old, grumpy Thor with dementia. And, as “Thor-with-dementia” stories go, it’s good. The story picks up where we left off, with Emmett remembering and embracing his granddaughter for the first time, and from there we try to figure just exactly what is going on, whilst the War-God- who- was- teased crashes into West Texas.
Cates manages to interweave heartfelt emotion and down to earth moments with a galaxy- spanning plot that involves a talking sword, a kingdom called Always (because what else would it be called) and an intergalactic ruler whose cloak looks to be literally stars. This is so smoothly done that nothing feels out of place or forced, even though you are, at multiple points, left with a slightly quizzical look trying to figure out what just occurred. Emmett’s family represent the reader in that all the family members echo this sentiment, apart from the granddaughter who, naturally, thinks that ‘Grandpa’s sword is pretty’. Cates also introduces us to the galactic realm of the gods, just teasing us for what is to come without leaving the reader feel cheated.
Shaw and Wordie once again are on art duties and, once again, the rough, slight sketchiness of Shaw’s pencils keep the story beautifully grounded. Wordie’s colours fit the tone of the issue perfectly, brightening up what was, in the first issue, quite a dark book, but adding a weight to the flashbacks of Emmett and his wife.
Verdict:
Buy. This is a series you will want to jump on if you love Thor or galactic stories that have their heart rooted in relationships and real world issues. Cates and Shaw have created a deep and touching book that has the right amount of levity mixed in to make what promises to be a stellar series.
