I bought the first ish of the Vertigo mini , PUNK ROCK JESUS , which is $2.99 for 32 ad-free B&W pages , nice VFM , 'wot ?????????
The story starts in what I suppose is Troubles-era Northern Ireland , with a family being hunted down and their child just barely surviving...but with a twist . 25 years later , its 2019 , and a reality TV show is being built around an international waters-based outfit scraping residue from the Shroud of Turin to implant the resulting DNA in a young virginal woman for..." J2 The Second Coming " .
Many in the world are greatly excited , some devout traditionalist Christians are violently against it .
The financiers behind it make the scientist behind it tweak the appearance of the child a bit by adding some blue eyes and blond hair DNA .
Nine months later , the mother gives birth , covered worldwide on Times Square/Piccadilly-style gigantic screens...
Replies
...I thought there'd been a reply or two this then.........:-(...I belatedly read #5-I think-to-day , I suppose #6 may be waiting,even,at my LCS...........In this issue , the justification for the '77 - well , ''77-'81 " punker " look shown is sort of justified , as to why in the mid-21st Century anybody would be still sporting an I'm not going to add now how many years back look that would be maybe as distant from them as , I don't know , fans of Paul Whiteman/Rudy Valee/et al " collegiate dance band "/" jazz " fans' garb of the Roaring Twenties/Depression is from us now...........
I'm enjoying it (though I haven't read issue 5 yet). Love Sean Murphy's art!
But yeah, it took a long while for the book to get around to justifying its name.
I wonder if it were originally planned for a different format -- say, a shorter biweekly b/w pamphlet, for a cheaper price? Each issue splits right down the middle with a solid chapter break on page 16.
I get the feeling this was supposed to have been an OGN. I know for a fact that when Sean Murphy drew it, he thought it was going to be in color.
Rob Staeger said:
I have been reading this, as well. The last issue is due tomorrow (Jan. 2). I am waiting to give an opinion when I get it. I will be back with thoughts when I am done.
Man, Mike, as I read issues 4 and 5 yesterday, I thought I was going to be struck by lightning. Can't imagine what it was like for you. I'm anxious to get the Baptist minister's take on this series.
...BTW , I was a touch mistaken about the story's version of how JCII has his appearance lightened but it does show him as being Europe-ized .
OK, I have read it all. Now I will comment on it.
First, the story is really a critique on religion. It does have elements commenting on reality television and the role of media in our lives, but the real focus in religion.
The issue of how Chris is created is the rationale for him being the "second coming of Jesus." But there is a problem: there is no evidence that the Shroud of Turin contained the person known as Jesus of Nazareth. Even if it did it proves nothing. But I will buy into this idea and take it from there.
Chris comes into being because of use of cloning. His birth is done through the use of a surrogate that is supposed to be a virgin. What follows is the story of how a corporate entity manipulates every element of Chris' life and his mother's life.
As time passes, Chris loses his mother and rebels against his handlers.
What I see in the story is an attempt to marginalize religion. The "church" of that time is filled with radicals that shoot first and ask questions later. The corporate presence does nothing more than use the person they "created" to be a pawn.
There is no real faith here. What we see is a pale substitute. It is a systematic rejection of the teachings of the very person they claim to have re-created.
These are some thoughts. I will have more as I think more about this.
...I've finally gotten my copy , I'll read it later .
Now , as far as publishing it in any sort of serial form , a 32-page adless B&W for the standard $2.99 for 20 color pages seems pretty much a bargain !