Buoyed by a wave of reorders, “Punk Rock Jesus” is all set to shock and enthrall a growing audience. This third issue exhibits even more energy and verve than the last two, and more than justifies the (somewhat belated) fan enthusiasm.
Written and Illustrated by Sean Murphy
As Chris grows up to be a teenager, he starts to question his existence, rebelling against his “captors” in front of the whole world. Meanwhile, Gwen’s depression has Thomas and Epstein worried, but all Slate sees is increasing ratings…
What would happen if we were capable of engineering the second coming of Jesus Christ? So far as “Punk Rock Jesus” can tell, we would catch it all on camera. Centering on a reality show starring JC’s clone, “Punk Rock Jesus” portrays a near-future in which neither religious fundamentalists nor scientifically-minded atheists know what to do with this little development.
But those parts — by which I mean the rich contextual details and suppositions as to what this near-future is actually like — are all gravy. The real meat of this comic lies in the dynamics between the major characters, all of which are interesting and many of which exhibit surprising depth. As little Jesus Christ (AKA Chris) grows from a shy kid to a rebellious teenager, it’s the difficulties between his surrogate mother Gwen and the network (represented by Slate, an executive) that constitute the plot. And boy, is it ever brilliantly handled.
Basically, in what is unfortunately a typical pattern for those scooped straight out of adolescence into worldwide fame, Gwen’s proving substance-dependent and unpredictable. Meanwhile, Chris is acquiring a thorough knowledge of the Bible and “his” role in it — for better or for worse. Standing in contrast to all this is pragmatic bodyguard Thomas (who’s got some serious past sins to atone for), and Dr. Epstein, the scientist who engineered Chris’ birth in exchange for research funding.
I can’t sum up all the wonderful character development for you (just go read the comic!) but put simply, everybody’s actions are fitting and believable in context of the emotional world Murphy has painted them into. Every character has strong motivation, and while some are more well-rounded than others (Dr. Epstein, for instance, clearly has more to her than the nefarious Slate) they’re all fascinating company. It’s just incredible, the sheer amount of content Murphy is able to get in to this issue — bearing in mind that it spans nine years! — and all the while the storytelling feels natural, never overtly expository.
For example: one way Murphy gets around that pesky time lapse is by means of a newscast segment. Maybe not the most original device in the world (any Citizen Kane fans out there?), Murphy puts an interesting cast on this one by making it an interview as well — one in which the nonresponsiveness of poor Chris, the interviewee, winds up being a plot point. Talk about two birds with one stone — that is plot advancing on two levels at once.
Then there’s Murphy’s art, which manages to economically get across a lot of information while still being visually complex and dynamic. Set down in high-contrast black and white and arranged into layouts that establish and play off planes of negative space, each page is engaging and interesting. The expressions are all dead-on, picking up where the exposition may leave off and making sure you’re in no doubt as to the whole range of emotions informing a character’s actions at any particular moment.
There’s a touch of caricature going on here — Thomas is impossibly craggy while Gwen’s movie-star waifishness is unfortunately just about right — but the effect isn’t disconcerting. More than anything the battlescarred Thomas comes across as a larger-than-life monument to conflict out there in the real world, far away from the gloss and hocus-pocus of reality TV. He’s an excellent foil — both visually and in terms of his character — to both Gwen and little Chris, and in that respect it isn’t so surprising that, in a concluding scene, he plays midwife to the punk aspect of this comic.
You knew it would show up eventually! But maybe I’m misrepresenting things. Even if there weren’t a teenage rebellion brewing here, an anarchic energy runs all through “Punk Rock Jesus”, radiating from every page. This story isn’t so much about religion per se as it is about facing up to what life has handed you and undermining it as vitally as you can. And if the third issue is any indication, this well-developed, nuanced and subversive series is gearing up to ask some major questions.
Final Verdict: 9.0 — Buy it!
