- Written by: Jonathan Hickman
- Art by: Valerio Schiti
- Colors by: Marte Gracia
- Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
- Cover art by: Mateus Manhanini
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: December 20, 2023
GODS #3 converges the magical and scientifically eclectic group of players in The Library Of Worlds to discuss a troubling development within the realm of the gods.
Is GODS #3 Good?
I don’t know if GODS #3 is good or not because you get the feeling things are happening, but Hickman is trying very hard to make every development as esoteric and non-linear as possible. The visual presentation helps ground Hickman’s ethereal plot structure and dialog, but I defy anyone to succinctly describe what happened in this issue.
When last we left the assembly, Aiko recruited Mia, a student with natural abilities to replenish the Natural-Order-Of-Things’ ranks after they were decimated by the Babylon Event. Meanwhile, Wyn and Doctor Strange investigated Cubisk Core’s background to learn who created the proto-mage and why, raising concerns about impending trouble of a much higher order.
Now, Wyn and Doctor Strange arrange a meeting at The Library Of Worlds with Dr. Cercle and Aiko to discuss his findings and possibly form a joint operation to do… something. Meanwhile, Dimitri and Mia get acquainted when the god Oblivion enters the Library to do… something. Simultaneously, Amanda, who is the next in a long line of Cassandras, breaks into the Library and kills a man holding a small object, also called Oblivion, because the object will do… something.
If you haven’t caught the hint, Hickman does a great job of showing you that something is happening, but he goes out of his way to make what’s happening is unclear or based on some hidden meaning that doesn’t get explained.
What’s great about GODS #3? Valerio Schiti’s art is outstanding. You may not understand what’s happening, but at least Schiti makes undefined weirdness look good. Also, in fairness to Hickman, the story does feel like big things are happening on a cosmic scale.
What’s not so great about GODS #3? If you pine for the days when you could just sit down and spend 20 minutes reading a comic that’s fun, entertaining, and exciting, stay away from GODS #3. Part of the confusion Hickman creates comes by way of flowery narration and unnecessarily vague plot developments. A high-concept story has its place, sometimes in comics, but the meaning behind the high concept should still be gettable. Hickman’s reach may have exceeded his grasp on this one.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces
GODS #3 tries very hard to be esoteric, high-concept, and fancy, but the end result is visually engaging, energetic, and often tedious or confusing. I appreciate that Hickman is trying to build out an entire mystical side to the Marvel Universe, but fancy weirdness should never come at the expense of clarity or entertainment.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 
Your description of this issue: “GODS #3 tries very hard to be esoteric, high-concept, and fancy, but the result is visually engaging, energetic, and often tedious or confusing”, is my main problem with Hickman as a writer. He tries so hard to be clever that it all gets a bit obtuse and difficult to digest. It feels simultaneously complex and shallow. The X-Men books are still a jumbled, confusing mess after he set the tone with his extended run, although Fall of X might get things back on track. I want to like his work, but mostly it just annoys me.
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