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Genaissance
“Who am I to tell of the Lord’s unspeakable being
and of his very wonderful face?”
That I is Enoch, one of the
most mysterious men in The Bible, and the protagonist of
an amazing and epic comic book series, Genaissance.
Amazing? Why?
Its author has culled from a
broad array of sources to lay the foundation for his
tale, including The Bible, the mystical Kabbala and The
Book of Enoch, and Dante’s The Inferno. That he has
melded these touchstones into an entertaining, coherent
whole is certainly amazing.
Genaissance is also amazing for the scope of its
vision. In the first issues, Enoch is carried from Earth
to Heaven by Mal’akh (angels) to receive a mandate
from God. Just as Dante toured Hell, Enoch moves through
the levels of Heaven as the mind shattering secrets of
creation are revealed to him.
Enoch is then chosen to
chronicle the “secrets of God”. This revelation may
include the angelic war in heaven that led to
Lucifer’s rule on earth.
You want more?
Genaissance is also notable
because its art is often breathtaking in the sweep of
its subject, in the complexity of its detail, in the
meticulous attention paid to visual storytelling, and
because of the range of expression shown on human and
inhuman faces. Occasionally uneven and rushed in the
last pages of the second issue, and infrequently
weakened from misplaced dialogue and captions, the art
still adds a visual impact to Genaissance rarely found
in other comic books.
Despite this praise, there is a danger. This intriguing
vision may be mistaken as Biblical truth by immature
Christians and readers unfamiliar with scripture. It is
not truth. Genaissance is a parable, a symbolic story
with a profound and important message for its audience.
Genaissance is highly
recommended for mature readers because of its complexity
and nudity.
Genaissance #s 1 &
2/$2.95, 30 & 24 pgs. ea. from Visual Assault/ Rhyan
Scorpio-Rhys: creator, writer, inker; Keith Robinson:
penciller/sold at www.visualassault.com,
and at comics shops.
Review by Michael Vance
E-Mail Suspended Animation at vance@digitalwebbing.com
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Webbing are solely those of columnists or persons
interviewed and do not represent the editorial position
of the administration, who does not accept
responsibility of such statements. All characters and
artwork shown on Digital Webbing are trademark and © of
their respective owners.
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