Written and Illustrated by Vincent Perriot
Published by Titan Comics
Negalyod: The God Network is a gorgeous epic.
Vincent Perriot brings an epic tale of post-apocalyptic survival and dinosaurs. The book grapples with big ideas about what we believe in when all is lost. It does not quite follow through on its promise, but it is entertaining along the way.
Jarri roams the Earth with the only possession left to him by his father, a herd of dinosaurs. Out in the desert, the herd is killed. He leaves his village seeking vengeance. His travels have him meeting rebels led by an elder, Kam, and his daughter Korienze. They battle against the God Network, a giant tower that controls all the water, and the God Network’s army. The God Network is a lot more powerful, and mysterious, than anyone can imagine.
Ultimately, this book is bold, but frustrating.
Jarri connects to the machine at one point in the story in a plot point that is dropped. A cherished pet that Jarri left behind is never revisited. Supposedly he cherishes his village and people, but once he leaves, we forget about them. His roping skills are supposedly a talent that is odd outside of his village, but this is mentioned once and dropped.
The reveal of the God Network ultimately feels disappointing. What can it do? Everything. What secrets are being hidden?
Nothing as awe inspiring as hinted at earlier in the story.
The characters are paper thin. Kam, the elder, appears as being interesting. However, he is shuffled at the midpoint and comes back in the end as a literal deus ex machina. Korienze, goes from being the daughter of a powerful man to the guiding point of another without anything in between. Jarri feels like he’s from the Luke Skywalker template, but he is consistently whiny. His character growth comes swiftly and feels unearned.
What I can say is that the scope of the art, the work involved in every page, almost makes you forgive the book for its weaknesses. The world building creates a place that feels fully lived in. The desert settings could easily be generic, but there is detail and work involved that you cannot help but admire.
The intricacy of the war ships that attack. The dinosaurs and how they interact with the characters on the page. Every page is a sight to behold. There is a post-apocalyptic story about how we relate to each other in the face of a God like figure who controls all.
This book is not it, but hey, super cool dinosaurs!
