“The God Machine” Review

The God Machine

Written & Illustrated by Chandra Free

[rating:4.5/5]

It’s definitely good when you find a book that you enjoyed thoroughly, but frustrating when you cannot think of where in the world you place it.  THE GOD MACHINE fits easily nowhere, but nonetheless remains an enjoyable read.  With an eclectic and exciting art style, THE GOD MACHINE is the story of Guy Salvatore, a young man suffering from depression (and quite possibly insanity) following the unexplained death of his girlfriend Sith.  Guy’s story begins to intertwine with Good God, Bad God and Limbo God when he’s told by Satan that there’s more to Sith’s death than meets the eye.

It’s certainly not your standard tale.  GOD MACHINE instead reads a tongue in cheek, almost sarcastic love letter to all things macabre and darkly humorous.  The book is filled with a dark sense of self-awareness as Guy struggles with a changing, supernatural world around him.  It’s a book perfectly suited for the dark, highly stylized art style that permeates it, creating a richly animated world that we feel we’re truly a part of.

And yet despite all this, dark isn’t really a term that describes the book. GOD MACHINE is instead filled an overall humorous and dramatic tone, and while the subject matter (ranging from Sith’s death to Guy’s ongoing debates of suicide and death) is certainly dark and dreary, the book never becomes overwhelmingly dark or becomes so depressing that you feel weighed down by reading it.  No, the book almost seems to teeter on that line, maintaining it’s darker qualities while still telling an engrossing story that you want to stay focused on through to it’s end.  This is an amazing story, balancing a discussion on life and death with a quirky art style and solid story telling that leaves the reader longing for the upcoming second volume.