Created by the omni-talented Will Morris and published by Image Comics, Gospel is a stunning achievement of sequential storytelling. This six-issue mini-series is the perfect blend of historical fiction and fantasy, making for a read that is just as enlightening as it is entertaining. With sharp, clever writing and staggeringly brilliant artwork, Gospel is undoubtedly one of the best comics of the last several years.
“When opportunity refuses to knock for restless hero Matilde the devil comes knocking instead. Thrust into action by the hellish arrival Matilde and storyteller Pitt will quest for renown the soul of their community and answers to the toughest question of all: “Who am I?”
Writing & Plot
Will Morris succeeds in making Gospel such a well-crafted, enjoyable story by taking a simple yet strong thematic core and wrapping it up in true religious history and a bit of clever fantasy. Matilde is a local hero looking for fame as the “Hero of Rumpstead.” She has to build her reputation on whatever small deeds she can accomplish in her tiny home village, and then have them embellished with the help of her friend & local bard, Pitt. Her job – and life in general, however – have just been made more complicated by the splitting of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. On top of this, the Devil himself has apparently come to Rumpstead, bringing explosions and tidings of doom. Everything Matilde and Pitt grew up with has come into question, and so this quest serves as a simple solution – and a distraction from – an increasingly complex problem. Complete with assassins, gentle giants, helpful ghosts, and extraordinarily long-lived bards, this story is a treasure trove of storytelling genius. The splitting of the Catholic church makes for a great plot device and historical backdrop to the core narrative. That same narrative is charged by thematic depth, complex character relationships, and constant internal and external challenges for the cast. Every story beat comes naturally, and the personal developments for each character are satisfying to watch. Even with the time period and sense of fantasy, Matilde, Pitt, and others feel like real people. The twist at the end of the comic isn’t wholly unsurprising – but its ramifications for Matilde are still heartbreaking. Morris mixes a sort of romanticized “olde English” with modern dialogue styles to create something that feels naturalistic and right for the story’s tone. From a writing perspective, Gospel is an absolute triumph.
Art Direction
As incredible as his plotting and writing are, Will Morris’s art in Gospel is somehow just as impressive. His thick penciling captures the unique designs and expressions of his cast of characters, as well as his sharp eye for historical detail. Everything from clothing and accessories to architecture shows a dedication to at least *some* level of historical accuracy – the kind I imagine involved a fair amount of looking at books on medieval fashion & housing. Morris’s sequential direction is equally impressive, with more conventional panel structure sometimes falling away to borderless, free-flowing events. His sense of visual pacing is excellent, as the whole story flows naturally with effortless form. His color art is stunning as well. Every panel shines with the gradients of natural light at different times of day or night. Each page is a vast array of color with shifting tones thanks to Morris’s staggering work with shadows and directional lighting, making for some of the most finely-tuned color art in a comic in recent memory. From the visual storytelling angle, Gospel is an incredible achievement.
Verdict
Will Morris’s Gospel is a phenomenal work of fantastical historical fiction. Every aspect of his writing, from his use of a major historical event as a backdrop to his thematic character work and Miyazaki-like sense of fantasy, adds up to a brilliant cohesive whole. His incredible visual style and flawless sequential direction goes on to make this mini-series one of the best comics of the last few years. Be sure to grab Gospel in its entirety when the collected trade paperback hits shelves on June 21st!
