Episode 55 - A Review of David B.’s Black Paths and Incidents in the Night, Book 1, and Jonathan Hickman and Mike Costa’s God Is Dead #1

This week on The Comics Alternative, Tof once again joins Derek to talk about comics, and this time they’re reviewing new books by David B. – Black Paths (SelfMadeHero) and Incidents in the Night, Book 1 (Uncivilized Books) — and issue #1 of God Is Dead by Jonathan Hickman, Mike Costa, and Di Amorim (Avatar). The Two Guys with PhDs begin by discussing David B.’s surreal and idiosyncratic style, and how that style manifests itself in his two most recent books. First they look at Black Paths and how David B. uses history,  the Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio and the ill-fated Free State of Fiume, as a scaffolding for his story. Tof and Derek also highlight the various narrative connections between that book and Incidents in the Night, pointing out the creator’s penchant for interlinking his narratives though iconic markers. They talk in-depth about David B.’s surrealistic style, his “flat” or two-dimensional art, and the dream-like world where most of his stories take place. Next, the Two Guys turn to the first installment of Jonathan Hickman and Mike Costa’s new six-issue miniseries, God Is Dead. Although Tof is a little uncertain about Di Amorim’s art (e.g., the depiction of women), Derek is fascinated by the way that Hickman and Costa set up their storyworld, giving us several events that promise to converge in the coming issues. There’s a lot to listen to…so start listening already!