It’s been a bit longer of a wait for the latest issue of The Goddamned, but the wait, thankfully, is worth it. The third issue, “Children of Eden,” releases today and it doesn’t disappoint…well, another thrilling cliffhanger aside.
Nothing much “happens” in this third issue, but writer Jason Aaron and artist R. M. Guéra still open up cosmic, eternal vistas, taking us back to the moment shortly after God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. Here we get strong hints of the family dysfunction that will culminate in Cain slaying his brother.
Back in the narrative’s present, Cain helps a woman locate her son, who was captured by Noah’s men. Along the way, we get another hint of what the mark of Cain might be. We don’t see it, but it’s enough to scare away a band of savages that tried to attack Cain and the woman in the middle of the night. When Cain arrives at Noah’s camp, he is excited to find something that might break his curse.
Again, for people interested in the intersections of religion/theology and pop culture, The Goddamned is a must-read. For religious professionals, it’s even more so as it continues to offer new, challenging perspectives on a foundational narrative with each new issue.
You can read reviews of the first issue here and the second issue here.