Rated R Review: Gødland #0029

Gødland #0029: I've always liked how the numbering on the cover of Gødland begins with two zeros. It seemed optimistic and bold, like Casey and Scioli were telling us all that fuck yes this comic will reach issue 1000. It won't, of course, since it's ending, like, seven issues from now. Does that make Casey and Scioli liars? Yeah. Yes, it does. But who cares...

Two or eight things stood out to me in this issue: the butterfly from Automatic Kafka makes an appearance. Maybe it's not the same butterfly, because a lot of butterflies look alike, but it's all yellow-orange in the same way -- and it reveals truths like the one from Kafka. For what purposes, I don't know, because repeating the end of Automatic Kafka wouldn't really work here... unless it's a different butterfly. But, then, why reuse the butterfly? And why haven't I written about Automatic Kafka yet? Hardly a day goes by without two dozen e-mails pleading with me to finally (FINALLY!) sit down and break that series open, exposing its naughty intellectual bits to you all... but, nah, not now, I'm tired.

Kadeem Hardison's cameo both made me geek out and cringe -- first, of all the African-American actors Casey could have selected, choosing Dwayne Wayne himself is fantastic. I know I'm not the only one who's seen every episode of A Different World -- how the fuck did he end up with Whitley, by the way? But, why Kadeem Hardison? Does Casey think that he's the man to play Barack Obama in an eventual movie? And, then there's the problem where Tom Scioli's drawing doesn't actually look like Hardison... but, an odd choice. Unless it's an example of a somewhat obscure popculture reference to add that little bit of cultural cache that Casey sometimes throws in. Still, now I can't get past the idea of a Kadeem Hardison/Jasmine Guy reunion to play the Obamas... I'd see that movie, but I may be the only one.

Another good issue of Gødland, although it is always dangerously close to sinking under the weight of the numerous subplots its advancing. It hasn't yet, but, damn, there are, like, five plots running in this issue. That final page is nice, too.