Title: Goddess Mode.
Volume: 1.
Writer(s): Zoë Quinn.
Artist(s): Robbi Rodriguez.
Colourist(s): Rico Renzi.
Letterer(s): Simon Bowland.
Publisher: Vertigo.
Format: Paperback.
Release Date: October 22nd 2019.
Pages: 160.
Genre(s): Comics, Cyberpunk.
ISBN13: 9781401294113.
My Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆.
Back in 2018, DC Comics saw to the relaunch of “DC Vertigo”, looking to give one of the most revolutionary comic book imprints the chance to kickstart another era of incredible creativity targetting a mature audience. With seven new comic book series (Border Town, Hex Wives, American Carnage, Goddess Mode, High Level, Second Coming and Safe Sex) as well as four others set within Neil Gaiman’s classic Sandman universe, DC Vertigo was on course to reinvigorating the comic book business and expanding its reach, trying to accomplish what writers like Alan Moore have given to fans through the Vertigo imprint back in the day. Unfortunately, in June 2019, DC announced the end of this imprint as they wished to regroup their content into three distinct labels: DC Kids (young readers), DC (for readers age 13+), and DC Black Label (mature readers). While some of the new series was canceled since their announcement (Border Town, Hex Wives, Second Coming, and Safe Sex), sometimes before even publishing a couple of issues, the rest lived to see their publication, including a magical girl cyberpunk comic book series written by the Hugo Award nominee, Zoë Quinn, and drawn by Spider-Gwen’s co-creator, Robbi Rodriguez.
What is Goddess Mode about? Set in the future, an all-powerful artificial intelligence called Azoth provides all of humankind’s needs by making use of nanotechnology. Supported by Hermeticorp, its parent company, the world’s deepest desires are all known as they tap into the minds of every individual. However, Cassandra Price, the low-level tech support who works at this very company that her father had helped see its rise knows that there’s much more to this company now run by a despicable president than what the eye can see. Although she has never been able to expose them for the inequality and social atomization that they’ve instaurated in the world, it is on the day she is sucked into a secret virtual realm of mayhem and metadata within Azoth that she discovers the Oracles’ war against a growing horde of Daemons. With consequences beyond her grasp on both the online and real-world, she discovers that her role is also far bigger than she ever wished it was.
This brand new comic book series definitely brings the desired “modern, socially relevant, high-concept, inventive” touch that was looked for in the rebirth of the DC Vertigo imprint. Without tackling the usual platitude associated with a future founded on technology where nothing but bad can come from it, this story brilliantly fuses technology and magic together, making it near impossible to distinguish one from the other, while also allowing the reader to understand that they are both nor bad or good but tools that we can control to do what we desire most. The world-building in Goddess Mode is also incredibly complex and multilayered, making it easy for the reader to immerse themselves in the cyberpunk universe.
What is especially notable from this comic book series is that it revisits some of the classic tropes seen in women-centric superhero stories. In this case, it suffices to imagine Sailor Moon within a cyberpunk era to see where I’m coming from. The story essentially revolves around Cassandra Price and portrays her as a broken and powerless lady who is reeled into a secret world where she’s forced to make decisions that she never thought she’d ever had to take. Within this first volume, she goes through a sequence of self-discovery filled with revelations on what she can accomplish if she believes in herself and what she can do for others if she first understands what she is capable of.
Through friendship and hardship, the main character evolves before your eyes and it is wonderful to see it unfold, especially thanks to Robbi Rodriguez’s artwork and Rico Renzi’s colours. From epic splash pages to magical group chats occasionally substituting dialogue bubbles, the artwork is a treat for fans of a more aggressive retrofuturistic visual style. The kaleidoscopic colouring is incredible and vibrant from cover to cover, capturing the fusion between magic and technology with near perfection. Although the story is a bit verbose, it remains captivating even if the world-building is sometimes dumped on the reader without warning. While it is an intricate story, I do believe it would’ve been nice if it had more issues to flesh out the ideas. Instead, it personally often felt like there was too much flesh for too little bones.
Goddess Mode is an empowering, kaleidoscopic, and multi-layered story about overcoming your deepest fears by not only believing in yourself but those around you to ultimately bloom.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy for review!
Roars and Echoes 
Interesting about how they are looking at marketing these different titles. What does it mean for their business model, etc.
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DC has had to struggle with this side of their business for years now, less than Marvel, if you ask me… It has been much more cleaner since the recent reboot but hopefully they’ll find a publishing strategy that works. The 3 imprint idea for now seems alright, although they’ve lost something pretty huge by abandoning Vertigo for the 2nd time now.
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That is good knowledge and helps me figure out the audience and my reading strategies.
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Too much flesh for too little bones hu? LOL I guess what you mean is more backbones was needed for the story! AsI said on IG though I love the art in this one!
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Hahahah yes, it was very figurative, as in it would’ve been better if it had more pages to explore everything it explored in this volume. 😛 But yes! The art is pretty cool at least! 😀
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Isnt Quin behind some sort of alleged incident in some one taking there life due to some cancel culture BS she pulled? Or would that be a diff Quin?
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That is indeed her! You sure know your stuff, sir! 😁
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Damm, didnt even know she was part of comic book world stuff too
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She hasn’t written much though. Besides this, she did one other comics for kids I believe. 😂
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The comic looks rather clean and visually appealing to me.
As I read your review, I thought to myself that it seems to have EVERYTHING trendy in it. There’s all the buzz words. And then you say: “modern, socially relevant, high-concept, inventive”. Yup, sounds about right.
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It indeed is. Good stuff, quite the virtual trip. Hahahah right? At least it does what it wanted to do.
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Soooo artificial intelligencee!! GOODIE!! 😍😍😍❤️ I once read short story wayyyyyy back when I was in 3rd grade…it was a about a veryy intelligent robot who could do (according to our little imaginations 🤣) GREAT things! 😍😍❤️ I used to ask mum and dad to get a robot for our house too…🤣🤣 They got really tired of my obsession with them! 🤣🤣
And Zoe Quinn…have I heard that name before? BECAUSE I THINKI HAVEEEE!! Seriously though, I love that cover 😍❤️ and judging by your review, the book lives up to your expectations, yeah? Well, thats all that matters anyway!
AS ALWAYS…YOUR REVIEW WAS BRILLIANTLY AND VERY PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN! 😍😍❤️ Seriously, these publishers should be PAYING YOU TO WRITE SUCH AWESOME REVIEWSSS!! 😍😍❤️❤️
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Hahahahah well artificial intelligence is pretty much the future now so maybe if you ask bow, there’s more chance that you could get one. Or just stick to Siri on your Iphone! 😂
It’s the first time I hear about her but she did make the rounds on the news for some issues recently.
It really is a fun story with great art to gaze at! Ohhhhhw, you’re too kind hahaha Getting books is already some sort of payment 😂 But money would never be a bad thing, rigggghhht? Hahahah Thank you again for your kind words, Rain! I appreciate it a lot! 😁
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Hahaha!! 🤣🤣 Yeahh…Siri is cool for now..😅
RIGHTTTTT!!!! 🤣🤣❤️❤️❤️ You are MOST welcome, Lashaan 💕😊😊
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What an ambitious premise!!? Even though it didn’t seem to impress you as well as it should have. I like the idea that she’s tech support and is drawn into this secret nano world… but it sounds like it gets too bizarre and a little off track. And the art is pretty stinky TBH. I did love reading about the history of the labels though. I think its fascinating how comic companies think the different labels are so important.
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It has a pretty cool premise huh? I think it has a lot of potential but I think we won’t be getting a volume 2 unfortunately. And I have to admit that it’s the first time I hear someone call art… stinky. hahahahahaah I giggle for that one. What do you mean by it though hahahaahh Is it a positive or a negative thing? Hahahaha
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Wonderful review, Lashaan 😍 As you said, it sounds like they tried to fit all the ingredients to make it work! I love the artwork but I thought it would look more like the cover picture so I was quite disappointed when I saw the other pages 😂
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Thank you, Caroline! Hahahah they really did make sure that it checked off all the boxes to make this taste good. I think a sequel would do this series a lot of good though. Aaahhh that often happens with comics hahah The cover never actually has the same artwork as the inside!
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