The Chosen One: The American Jesus Trilogy

American Jesus #1-3

by Mark Millar (Writer), Peter Gross (Illustrator), Tomm Coker (Illustrator)

The entire American Jesus saga, collected for the first time to celebrate the live-action adaptation from Netflix. This is the story of two young children who discover they have a tremendous destiny, to face one another in the desert of Megiddo when they are older. One is the returned Jesus Christ, the other is the Antichrist and the whole world hangs in the balance

Collects: AMERICAN JESUS VOL. 1- 3

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

Mark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Wanted, the Kick-Ass series, The Secret Service, Jupiter’s Legacy, Jupiter’s Circle, Nemesis, Superior, Super Crooks, American Jesus, MPH, Starlight, and Chrononauts. Wanted, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and The Secret Service (as Kingsman: The Secret Service) have been adapted into feature films, and Nemesis, Superior, Starlight, War Heroes, Jupiter’s Legacy and Chrononauts are in development at major studios.

His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.

Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here:
- American Jesus, Vol. 1: Chosen
- American Jesus, Vol. 2: The New Messiah
- American Jesus, Vol. 3: Revelation

[Dr. Devine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to like this more than I did. I love the idea of a Black female Jesus, I love the idea that the ending asserts.

But something just didn't jive with me. The message seemed a bit muddled and the pacing was a bit all over the place.

[Matt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! I’m a fan of Millar’s comics and there is definitely a style I’ve come to expect from his titles Usually there’s a pretty simple set up but with a bit of ultra violence and shocking/edgy content, wrapped in an action packed good time.
This comic is not that… well not fully.

The premise of the 2nd coming of Christ is an idea I’ve seen before, but what happens at the end of issue 3 was a great change to the usual way those stories go.

I absolutely loved the middle section and the inclusion of real world events like Waco and 9/11 really made what was happening feel real and have high stakes.

OMG the ending was a real shocker. I never saw that coming from a Millar book. He totally subverts his own tropes. That’s why this is my favorite book that I’ve read from him. It took 19 years to complete but it was totally worth it.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so fascinating and took me a while to read but is so worth it, I love the way its written and connects the mythology and conspiracies lets say and has a fascinating take but ends up delivering a great message about humanity and its flaws and actions and something deeper.

I love how the first GN shows Jodie and how he becomes the chosen one and the references to the pop culture like the comparison of star wars OG Trilogy with Testaments is insane lmao but then him helping people, overcoming their doubts and we see how the town of Peoria reacts to it and it freaks them out yes but you see their reaction and all and how they believe it to be true and its fascinating, and then what he ends up being is awesome.

And then finally the story of Catalina and who she is and her growing as a rebel because of her growing up in what she thinks is a cult and her resistance and the events that transpire and that lead her to escape from there and assume her role for which she was born and its fascinating seeing the differences between the two of them and how they're so different and how they intersects and how she is christ reborn and well the showdown in the end...

Fascinating ending and it does go into conspiracies and all that but the way it ends like it takes the story of the one who was cast from heaven and how he got accepted by god and Christ the Judge how he changes his stance after what his enemy this time.. what the anti-christ says.. and how it comments on nature vs nurture.. its fascinating and really explains why Mark too quite a while to finish the 3rd part.. he really thought it out and the way he ends it is awesome and really says a lot with that ending.

I liked it overall.. its fascinating read and goes into a lot of territory from mythology to beliefs to modern world parallels but gives one heck of a message and ends on a hopeful note. The art was amazing and works well with the book and some pages contrasting two diff. things are freaking gorgeous and you should reread it after initial reading and absorb the art here.. like just amazing thing to look at.

[AviChaim Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before diving into the story itself, I’m glad this edition includes all three volumes—it truly needs the full set to feel complete. Had the story been released one volume at a time, it would have felt fragmented and unsatisfying, even with a cliffhanger. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative; it was both compelling and unpredictable, filled with twists that kept me engaged throughout. The storyline was exciting—though occasionally graphic in ways that seemed designed purely to shock—but still very enjoyable overall. The characters were relatable and easy to root for, and I found myself invested in their arcs. The artwork was solid, though some character faces occasionally veered into the “Uncanny Valley” zone. Still, this was a gripping read I didn’t want to put down. Highly recommended.
Grade: B+

[Namrac · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Millar succeeds best when he’s leaning into 80’s childhood nostalgia. Reads like Stephen King..Ambitious and at times riveting, the ending disappoints as is also sometimes the case with Millar. Regardless, it’s a fun, fast read. The reveal at the end of volume 1 is fantastic. 4 stars if you overlook the ending.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's another Mark Millar special...

Strong story with a 'half planted' ending. Partially rushed finish just ties a nice little bow on the end of things. Not sure how I feel after alllllll that build up.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read American Jesus about 20 years ago, I thought it was a typical Millar book: cynical, shallow, referency, with a dark twist ending. If the story had ended there, I'd have been disappointed but not surprised.

Happily, the story did not end there. We're introduced to Jodie's opposite number Catalina, and we get their foretold confrontation at Megiddo. It does not go the way one might expect, which is a very good thing.

Peter Gross was responsible for the art on some of my favorite books back in the day, on titles like The Books of Magic and The Unwritten. He does a few spectacular panels and pages here, but The Chosen One is not his best work. He is a good match for the material, though, so I'm glad Millar tapped him for this series.