The Complete American Gods

American Gods (Dark Horse Comics) #1-3

by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell (Illustrator), Scott Hampton (Illustrator)

The complete American Gods comic series, adapted by comics legend P. Craig Russell from the award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman, in a deluxe, oversized collection with slipcase and ribbon.

Shadow Moon, fresh out of jail, finds his wife dead, his life in shambles, and nowhere to turn. But a chance meeting with the mysterious Mr. Wednesday thrusts him into the center of a conflict between new and old gods, where the future of human and divine life is at stake.

Collects American Gods: Shadows #1-9, American Gods: My Ainsel #1-9, and American Gods: The Moment of the Storm #1-9.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Fiction, Comics Manga, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

712 pages, Hardcover

Published September 14, 2021

Reviews

[Tanya]

I won't go into the story—I've already reviewed the novel as best as I can and as much as I care to, as I think that the journey and slow unfurling is what makes this tale work as well as it does, but this was the most beautiful (and sometimes word-for-word faithful) graphic novel adaptation I've read yet. I suppose when the source material is this excellent, it's damn near impossible to wreck... if you actually stick to it (side-eyeing the (now blessedly cancelled) TV show).

I've loved David Mack's work for years, so his stunning watercolor chapter art was always a highlight, and Scott Hampton's drawings and colors are consistently great—a gorgeous blend of pencil, ink, and watercolors I really liked. If you've read the book, you know that there are some sequences that are pretty hard to visualize (a literal man-eating vulva, for one), but the story was actually surprisingly suited for a visual adaptation. As much as I love the novel, I've always been a bit lukewarm on the lenghty and slow interlude when Shadow gets hidden away in Lakeside as Wednesday goes around gathering more support for his cause, but the graphic novel had me fully enjoy that part as well.

American Gods is a wordy novel, but long-time collaborator P. Craig Russell adapted it incredibly well: The pacing here was just right, and despite keeping the prose and dialogues faithful, there were no blocks of text—I really think someone unfamiliar with the book could pick this up and have a similarly satisfying reading experience. Not a panel, word, or drop of ink is wasted in these 700+ pages, and it's so beautifully done that I want the physical edition on my shelves.

—————

Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it too obtuse and meandering. The art was just ok, the renderings of Shadow were inconsistent, but given the nature of the narrative, not sure if that was on purpose or not.

[Michael Kahan]

This was really difficult to read and will be equally difficult to review. The art is gorgeous, somehow managing to be fantastical when needed, while still being grounded and mundane at other times. It manages to keep a foot in both worlds so that the narrative never looks too far outside what's possible, nor too ordinary to let us forget that this is a fantasy book.

The problem comes with the text. or not even the text itself. Gaiman's prose remains as good as it ever was and he is an author who manages to tell an engrossing tale. The problem is that this is my first time engaging with a work written by Gaiman since several women came forward with heinous, but credible, allegations of his behavior towards them. And that made this a really difficult read. Because at times I was thinking "man, I love this book" and at others, I was thinking "wow, the guy who wrote this really is horrible". And much like how the text itself is never wholly mundane, nor wholly fantastical, I wasn't ever able to lean into one of those mindsets completely without having the other there. And that's because they don't contradict each other. Gaiman is an incredibly talented storyteller, who has also done some incredibly awful things. And the revelation of the latter doesn't make the former less true. What it does do is make dealing with his work more challenging. Because 'death of the author' means maybe finding metaphors or meanings that the author didn't intend, not ignoring them as a person entirely.

I was glad to have read this new (to me) adaptation of one of my favorite novels in a form I particularly enjoy. I was happy that I borrowed this instead of spending any money on it and thus financially supporting Gaiman. I was a bit annoyed by that latter fact, because this would make a fantastic addition to my library and the illustrators should benefit from my enjoyment of their gorgeous work. I wish I had a nice simple conclusion here. But I don't, because there isn't one. People who do terrible things can still make great art and dealing with how you engage with that art is never easy.

[Stoffia · Rating 5 out of 5]

American Gods de Neil Gaiman. J'ai plongé dans cette adaptation comic sans avoir lu préalablement le roman, mais en ayant écouté la série télé.

On y suit Odin qui tente de recruter les vieux dieux de tous les panthéons dans une guerre contre les nouveaux dieux : les médias, la technique, les autoroutes, etc. Ces vieux dieux sont arrivés en Amérique via les croyances des immigrants de toutes origines. Comme toujours avec Gaiman : tout est une allégorie.

Le protagoniste est Shadow. Un Noir qui sort de prison pour retrouver sa femme après 3 ans. Sauf que sa femme vient de mourir, dans un accident de voiture, alors qu'elle faisait une fellation au chauffeur, son meilleur ami.

Il est donc recruté par Wednesday (littéralement en anglais : Odin's Day) comme garde du corps. Évidemment, Odin n'a pas vraiment besoin de garde de corps et l'on se demande alors quel rôle attend Shadow. Surtout quand les nouveaux dieux adoptent la mauvaise habitude de kidnapper Shadow pour lui demander ce que prépare Odin.

De plus, American Gods réussit à nous offrir une fin satisfaisante et surprenante. Tous les arcs narratifs se ferment, y compris ceux que nous n'avions pas compris qu'ils en étaient.

[Raine McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you have Neil Gaiman's source material, it's impossible to wreck it with an interpretation that was born for unreal subjects. The art is completely stunning, a mixture of pencil and ink, then watercolours and mixed media interludes. The end of the book contains sketches and insights and progress images to really share the care that went into its production. Not a drop of ink is wasted on its 700+ pages and if you're a fan of American Gods, this is a must-add for your collection. Just beautiful.

I received a digital copy of this book for free from Edelweiss+ and Dark Horse Books in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read multiple of Neil Gaiman‘s works, I went into this thinking I could crack the story before I got to the end. Not only did I fail yet again, but the ending, as always, was brilliant.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have heard about American Gods for at least ten years now, and it always seemed like it would be right up my alley. Although I own a few of Gaiman's other works, I haven't read any yet, but know that he is a highly-respected author. That's why when I saw this graphic novelization, I thought I would enjoy it wholeheartedly! However, I was not as taken with the plot as much as I anticipated. I enjoyed some of the minor connections to mythos from around the world, some of the completely invented ones by Gaiman, and the interplay between them.

However, I felt like the plot was too mysterious for too long. Most of the time, while I was aware of the events that had/were transpired/transpiring, I was finding myself constantly asking, "so... what's going on? Why is this important?" The big connections that were made towards the ending were enjoyable, but not enough to overcome my overall bewilderment to that point. I know graphic novels tend to be less verbose in order to let the artwork do the "heavy lifting" of the storytelling, but this was a very wordy graphic novel, and the artwork was very beautiful and intricate, but still found myself unsure of what we were doing focusing on this characters the majority of the time (I actually probably would've given this a 2-star review if it wasn't for the beautiful artwork). Also, the postscript where Shadow finds himself talking to Odin in Iceland, showing the All-Father a couple of magic tricks to the Norse God of Wisdom's delight (one trick is real magic, sure) seemed underwhelming.

I'm not sure if I'm inclined to try the actual novel after my experience with the graphic novel, but I'm happy to have consumed some version of this story.

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the graphic novelization of Neil Gaiman’s brilliant story “American Gods.” The tale begins with the protagonist, Shadow Moon, being released a few days early from his prison sentence to attend the funeral of the wife whom he has been longing to see. On the flight home, he sits next to a gregarious man named Wednesday who offers him a job and who knows way too much about Shadow. While Shadow initially rejects the offer, Wednesday is relentless. When Shadow finally gives in, he’s introduced to a world where nothing is as it seems, a world of gods, demi-gods, and folklore heroes.

The premise is simple, but magnificent. America is a hard land for gods. The country’s melting pot nature makes for so many old gods: Native American gods, Norse gods, African tribal gods, pagan gods, Hindu gods, Slavic gods, etc. Then there are the new gods like “technology” and “media.” Comparing the average American’s screen time versus time in church or in prayer, it’s not difficult to tell which side is winning the war for the affection and attention. Still, the new gods exist in an ephemeral landscape. So, Wednesday is going around trying to build support among old gods for a war between the old and new gods -- no easy task as a self-confessed con man.

It’s been a while since I read the novel, but this adaptation felt true to my recollection of the original story. It seems closer to the original than, say, the Amazon Prime series (which I also enjoyed, but which often diverges, particularly to build out some of the secondary characters’ arcs.)

This is definitely worth a read, whether you’ve read the novel or not. The artwork was well-done, and I highly recommend it.

[Marek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for allowing me to review this book early. Rating and review are my own.

If you are a fan of the novel American Gods or the Sandman comics, then this graphic novel version is for you. If you have never read the novel but want this edition, I still recommend it! The story is great, the art is ok (not my style personally but never detracted from the story either), and the chapter art is absolutely STUNNING. It was so much fun to jump back into Shadow’s world and discover the old gods again.
This graphic novel is wordy but good and covers a lot of ground beautifully. I honestly can’t wait for this edition to come out because I want to see this beautiful hunk of a book on my shelf.

Did I mention the gorgeous chapter art? I want to wallpaper my walls with it.

[Ben Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible concept, and such a clever way of framing it. It's surreal but totally true, links the distant past with the present. We're the same animal as we were thousands of years ago. I'm also attracted to stories about people's need to be remembered, people concerned with leaving a legacy. This is interesting in that it suggests even the immortal being can be forgotten as they still exists. Cool artwork, left me with questions at the end, but good mysterious questions.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaiman's finest prose deserved the very best graphical adaptation, and WOW did it receive it. This is a work of stunning art, only outshone by Gaiman's own Sandman. Truly, American Gods is the best graphic adaptation of a novel I've ever read, and I can hardly believe how well the artists nailed it.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This edition is prefect. From the slip case to the book itself its all a work of art worthy of any book collector. The story of Shadow and his adventures are breathtaking and even though this edition is pricey its worth every penny.

[Chris Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this. But I think maybe the comic element didn’t add too much value. It still felt kinda slow. I think retrospectively reading the book and using my imagination to create the imagery may have been a better experience. But it’s still a great story.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little long but still a very enjoyable read.

[Paul Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read the book a while ago and the graphic novel was a worthwhile re-read. However, the art style was not my favorite.

[William Hawthorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just one of my favorite novels of all time with some beautiful art

[Michael Daines · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5)

[Elliott Vogel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not done, but ew gaiman, ew.....

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

even better than the novel. awesome.

[Robert Espinueva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and meandering grift, like a magic trick.

[Mike Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read American Gods before, as a novel, and loved it.

Seeing it as a graphic novel was another clever way to tell the story. The visuals were helpful, and the order of the story changed a bit. Since American Gods is a world unto itself, I wasn't tied to one particular timeline. The thing that I really liked was how the graphic novel telling of they story brought new depth to Shadow's bad luck coming out of prison, and dubious luck entering into some new employment.

This is one of the places where the graphic novel just doesn't retell the story. It reintroduces it to the reader.