When afternoon detention is interrupted by the sudden and violent emergence of a kaiju, three New York City teenagers with seemingly nothing in common will band together to survive the apocalypse! Felipe is still getting accustomed to life in New York City, and when a kaiju ravages Manhattan, he’ll need the help of two of his classmates to rescue his mom from a wrecked subway station. No Gods, No Masters #1 is a fantastic debut that gives us something more than another monster disaster story.

Written by Julio Anta, it’d be easy to just see No Gods, No Masters #1 as a kaiju attack story with kids. But, Anta gives us so much more with depth that you can either embrace or overlook and still enjoy the comic. Where No Gods, No Masters #1 succeeds and stands out is its three protagonists. In particular Felipe, a refugee who came to New York City after an attack at his home in Venezuela. In Felipe, we get an immigrant suffering trauma and who has endured hardship to find safety, only for that safety to be stripped away. The comic teases Felipe’s trauma but as the comic progresses it reveals what he has gone through and endured to make it to NYC.

It’s those details that make No Gods, No Masters #1 stand out. It’s the papers welcoming Felipe and his mother to the country and small information like who can work and the focus on school for Felipe. It’s teases about what happened in Venezuela, and it’s material completely in Spanish to immerse yourself further into the story. But, it’s also Felipe and his frustrations and reactions that kick off the story before the attack. It’s also the clear love of his mother that will drive Felipe and his actions. There’s a simplicity in the basic story but the details gives it depth and makes it interesting.

The art by Jacoby Salcedo is solid. With color by Francesco Segala with assists by Agnese Pozza and lettering by Becca Carey, the comic has a look that fools at home with publisher BOOM! Studios. It’s a style we’ve seen in some other comics from the publisher that has endured and praised, continuing a style that feels like it’s become connected with them. Like the basic story itself, the monsters feel familiar, but the kids each have a look that helps tell a story about them. It’s also a disaster comic that doesn’t dwell on the disaster. A teacher’s death is pretty brutal and shocking but the comic doesn’t linger on the gore, instead gives a cold response, like one might have after experiencing trauma.

And that’s part of what makes No Gods, No Masters #1 a success. On the surface level, it’s a monster comic. But, go a bit deeper and you have a comic about refugees and immigration and the horrors that await even when they think they find safety. It’s one where the characters are the real story. Each we’ll get to know as they proceed in their mission to get someone they care about and then to safety. That’s going to be the real journey and interesting aspect about the comic. The monsters, the destruction, the surprises, that’s all the setting and a driver so we can get to know three kids who are the heart of No Gods, No Masters #1.

Story: Julio Anta Art: Jacoby Salcedo
Color: Francesco Segala, Agnese Pozza Letters: Becca Carey
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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