Rating: 
Summary: A very strong parable
Review: Wow, do I remember what an uproar this caused when it first came out! As the murderous villian presented himself as a man of God, many incorrectly saw this graphic novel (and, in regards to complex characters, a compelling plot, and thematic depth, this does indeed deserve to be called a novel) as being an attack on religion. Its nothing of the sort. Instead, this is an attack on racism and intolerance in all its forms -- even the kindly-looking forms that speak words of love while thinking only thoughts of hate. The plot deals with the anti-mutant crusade of a televangelist whose followers back up his sermons with murderous violence. (The opening scenes in which two mutant children are ruthlessly gunned down is powerful and haunting.) The X-Men (mutants themselves for those who, for whatever reason, might not know) join forces with their usual nemesis, Magneto, and, in the course of battling the nominal villians, they must decide for themselves whether to follow a path of peace or to give into Magneto's call for violent revolution. Its a strong story and one of the best to come out of what, in my opinion at least, was the X-Men's strongest creative period. Considering the violence, sex, and sadism that's become almost common place in all forms of "entertainment" nowadays, the violence in God Loves, Man Kills seems almost quaint. Unlike so many others in his field, Claremont takes no joy from creating violence and never sinks so low as to cheapen the suffering found within this graphic novel's pages. For that he is to be comended. Hopefully, other aspiring comic book writers will take his lesson to heart and return the industry back to where it truly deserves to be.
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