Sobek by James Stokoe

Stokoe snagged five Eisner nominations this year:  Two for his artbook “Grunt” and three for this one-shot.  While I’m a big fan of his work, shelling out for the cover price and shipping of this single issue was still a big ask for me.  It wasn’t until it got these Eisner nominations that I figured it was time to see what was up with the creator’s take on the Egyptian deity.

The answer to that is, “Not a whole lot.”  “Sobek” starts off with a small raft of the god’s followers heading upstream to ask for his help in freeing their city.  He agrees, takes a leisurely swim downriver and thereabouts to get there, encounters some resistance, fights Set, and that’s it.  There’s no clever dialogue, no surprise plot twists, and no revelation at the end to make you think further about what you just read.  I mean, you can imagine a caption at the end which says, “Maybe the cure was worse than the disease…,” but it won’t add any real depth to this story.

What “Sobek” does have going for it is Stokoe’s incredible art.  He’s always been a meticulous artist and he drew the hell out of every scene here.  Every page is filled with his intricate linework in service of some oddball concept.  Whether it’s the trippy approach of the followers to their god, the crocodiles that pour from Sobek’s mouth before he speaks his first words, or the vibrant throw-down with Set, the art never disappoints.  Neither does Stokoe’s beyond-chill take on the title character who treats every encounter like it’s just another thing.  I can see how Stokoe earned the Writer/Artist Eisner nod here, but not the ones for Best One-Shot or Humor Publication.  Those of you looking to see what he’s really capable of are recommended to check out “Wonton Soup” or “Orc Stain,” which can be had for only a little more than what it cost me to get this issue…