Review—'American Gods: The Moment of the Storm' # 2: The World Tree

The time to hold the vigil is upon us.

American Gods: The Moment of The Storm # 2

Writer: Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell – Artist: Scott Hampton – Colorist: Jennifer T. Lange, Scott Hampton – Cover Artist: Glenn Fabry

The best part of the novel, by far, will have to do with Shadow′s vigil. Part of the bargain he struck with Mr. Wednesday the first day he met him—it′s such an important journey that it will take all the last third of the book, and it will reach its peak at the god′s battlefield.

Everything starts coming into place from the very beginning, including the participation of Loki Lie-Smith in the fray.

And since this is so important, the comic will now take its time, slow down, and show us bit by bit what makes the vigil so transcendent. For the record, Anansi is dead-set against him fulfilling his promise, but Shadow want’s to feel alive, even if that will kill him.

First and foremost, Shadow will take Wednesday′s body to the World Tree, a tree that resides in the minds and hearts of a lot of living people, a tree so beautiful and vast, so special, that from the moment you set your eyes upon it, you′ll remember it… and will probably have dreams about it from then on.

(We have a similar legend in Bolivia, about a tree that reaches for the stars: the one Yaneramai, a guarani god, used to leave this world and ascend towards Heaven).