Shadow just wanted to finish his time in prison, get back to his wife and job, and enjoy a long bubble bath. Unfortunately for him, when he gets out a few days early, it is because his wife is dead, alongside his former/hoped-for-again boss; and if that weren't enough, Shadow now finds himself employed by the strange and clearly dangerous Mr. Wednesday. In this first volume of Russell and Scott Hampton's comics adaptation of Gaiman's American Gods, readers follow Shadow, learning right along with him that perhaps the gods may be more real than imagined, that belief and memory are hold true power, and the secularism of progress just might be creating new gods despite it all. Smartly adapted, with artwork that breathes life and connection into the characters (particularly the coin-trick drinker Mad Sweeney), this comic has something for fans and newcomers alike. The guest artists for the "Coming to America" shorts are a special treat. Like the original, and the television adaptation, this story includes, all with purpose, its share of drugs, sex, and alcohol.