The Pull List – American Gods: My Ainsel #5
Shadow returns back to the town of Lakeside, where a local teenage had gone missing. The small town is united in searching for this girl, checking the cold woods and river beds to possible sightings. Shadow had previously befriended this teenage on his way into Lakeside, and decides to lend a hand with the search party. Meanwhile, Mr. Ibis, an old god that tells the stories of humans and their gods, explains the history of the African slave trade in the late 18th century. In his tale, he explores how two twins grow, embrace and share their ancestral traditions in the face of brutal and troubling times.
Issue five of My Ainsel shows Shadow maintaining his cover as Mike Ainsel in a time of crisis. Alison, the teenage that Shadow had briefly meet in the arrival of Lakeside, has gone missing and causes the sleepy town to become wide awake. But as Shadow witnesses people stepping up to help, he can’t shake the feeling that there is something more to this town.
Mr. Ibis is brought back to tell a story about how the African Gods that made their way into American folklore, by way of the inhumane treatment of slaves. As with more tales about gods, there was much suffering and pain that while keeping traditions to be preserved. A pair of twins were separated in the slave traded, but each kept their faiths and influenced their surroundings. The boy, Agasu, lead a life of labor and physical punishment that would cause him to slowly build up warrior’s rage. The girl, Wututu, was kept to be subservient to the masters, but practiced her worshiping in secret. The twins would go leads different lives, but their prayers and traditions kept them hoping to be free. In this dark chapter of human history, we see how innocence can be quickly lost and how thoughtless some humans can be.
This issue takes a small break from Shadow’s travels and explores some fundamental flaws within human behavior. The lack of empathy can cause people to easily turn a blind eye to cruel behavior if it is justified in their minds. But even if Shadow is pretending to be someone else, he still retains his good nature and wants to help someone in need. There is still something off about the town of Lakeside, and only time will tell what that is in next month’s issue.
American Gods: My Ainsel #5 will be on sale July 25th 2018
