Nevsky: A Hero of the People

by Ben McCool (Writer), Mario Guevara (Artist)

A true legendary Russian hero, a groundbreaking Russian filmmaker! Alexander Nevsky is a central figure in Russian history, having lived during one of Russia''s darkest periods - the invasion of the Teutonic Knights. Alexander Nevsky helped establish the Russian nation by defeating the Teutonic Knights, invaders from the last vestiges of the Holy Roman Empire, with an army comprised of ordinary citizens who were poorly-equipped soldiers, but fought for their freedom. This ragtag band, against overwhelming odds, defeated the invaders in an epic battle on the frozen lake Peipus - a spectacular achievement that is still celebrated in Russia to this day. In 1938, the great Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, much acclaimed for his masterful historical interpretations, as seen in "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) and "Ivan the Terrible" (1944), brought the story of Alexander Nevsky to life on the silver screen in an innovative and brilliant way, by developing new film techniques that remain in use almost 100 years later by some of the greatest directors of our time. Now, following in the steps of Eisenstein, IDW is proud to present one of the most compelling historical graphic novels ever produced - one that is as relevant today as it was at any time in history!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Historical Fiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published April 24, 2012

About the author

British comic book writer, Ben McCool has gone from selling comics to writing them. He has written for Justice League: Unlimited and Negative Burn and is now working on the forthcoming graphic novel NEVSKY (April 2012). McCool is engaged to Heidi MacDonald, whom he lives with in New York.

Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Ben McCool was a long time fan of US comics. He first began to work with comics when he was employed by Nostalgia & Comics in his home town. There he met and became good friends with the Hitman artist John McCrea and began to learn more about the art of writing comics. Since then McCool has moved to New York, where he lives with his fiancé Heidi MacDonald.

He has worked with DC Comics on Justice League Unlimited, plus also in DC's creative services/licensing departments. There, McCool has been in a steady working relationship and come into contact with many other creators. It has been a launch-pad to his freelance writing career, which has led to the creation of Choker with artist Ben Templesmith through Image. This will be previewed in the upcoming Liberty #2 anthology, benefiting the CBLDF, and also featuring creators such as Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, Dave Gibbons, Gail Simone and Tim Sale.

Outside of comics, Ben McCool has also written for the gaming website UGO.com, and various bits & pieces for 20th Century Fox (including interviews, junkets & promotional writing).

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this fictionalized account of Alexander Nevsky, intrigued by him after spending time in St. Petersburg this summer. I'm glad I read the introduction--I found out this book was actually a graphic novel rendition of a classic Soviet movie, whose brilliant director Sergei Eisenstein apparently revolutionized film-making by first using the montage technique!

I did learn more about the fictionalized Nevsky, a clever and courageous hero fit for an epic tale in this version. I appreciated the numerous portrayals of strong, intelligent warrior women. But I didn't connect with the art, and found it difficult to keep straight who all the secondary men were. I re-read several parts, thinking I had missed something. I want to see the movie now to compare and contrast.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good. This is a fictionalization of a historical figure with folkloric proportions. The story has some potential, but it didn't execute well. I think that when retelling folklore of fictionalizing history the author has a choice between going for accuracy with respect to history/tone or dramatizing by adding to the story. This story seems to be straddling the middle. Some history has been mashed up, and some characters and elements added, but most of them sloppily. The dialogue is stiff and awful, there is some potential for a romantic interest but it is entirely ignored, no character development takes place and even the hero remains flat an uninteresting.

[Susan Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nevsky is a tribute to the legendary Russian hero Alexander Nevsky, although based on this comic book illustrated by Mario Guevara and written by Ben McCool, it is difficult for the reader to make this connection as the story takes place in 1337, some seventy-four years after Nevsky’s death. The battle scenes are waged between the Russian peasants and the Mongolian invaders who are led by Domash according to the storyboard, while Nevsky fought against the Teutonic Knights in his day (mid-1200‘s). The Russian peasants are led by General Boyars who out-smart the Mongolians forces by splitting up his army, sending troops in the front to appear to be retreating from the Mongolians while another group of soldiers come up from behind attacking the Mongolians from the rear.

The dialogue is fitting for high school aged readers, though the illustrations can appear brutal and nightmarish at times for adolescents who haven‘t been exposed to warfare. Guevara has a rawness in his characters which makes everyone to look rugged and unkempt, all except a woman who appears to be a princess in the story. What is interesting about the illustrations is that the characters are not only shown from a frontal or side view, but Guevara also illustrates battles scenes from above the action so the viewer is seeing the fighting from a unique perspective. This cinematic technique is effective in conveying the story to readers.

Nevsky is able to appeal to high school students, but the story still seems unfinished. The plot has room to develop a great deal more to be a proper tribute to Alexander Nevsky.

[Ricardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

La vara era demasiado alta. No hay forma de estar a la altura del trabajo de dos genios como Einsenstein y Prokofiev. Nunca se logra el dramatismo que la película transmite tan efectivamente.

[SWC Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aleksandr Nevsky, a medieval Russian prince, was voted by Russians as "The Greatest Russian of All Time" in 2007. That's how enduring his legend and legacy are. He has inspired books, artworks, and a classic 1938 film by Sergei Eisenstein…. A Graphic Novel was only a matter of time! The story is presented by Ben McCool & Mario Guevara in action-filled story lines that are given life by Guevara's artwork, tinged with the cool blues of Russian winter nights. The novel follows the Eisenstein film closely, focusing on the Chudskoe Lake battle, where Nevsky's strategy led the Russian army to a victory on the frozen surface of the lake. The illustrations are fantastic for their detail, energy and historical accuracy. "Nevsky" conveys the excitement that can, indeed, be found in history; for the reluctant history reader, Nevsky is an accessible and engaging read. For the history buff reluctant to explore graphic novels, it's an ideal first foray into that genre.

[Luis Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia épica sobre el mítico Nevsky, el más valiente de todos los rusos.
El cómic cumple con mostrar una historia de grandes batallas, caballeros y mucha sangre.
El guión cumple pero no sorprende y el dibujo de Guevara me da la impresión de sufrir por el colorista que no mejora el trabajo de lápices este. Es de destacar que Guevara no utilizó entintador y el color fue puesto directo en sus lápices.
Si te gustan las historias épicas, vale la pena. Si no, tal vez no te guste tanto.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

good work, would have been nice to have the introductions written by people who knew what they were talking about.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://marklindner.info/blog/2016/08/...