Kafka

by Steven T. Seagle, Stefano Gaudiano, Richard Starkings (Compiler)

A man with no past has six days to recover his future.

Dan Hutton lost everything. Adrift in the witness relocation program, Dan is told his new identity has been compromised - by two different groups each claiming to be US agents. Not knowing who to trust, Dan runs - back to the world that took everything he loved.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Mystery, Noir, Thriller, Espionage, Crime

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2006

About the author

Steven T. Seagle is an American writer who works in the comic book, television, film, live theater, video game, and animation industries.

Reviews

[Sooraya Evans · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reminded me of the Jason Bourne series. CIA secret project, identity conflict, etc... etc...
The arrival of two sets of pickup team at the beginning really captured my attention.
After that, I lost all interest.
The artwork wasn't captivating enough.
At times, it was really hard to differentiate between characters.

[Jessie Tijerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not much of a reader I don’t like reading at all and this book that I read was interesting and it was called Kafka and it was very suspenseful and you really wanted to know what was gonna happen next. The Suspense in the book when the CIA or FBI or something had came to his house to come and get him because people are coming after him and he doesn’t know and things just keep going with this and more and more people are talking to him saying he needs to come with us and he doesn't know what to do and the pictures in the book really helped with seeing how people were acting and how things were going. I really hate reading and I really liked this book so I think you should read this.
It was kind of hard to keep up because there was so much going on at a time and things were rapidly changing also the events were different almost on every page he had to go here he had to talk to him and they do something then had to go back and talk to the same guy. and it wasn’t really that good it didn’t really explain most of what was going on in the middle part of the book at all it didn’t make much sense other than him being able to see he wife again because she didn’t know where she went because he had left her because he had to do something for a job and he had to leave for for a few months and went to england.
I actually kind of liked the book and I don’t like reading at all no matter what it is but this book got my attention with how things are just moving so fast and how much action and suspense is going on in the book and with the CIA or FBI either one doesn’t matter just coming into this guys house telling him that he will need to come with us because someone is coming after him
He confused and doesn’t know why or what he is talking about but then he stays and then some really people from the CIA or FBI actually come and get him and take him with saying that people are coming after him and then he goes with him and they started to ask him questions about what he has been doing for the last few days and if anyone has came towards him to talk to him about somethings and he said yes then they started rushing him to wherever he needed to go
so im gonna stop and just say that you really need to read this book it is very interesting and some of the things in the book that he does and how it all go together at the end and overall I thought the book was really interesting and pretty good even though I hate reading.

[Kent Winward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty decent sci-fi noir, although the Kafka moniker is a little misleading having not much to do with the Prague writer, but enough weirdness to seem on occasion Kafka-esque.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kafka, while not based on a work by the famous writer, still tells a mind-bending story of a man on the run. One day Daniel Hutton receives a couple visitors telling him his cover is blown and he must go with them. Almost immediately, an identical pair show up with the same credentials and the same story, and Dan is on the run, hopefully to save the wife he hasn't seen for a while.

Dan is a member of A.C.T and he is able to make people believe things that aren't true. He can hide his appearance, or fake identification. Because of his talent, he is highly sought, but Dan just wants out, and wants a life with his wife.

This is a reprint (and retouch) of a story first published in the late 1980s. The story behind this is very interesting and included at the end of the story. The present is told in black and white panels and flashbacks are handled in color. It makes for an interesting idea, and perhaps why Sir Kenneth Branagh is interested in developing it for television. It was a good read, and considering how tight the original production schedule was to create it, quite well done.

[Jae (ReadingTakesMePlaces) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

"It is not necessary to accept everything as true, one must only accept it as necessary."

The book's connection to Franz Kafka, if any, remained an enigma, adding to the general sense of narrative incoherence.

I was immediately thrown off by the absence of page numbers.

The initial appearance of two CIA agent groups, urging Dan to leave, initially sparked my interest, a promising beginning that quickly dissolved.

The visual narrative was hampered by muddy, indistinct illustrations, obscuring rather than illuminating the story's action. A singular, albeit minor, credit is due for the unique color inversion: color for flashbacks, black and white for the present.

Daniel Hutton, the protagonist, remained a hollow, boring figure. I felt completely detached from him and his struggles, due to the lack of in-depth exploration. Also, why can't Dan finish his sentences in ONE panel??? The forced dramatic pauses, achieved by fragmenting Dan's speech, created an unnecessary and frustrating lag in the narrative.

The ending, predictable and emotionally flat. It mirrored the narrative's overall shallowness, relying on the tired "man-on-the-run" tropes at the expense of substantive plot and character development. Rachel, Dan's wife, was reduced to a stereotypical damsel in distress, further highlighting the lack of nuanced female characters.

Ultimately, this noir-themed story failed to deliver on its potential. Its lack of character development, predictable plot, and overall emotional detachment rendered it unmemorable and ultimately, unsatisfying.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting early story from a comics pro. A secret agent in hiding goes on the run when his old employers let slip where he is located. Backstab follows backstab, nothing is what is seems, a somewhat predicable twist at the end. The art is decent, but this is mostly a chase story that stretches' on way to long. Honestly they could have done it all in three issues - maybe two. It is okay, but be warned, it's the best.

[Jake Nap · Rating 4 out of 5]

This espionage/noir thriller keeps you on edge at a breakneck, insanely fast pace. Seriously, I was flying through this. I finished the whole thing in under half an hour. It’s by no means the best comic I’ve ever read, but the simple plot with complex ideas managed to keep me intrigued and the rough but effective art conveys the story extremely well.

8/10

[Tommy Colombo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story line good, not a fun of the graphics tho...

[Renzo Pascual · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is predictable. But I 100% believe that this would do much much better animated.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Kafka is the Eisner nominated semi-supernatural noir story from the 1980s, full arc of issues 1-6 collected and reprinted, in color with new text.

The title of this series doesn't refer to the author Franz Kafka or to the phrase "kafkaesq"; rather, when researching this cold-war era piece, the author came across a book defining the word Kafka as meaning 'a missing' or lost person. So although this is dark and moody noir, it is its own original work and story.

The plot and drawing were quite revolutionary during their time - amidst caped superheroes who were having identity issues (e.g., Dark Knight and, ironically, the title to which this lost the Eisner Award, The Watchmen), here was a very European-drawn every-man thriller. In the story, Dan Hutton, a petty con man, is sent to prison but agrees to a special CIA test program in order to get a shorter sentence and get back to his wife. But things don't always go as planned - when two sets of agents show up at his door telling him his cover has been blown in a witness protection program, he's going to have to use the results of the government 'testing' to save his skin - and his estranged wife as well.

The drawing is very stylized and distinct. If Edvard Munch had taken up comic work, this is probably what he would be drawing. The afterward in the book has an interesting story about how author was paried up with artist and the struggle to find the right fit for the original story. As well, the story had a very tight deadline for the industry at the time it was published - yet was drawn by two Colorado college kids between papers and exams. Both would go on to a very good career after this seminal piece, however.

I think a couple of things keep this from being a five star for me, despite being such a strong title. First, the drawings have dated a bit - feel very much in the 1980s. As well, the story also feels strongly influenced by the early 1980s cold war paranoia, before the fall of communism. As well, it needs to be put in perspective of how unique it was at the time it was published, when there weren't necessarily a lot of independent comics selling and the nature of the industry was greatly morphing into the moody, broken, alcoholic, heroes of the 1990s. But this is definitely an Eisner nominated work and a solid 4 star rating.

The story is lean - at 160 pages or so it moves briskly but not too fast. You'll see more than a nod to films like the Matrix. The story has also been licensed by director Kenneth Brannagh to be made into a TV series.

Provided as an ARC from the publisher.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Kafka by Steven T Seagle with art by Stefano Gaudiano, originally released in 1987 in six single issues by Renegade Press, with a trade paperback reprint in 2006, is reprinted again (this time by Image) and was released on July 17, 2013.

I am a big fan of crime comics, especially when they intersect with science fiction, and/or a little bit of magical realism, so this one seemed right up my alley. Having not read anything by Seagle before, I came into this comic as fresh as a new born baby, not knowing what to expect. It's worth noting that this comic is also important in the fact that it was published during a time before independent comics or non-superhero comics were as popular as they are today. Although Kafka can be congratulated on being so ahead of the curve in that respect, it also flounders a bit when compared with how those comics have progressed today. That being said, it is an important predecessor, and did receive an Eisner award nomination when it was originally published.

The story follows Dan Hutton, a man with an uncanny ability to influence how other people physically see him, over the span of six days as he tries to figure out who in the hell is after him and why. The story begins with his true identity being discovered by the people he was running from, forcing him to run again, hopefully, this time to finish them off so he can finally live in peace. The story goes back and forth between modern day (when he's on the run) to past via flashback, where we discover his back story and how he got where he was. It's not the most original format in the world, but when done correctly can work beautifully. The device doesn't have to be original, but the story telling does.

General verdict: The art and dialogue are okay. But let's talk about the art first.

See the full review here.

[Syahira · Rating 2 out of 5]

Noir like some of the usual genre fiction is a male escapist fantasy. This graphic novel didn't skimp on the atmosphere and relish under the genre in this newly reissued 80's graphic novel. Instead of being a genuine Kafka as the title, the fiction is a tale of its own and does not carry Kafka-elements at all. 'Kafka' told a story of a man struggling with his identity and in the run from the people threatening to take everything from him.

Although I do enjoy noir thrillers, I hardly find myself enjoying the novel as I should. The comic-style art is raw and darkly uninviting like the noir environment it thrive and it have its cheesy predictable moments associated with man-on-the-run trope to keep up the pace while sacrificing on plot and character substance. There's hardly any speaking female characters and from the history, there were issues associated with the comic at the original publication. But the sparsity and the atmosphere explained why its being revived as a tv series which would be popular with thriller fans.

In any type of fiction, I appreciate depth and characterization if plot became an issue but I don't find myself intrigued by the whole story once I figured it to be a Running Man trope with some flashbacks. I was not emotionally invested into the plot nor does it invested with me as a reader nor does it memorable besides being a noir. In whatever adaptation this book might have, I hope they would give the whole story a new lifeline and intelligence in it.

The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer Bacall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has had a long and winding road to production and the story of it's creation is perhaps even more interesting than the book itself. This is actually the third printing of the book. It was created painstakingly by hand at a break-neck pace and the raw style of the art suits the story perfectly. In 1989 the book was an Eisner nominee. It was released again in 2006 in a compact version. This new release is in a traditional trade graphic novel size and includes several pages at the back of the book explaining in detail the process of the books creation.

The story is spare in dialog, as any good Noir story is. Although the book doesn't have any glaring tributes to the author Franz Kafka, one could argue that there are sprinklings of his theories and writings throughout. The name in this case comes from a word used in concentration camps to describe when someone had disappeared.

As the unraveling of the mystery is the purpose of the book, it wouldn't serve future readers to roll out a detailed plot line. It is enough to understand that the story is about a man living under a false identity who would do anything to be reunited with his wife.

I love the use of color in frames that are particularly poignant to the central character. I also had a good laugh when the wife was relocated to Rockford, Il. Having grown up in Chicago and having friends from there we always considered it one of the worst places in the world.

This is a beautifully illustrated, well told noir thriller with a strong and effective emotional undertone.

[Susannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brand new edition of a classic graphic novel written in the 80s. I didn't realise this when I started reading it. I assumed it was a brand new story. I did wonder if it was meant to be set in the 80s because of the complete absence of cellphones, and the style of the cars. In a way I was right.

Without giving too much away, the story is about a man who has gone into hiding after working as an agent. He also possess an extraordinary power. Each part of the story takes place on a new day, covering one week in all I think. The "Kafka" of the title refers to people who have disappeared.

I enjoyed the story. The stark black and white illustrations enhance the noir mystery, and the sparse dialogue - sometimes whole pages are without it - adds to the portentousness of the espionage thriller. The only disappointing elements were that I felt an opportunity was missed to create a really clever twist ending. Also, the character of the wife exists purely as someone for the protagonist to long for - she is never developed as a character. It is still a compelling stand-alone graphic novel.

[Nick Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of a secret government project to exploit psy powers. Daniel Hutton is induced by the promise of freedom from prison to undergo a secret experiment which gives him extraordinary powers.

Collection of the six issues (one for each day of the story) first published in the 1980's. Comics originally published in black-and-white, now, in this edition, collected and published in one palette of 5-tone greyscale for scenes in the present and another of colour for Daniel Hutton's lost past.

Gaudino's loose brush style art stands out in American noir. Figures look fragile and worn.

At the end there are images of the original covers and the story of how the series was created and the journey to get it published. There are brief bios for Steven T. Seagle and Stefano Guadiano with web addresses.

I read an advance review copy from the publisher.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new edition of the Eisner nominated noir thriller has been partially colourized, using the colour as an effect to enhance the storytelling without losing the atmosphere of the original black and white. This is one of my favourite genres to read in graphic format and here we have a spy/espionage/double agent type of combo going on. The story is a little out there and removed from reality but then I find a lot of good spy stories to be that way. Dan Hutton gets screwed around royally and while you knew something was always going to come up to spoil everything again the twists are good ones and I enjoyed the ending. I especially enjoyed the atmospheric and moody artwork. Rumour has it that Kenneth Branagh is bringing this to television and I'd definitely be there to watch!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Bourne-esque story of a government-enhanced agent on the run from his shadowy masters, Kafka earns points for having the addictive quality of a good TV movie and the college English major-pleasing know-how to draw a few scenes and themes from The Trial. The book doesn't have much to say, but I don't regret spending thirty minutes with it on a Saturday morning.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mood and atmosphere of Kafka are expertly rendered, although the book has no direct association with the writer Kafka. One or two of the book's elements don't quite work perfectly, but the book is still powerful. An Eisner nominee a few years back.

[Wai Hoi Tsang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could see the end coming from miles away. But it's a good crime noir novel to read between stuff.