Abel

by William Harms, Mark Bloodworth

Set in Friend, Nebraska during World War II, Abel is the story of racism, betrayal, and murder. At the center is thirteen-year- old John Vitosh, a lonely boy who lives under the constant violence of his older brother Philip. Friendless, John is taken under the wing of Mr. Mar, a Chinese man-servant for the wealthy Mr. Harrison, but it is a friendship which threatens to not only rip apart the Vitosh family, but the entire community of Friend as well. If you like Road to Perdition, you'll enjoy this compelling, sepia-toned graphic novel. Afterword by World Fantasy Award-winning author Rachel Pollack; matte-finished cover by Brian Wood.

Genres: Graphic Novels

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

William Harms has written for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, Top Cow, Sony Computer Entertainment, and 2K. He was the lead writer on Mafia III, which was widely acclaimed for its narrative and was nominated for several writing awards, including a British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Games Award.

His graphic novel series Impaler was nominated for an International Horror Guild Award.

He resides in Northern California.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rough. You try not to think about the cruelty of teenagers, but this book shines a spotlight on it. I also discussed the fear and cowardice of good children. I read it quickly and it did not disappoint.

[May · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tragedy that simply grips your heart and does not let go even after you finished reading the book. The story touches on powerful themes such as racism, poverty, violence, compassion and perhaps, even forgiveness. The ending is both expected and shocking and yet, abrupt as there is no possibility of closure for John, the young protagonist. If this story was your typical literacy fiction book, the author would have been compelled to write some sort of closure for John but in this format, readers are simply left to ponder if this tragedy could have been been prevented given John's circumstances and his character.

[Spencer]

Meh.
The afterward by Rachel Pollack was much better than the graphic novel itself, going a bit deeper into the concept (which was pretty subtle and, in my humble opinion, not executed very well). Pollack's analysis of the theme of lying is interesting and makes the graphic novel resonate a little better after the fact, but it also feels like when you read an art critic's analysis of a painting where the critic's words are much more artistic than the artist's work.