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Alexander Hamilton: The Graphic Novel
HAMILTON: The Graphic History brings the story of America's founding father to cinematic life. From his birth in the West Indies to his meteoric rise in the new world of America, through a scandalous affair that shook the nation and his untimely death in a duel with Aaron Burr, this is the true story of the man behind the hit Broadway musical. Extensively researched and artfully told, the most controversial aspects of Hamilton's life are explored, from his titanic feuds with his political rivals to his far-sighted abolitionism. Written by Stephen L. Stern (Beowulf; A Christmas Carol; The War of the Worlds) and illustrated by Stan Timmons (Robin Hood; Plan 9 from Outer Space), HAMILTON: The Graphic History brilliantly recreates the tumultuous revolutionary times for a contemporary audience.
122 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2019
7 people want to read
About the author
Stephen L. Stern
73 books2 followersStephen L. Stern is best known as the writer/creator of the independent comic-book, 'Zen Intergalactic Ninja', which has sold over 3 million copies and spawned two videogames, a line of action figures and many other licensed items. He is also the author of the 'Beowulf', 'A Christmas Carol' and 'War of the Worlds' graphic novels, as well as the author of the official comic-book adaptation of the animated classic, 'Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.' His current projects include 'Frickin' Butt-Kickin' Zombie Ants' and 'Serving Supes', and his autobiographical graphic novel, 'Majestic Comics', is scheduled for release in 2017. Stern is also the founder of Storyboard Graphic Novels.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 2, 2019
First off, I've never seen the Hamilton musical or read all that much about his life. So how this will affect someone who already knows the basics of the story through the musical or a more thorough, academic-type biography, I don't know.
But as a relative newcomer to the facts of Alexander Hamilton's life, I found this riveting, especially given what it manages to cram into 65 pages, give or take (the edition I read was bilingual in English and Spanish, so it's actually half the page count cited on Goodreads).
Part of what made this such an enjoyable experience is that I paused every so often to Google some interesting fact or reference that had leaped out at me to verify its historical accuracy. And I wasn't disappointed.
Did Alexander Hamilton really write a "moving account" of the hurricane that destroyed his home of St. Croix in 1772? Yes. I found the complete text of that letter online and skimmed it (especially the last few paragraphs, which are--indeed--moving some 250 years later).
Is the drawing of his tombstone on one of the final panels accurate? Spot-on, really.
I also think it's worth commenting on the quality of the printing here. The ink is clean and solid and darn near pops off the page. Actual historical documents are sometimes scanned and pasted into the panels (making it feel like you're reading them in the way their original readers would have read them).
If you're wondering how age-appropriate this might be, I'd put it on par with certain sections of the Bible like the biographical sections about King David that describe both his accomplishments and his frailties as king. Hamilton, like David, was apparently a red-blooded man who had major faults. And yet . . . he played a crucial part in history and cannot be ignored.
Even when this addresses Hamilton's love affair, it's handled tastefully. There's nothing titillating here. History is rendered in a way that is honest, educational, and (in my opinion) incredibly interesting.
As I said, your mileage may vary depending on how much you already know about Hamilton. For my part, I give it five stars for how much it made me want to know more about Hamilton and how the information I bothered to double-check through other sources did turn out to be accurate.
P.S. The official release date of the book is listed as October 9, 2019. I was able to read this over a month in advance since I purchased an early copy at a local comic convention.
But as a relative newcomer to the facts of Alexander Hamilton's life, I found this riveting, especially given what it manages to cram into 65 pages, give or take (the edition I read was bilingual in English and Spanish, so it's actually half the page count cited on Goodreads).
Part of what made this such an enjoyable experience is that I paused every so often to Google some interesting fact or reference that had leaped out at me to verify its historical accuracy. And I wasn't disappointed.
Did Alexander Hamilton really write a "moving account" of the hurricane that destroyed his home of St. Croix in 1772? Yes. I found the complete text of that letter online and skimmed it (especially the last few paragraphs, which are--indeed--moving some 250 years later).
Is the drawing of his tombstone on one of the final panels accurate? Spot-on, really.
I also think it's worth commenting on the quality of the printing here. The ink is clean and solid and darn near pops off the page. Actual historical documents are sometimes scanned and pasted into the panels (making it feel like you're reading them in the way their original readers would have read them).
If you're wondering how age-appropriate this might be, I'd put it on par with certain sections of the Bible like the biographical sections about King David that describe both his accomplishments and his frailties as king. Hamilton, like David, was apparently a red-blooded man who had major faults. And yet . . . he played a crucial part in history and cannot be ignored.
Even when this addresses Hamilton's love affair, it's handled tastefully. There's nothing titillating here. History is rendered in a way that is honest, educational, and (in my opinion) incredibly interesting.
As I said, your mileage may vary depending on how much you already know about Hamilton. For my part, I give it five stars for how much it made me want to know more about Hamilton and how the information I bothered to double-check through other sources did turn out to be accurate.
P.S. The official release date of the book is listed as October 9, 2019. I was able to read this over a month in advance since I purchased an early copy at a local comic convention.
March 14, 2020
It's always fun to see what is being sold at cons. I am particularly a sucker for buying books and graphic novels while at cons because 1) I like supporting creators, who are usually the ones there selling their own books and 2) usually these types of things will be signed at cons, which is always great. And a graphic novel about Alexander Hamilton? I had to have it.
As far as history goes, I did not learn much I didn't already know as someone who has obsessively consumed everything I could about Alexander Hamilton since I first started loving Hamilton. It's pretty basic as far as the life of Alexander Hamilton, but it may prove to be a good overview for people unfamiliar with his story.
I did love the black and white artwork by Stan Timmons and the fact it was side-by-side bilingual (written in both English and Spanish). And I still feel good about buying it. The man I bought it from, who helped produce the book, told me proceeds would help Stan, a retired Marvel artist who no longer does cons, feed his kids, and partly be donated to benefit Haiti. Who doesn't love doing three things with one purchase?
As far as history goes, I did not learn much I didn't already know as someone who has obsessively consumed everything I could about Alexander Hamilton since I first started loving Hamilton. It's pretty basic as far as the life of Alexander Hamilton, but it may prove to be a good overview for people unfamiliar with his story.
I did love the black and white artwork by Stan Timmons and the fact it was side-by-side bilingual (written in both English and Spanish). And I still feel good about buying it. The man I bought it from, who helped produce the book, told me proceeds would help Stan, a retired Marvel artist who no longer does cons, feed his kids, and partly be donated to benefit Haiti. Who doesn't love doing three things with one purchase?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews