Social Blunderer

The Photographer of Mauthausen
by Written by Salva Rubio; Drawn by Pedro J. Colombo; Colored by Aintzane Landa

Dead Reckoning
Comics & Graphic Novels | History
Pub Date 11 Nov 2020   

Thanks to Netgally for providing the ARC.

So many terrible things happened during WW2. It is vital that as many of stories of those that experienced it are remembered. This is as much for our sakes as it is for theirs.

This was a heartbreaking read. It tells the story of Francisco Boix and his time at Mauthausen, a Nazi concentration camp. The method of death preferred at Mauthausen was to work the prisoners to death.

I was not familiar with Francisco Boix before I read this book. He went through hell. A Spanish communist he was transported to Mauthausen. Because he was a trained photographer, he was given the “privilege” of assisting SS officer Paul Ricken. Ricken’s hobby was photographing the deaths of the prisoners in the camp. An accountant and administrator at the camp Ricken’s vileness is particularly notable. Here he comes across as a serial killer gathering trophies who is demented enough to believe what he is doing is high art. Boix spurred on by the fact he faces certain death wants to save the negatives and use them as evidence of Nazi misdeeds.

His attempts at gathering evidence of Nazi crimes puts himself and the entire camp at risk. This bloody-minded determination causes him to do things that cause rifts between himself and every other prisoner in the camp. This is a book full of tragic moments. There is a courtroom scene at the end of the book that moved me to tears at the utter unfairness of it all.

It says a lot that The Photographer of Mauthausen reminded me of films like Schindler’s List and The Great Escape. It’s not entirely like either of those. Still, it manages to portray the causal workmanlike cruelty of the Nazi and the sense of danger that prisoners attempting to something daring equally well.

Rubio does a truly admirable job of keeping you at the edge of your seat, fearful at what fate beholds Boix and his allies at the turn of every page. Colombo’s and Landa’s art is impressive. So much relies on the eyes of the characters, their hopes and fears, the need to hide their true feelings. Gory scenes are placed alongside intimate conversations, and it all just works. In lesser hands such a juxtaposition might not have. The Photographer of Mauthausen is a great accomplishment. There are a lot of graphic novels about WW2 very few of them are as good as this.

Big Black: Stand at Attica by Frank “Big Black” Smith, Jared Reinmuth, Ameziane
BOOM! Studios / Archaia
Description
A graphic novel memoir from Frank “Big Black” Smith, a prisoner at Attica State Prison in 1971, whose rebellion against the injustices of the prison system remains one of the bloodiest civil rights confrontations in American history.
FOUR DAYS IN 1971 CHANGED THE COURSE OF AMERICAN HISTORY. THIS IS THE TRUE STORY FROM THE MAN AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL.
In the summer of 1971, the New York’s Attica State Prison is a symbol of everything broken in America – abused prisoners, rampant racism and a blind eye turned towards the injustices perpetrated on the powerless. But when the guards at Attica overreact to a minor incident, the prisoners decide they’ve had enough – and revolt against their jailers, taking them hostage and making demands for humane conditions. Frank “Big Black” Smith finds himself at the center of this uprising, struggling to protect hostages, prisoners and negotiators alike. But when the only avenue for justice seems to be negotiating with ambitious Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Big Black soon discovers there may be no hope in finding a peaceful resolution for the prisoners in Attica.
Written by Jared Reinmuth and Frank “Big Black” Smith himself, adapted and illustrated by Ameziane, Big Black: Stand At Attica is an unflinching look at the price of standing up to injustice in what remains one of the bloodiest civil rights confrontations in American history.

Review
Notes:
Digital review copy provided by NetGalley. My experience was marred by not being able to view the double-page spreads properly.

Attica. Being British it is not an event I knew a lot about. In fact, my knowledge of it comes from films like Dog Day Afternoon and references in popular culture. The state-sanctioned murder of prisoners and the subsequent cover-up are an affront to the rule of law. Some of the panels drawn by Ameziane are sickening. The depictions of torture, in particular, were difficult to read, the desperation and terror felt by the prisoners as the guards take their revenge are brought to life skillfully.
Frank “Big Black” Smith is the focus of the book. He is a magnetic presence, and you get a feel for the charisma he must have had in real life. One does get a sense that he is blowing his own trumpet and the book, in my opinion, glosses over any flaws he has.
It would be impossible to review this book without having BLM in the back of one’s mind. The racism, both systemic and outright that caused the kidnappings and riots at Attica all those years ago are still present today.
The dialogue stands out. It is not often in a comic that you get a real sense of a character’s personality and goals just from a few lines, but that happens here. Even the minor characters seem well rounded and 3rd dimensional.
My experience was marred by Adobe Digital Edition. I wasn’t able to use two-page view mode, and that made sections of the book that relied on two-page spread challenging to read. I enjoyed Big Black: Stand at Attica, but it did make me wonder about the inherent limitations of the graphic novel format. I just felt like there so much more to know. With as many characters as there are some of the talking head sections felt crowded. Maybe with a story like this that has so many strands any art form would have struggled to convey what happened. Frank’s story touches on political corruption, a flawed justice system, institutional brutality, and, the media’s complicity when the state abuses its power. Heavy themes.

As an introduction to Frank, Attica, and, the events that happened in 1971, Big Black: Stand at Attica serves as a compelling introduction. Ameziane artwork is impressive, and I am eager to get my hands on a hard copy so I can appreciate it fully.

Eden
by Script & art by Tomek Woroniak

Europe Comics
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 22 Apr 2020  

Description
Once upon a Christmas Eve, animals begin to talk. And they refuse to be muzzled again. Humans aren’t going to like what they have to say, and it isn’t long before the consequences of the animals’ newfound communication turn tragic. Not understanding their pets is no longer a valid excuse for ignorant masters, and shunning those who squeal and chirp ceases to be feasible. The tables are turned, and it’s up to humankind to deal with the situation. A smart, thought-provoking book that prompts readers to rethink their habits, and which stands as a superbly crafted, emotion-packed story.

REVIEW

I can’t say I enjoyed Eden. Too many of the elements did not work. It is overly long. The black and white art in parts is fantastic but also inconsistent. It would have benefited Woroniak
to have worked with an editor that could chop 20 or 30 pages from the novel.

Eden is set in a world where animals begin to talk and have taken over. I kind of fell at this hurdle. In terms of suspending my disbelief and falling into the world that the author created I just didn’t. I just don’t believe that with humanities violent capability that this would have happened.

Humans have been relegated to being an underclass, and there are hints that the new animal regime is rife with hypocrisy and abuse.

The themes of veganism, virtue signalling, tyranny, and, how to navigate a brave new world are all explored.

The dialogue is effective. It is in turns sharp and funny when it needs to be, and it also pulls on your heartstrings, especially in the scenes between Simon and his parents. I did a podcast about this book, and I was less harsh on it there but thinking about it now I don’t think I can recommend it. The good stuff in here is marred by cliché drug-taking scenes and a protagonist that is hard to root for because he is so passive.

Woroniak is a talented cartoonist, and I’d look forward to reading his future, but for me, this was a miss.

Beneficio by Michał Kalicki & Gawron

Europe Comics

Pub Date 22 Apr 2020  

Description

Not so long ago, humankind did not move as widely as it does today. Few left their native village, and people were left to wonder what lay beyond the next hill or valley. But life was full of storytellers, folklore, performers, nature. These days anyone can buy a ticket to the other side of the world, but what is the purpose? What are we seeking? This poetic work seeks evasive answers to the questions we have all asked ourselves about the mysteries of modern life.

REVIEW

My review is that I didn’t get. I felt a bit thick reading this. It felt like it was referencing things that I didn’t know about. The art is eerie and the colour palette is gives a sense of strangeness. From my understanding one of the themes explored is loneliness and strangeness of the modern world.

Some of the images lingered with me after I put it down. This book is a surreal and often abstract travelogue that baffled me. The lettering frustrated me and I can’t say I enjoyed reading it. I’d say it verges on pretentiousness but I’m not sure that is true.

Not sure who would enjoy this. If I have any Polish readers can you please let me know how it reads in its native language.