Will Eisner, 498 pages
Heartwarming. There, I said it. I found this classic graphic novel collection on Sunday right here at Central Library. I picked it up mainly because for some reason I have never managed to look at Will Eisner's work. I assumed that the narrative would be old fashioned, dull, and that I wouldn't enjoy the quality of his illustrations- I am happy to say that I couldn't have been more wrong. Eisner published the first book in the trilogy, A Contract With God, when he was sixty-one. Each book in the trilogy is set on or around fictional Dropsie Avenue, in the Bronx. Eisner weaves together the lives of all types of people who grow up and live on Dropsie Avenue, through several different periods of American history. As I devoured each book in the trilogy, I appreciated how he handled the narrative in a way that felt honest. Horrible things happen to people as well as wonderful things, people struggle with the meaning of their existence, and a neighborhood struggles to withstand the changing times. No one is safe, but life moves along. The stories speak to us from another time, yet felt fresh and relevant.
The illustration of each book was a real a feast for the eyes- there were some pages that I kept flipping back to just to make sure that I took the time to appreciate them. The line work and composition is dynamic, each panel expressive. A Contract With God was my favorite book visually, as there are full pages where image and text that are in complete harmony with one another. So glad I picked this one up.
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