A Contract With God

I recently joined a Vox group called Graphic Novels created by Dyschordant. And what better book to post about in this group than the first official GN: A Contract with God by Will Eisner.

This volume contains 4 stories, all taking place in New York around 1930-40, and they are all inspired by real people and events, from Eisner's own past.

These are little personal stories, about normal people living in difficult situations.

The first story that gives the title to this GN deals with one man's faith in God, and how that faith quickly changes after an important loss.

The second called Street Singers is about a poor man who is struggling to provide for his family, but he might have found a way out, thanks to his voice.

The third story called The Super is about a man slightly retarded, who is hated by all his tenants, but he is actually a victim.

The fourth one is about a summer vacation, when people of poor origins look for new beginnigs.

I liked all these stories. They were all interesting and dramatic. I was surprised by how adult they all were, dealing with faith, and sex and other adult themes.

Eisner's storytelling skills are obviously excellent. Even though his panels are not perfectly separated by a box line, the flow of the panels feels perfectly natural. Some panels are even part of the following panel, in an almost surrealistic approach.

I have to admit that reviewing this GN feels completely useless, because every comics fan should have read this, and everybody should have studied this. If you are a new comics fan, do yourself a favor and get this book.