Graphic novels have been around for decades. Nowadays it seems like we take for granted that there are thousands of graphic novels available. That was not the case once upon a time. Pictures in books were only meant to be illustrations that accompanied the book, not the entire book. Early 19th-century artist Lynd Ward changed all that by creating God’s Man, a “wordless novel” made up of 139 woodblocks that told a sequential story and is considered the precursor to graphic novels.
An unnamed artist receives a magical paintbrush from a masked stranger, making the artist rich and famous. Sadly, the artist discovers how corrupt the real world is and gets disillusioned.
This story has been compared to Faust for its similar plot of someone selling their soul to gain wealth. You can see the similarities here but the story still draws you in and makes you feel for the artist and his plight. Sadly, God’s Man has a depressing ending.
While the ending is depressing, it fits with the saying, “You get what you wish for and you might not like it.” Stories like this usually have depressing endings since the circumstances are depressing.
Again, this is told through wordless woodblocks so the story is heavily reliant on how well these are. Thankfully, Ward manages to tell a compelling story using just his art. The character designs are creepy. They have this other-worldly, almost ghostlike look to them, giving the story an eerie feeling. The backgrounds are the best thing about the art. Most of the story takes place in a city and Ward creates this massive, imposing city and, with clever use of shadows, leaves the reader both awe-struck and intimidated. They’re something you have to see to get the full concept. You will be spending most of your time appreciating each block for how amazing they are.
God’s Man is worth “reading” no matter if you’re into high art or are a graphic novel fan. The story is told well and the art is amazing. Whether it’s the precursor to graphic novels or not God’s Man is a treasure in both the novel and graphic novel/ comic book world.
Categories: Comics
Tags: books, comics, Graphic Novel, graphic-novels, Lynd Ward, reviews
Sanrock Reviews 