This week we have another graphic novel based off of real
events. Stylistically, ‘March: Book 1’ is enticing and realistic without
overburdening the reader with detail. The gray scale gives plenty of
information in 4 or 5 shades, occasionally going to strictly black and white
for emotional effect. The layout of the pages runs smoothly. There is a nice
mix between pages full of panels to a single page of one powerful image. This
visual breaks are paced excellently and much needed. The only factor that
jarred me from the story was when some of the transitions from present to past
or vice versa was unclear. I had to search for the little time stamp hidden in
the corner of the page. It felt like I just jumped space and time and had to
desperately look for a road sign or newspaper.
The story itself is quite engaging. At the time it is
portraying, segregation is still going strong. Looking at the dates, it really
wasn’t that long ago. It’s intriguing to think of how Mr. Lewis’s life could
have been so different if he’d listened to his parents and just “laid low.” He
got in trouble for going to school. He probably would have become a minister or
chicken farmer if it weren’t for his courage. This was only a third of his
story, but Lewis was an integral part of the civil rights movement, being
extremely inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. I’m a big supporter of
non-violence. And it just made me angry to read about how people treated each
other in this book. One particular comment that irked me was one white male
saying, “Go back to Africa.” These protesters are American born citizens. It
just made me angry.
On a lighter note, I found it quite amusing that they
referenced a comic about Martin Luther King Jr. in a comic book that had a
section about how much of an inspiration he was to Lewis.
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