Daily Graphic Novel Recommendation 114

Love In Vain: Robert Johnson 1911-1938

by J. M. Dupont and Mezzo
Genre notes: blues, biography
72 pages
ISBN: 0571328830 (Amazon)

There's a dark magic in this book. It's illustrations, black and white, evoke woodcuts. The story is sinister and bold and relates the life and music and story of Robert Johnson, that kid who may or may not have sold his soul to a traveling devil at the Crossroads of Here and There.

I don't know how many details are available to fill out the holes in Johnson's biography but in this case it doesn't really matter. The telling is sparse but man does this project sing. I'm really taken with it, far more so than I'd expected when I picked it up on a whim. Simply beautiful illustrations.

[Browse archive of recommendations to date]

Good Ok Bad features reviews of comics, graphic novels, manga, et cetera using a rare and auspicious three-star rating system. Point systems are notoriously fiddly, so here it's been pared down to three simple possibilities:

3 Stars = Good
2 Stars = Ok
1 Star = Bad

I am Seth T. Hahne and these are my reviews.

About the Site

Support me by buying my art on Etsy

Review copy submission may be facilitated via the Contact page.

Browse Reviews By

Other Features

Connect

 

Comics by Seth T. Hahne

Ghost Towns, a comic about names and endings by Seth T. Hahne

Monkess The Homunculus, a graphic novel for children by Seth T. Hahne

Nostalgia, an autobio comic about fear by Seth T. Hahne

Golden Rules: an 18-page comic by Seth T. Hahne

A Rainy Day Love Song: a Valentines comic by Seth T. Hahne

Free Horizon, a sci-fi comic by Austin Wilson and drawn by Seth T. Hahne