Utah, 1954. In the small town of Panguitch, Sheriff Nick Corey stumbles upon an abandoned car in the middle of the desert and the remains of a pilotless fighter plane. That night marks the beginning of a terrifying chain of events. God Bless America, a 208-page graphic novel published by Sarbacane, is Pierre-François Radice's (a sculpture professor and children's author turned crime comic book artist) adaptation of Richard Morgiève's novel The Cherokee, published by Gallimard. In black and white drawings with shades of gray created using pencil and wash, Radice immerses the reader in a tense rural America: the Cold War, the fear of communism, nuclear bombs, and serial killers intersect in landscapes of highways and desert massifs. A page-turner that's hard to put down before the end.
A dual investigation involving a military conspiracy and the hunt for a bloodthirsty killer
Nick Corey is no ordinary sheriff: a former soldier, a brilliant detective, but a man broken by the double murder of his parents during his adolescence. A plane crash, a missing atomic bomb, and a young woman kidnapped nearby quickly mobilize the FBI, specifically Jack White, the president's special advisor, with whom Corey develops an unexpected relationship. This forbidden love story between two men in a puritanical America brings a human touch to an otherwise relentless narrative. Radice judiciously chooses to soften some of the murder scenes graphically to avoid gratuitous gore, without masking the violence of the subject matter. Critics hail it as a "remarkable success" and an "excellent graphic thriller," while the large 22 x 32 cm format, the thick, off-white paper, and the airy layout make the book a beautiful object. A very pleasant surprise for fans of westerns and noir fiction.
Community
Comments
Comments are open, but protected against spam. Initial posts and comments containing links undergo manual review.
Be the first to comment on this article.