Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History

This forceful and cinematic adaptation by comics newcomers Watts and Karimjee turns C.L.R. James’s 1934 play about the Haitian Revolution into a graphic history. In 1791, cruel enslaver and San Domingo Colonial Assembly president Bullet executes a white man for seeking political equality for mixed-race people on the island of Hispaniola. Enslaved people, already incited by the French Revolution, launch a revolt. Two years later, when news arrives that the French king has been killed, Toussaint Louverture (1743–1803) rises to become a leader of the rebellion and urges a more measured approach. Representatives from England and the United States conspire to turn the uprising to their advantage as Toussaint inspires the population. Many political machinations and skirmishes follow. By 1802, Napoleon and other leaders convince the Haitian leader General Christophe to defect in their plan to recapture the island and reinstitute slavery. Toussaint is ultimately arrested, but his capture doesn’t extinguish the fire for freedom among the formerly enslaved. The black-and-white cartoonish art never undercuts the impassioned, if occasionally overly chatty, political message, with dynamic panels depicting brutalities as well as subtle and stylish moments of realism (outdoor rainy scenes; a conversation shown in polished reflection). This fiery primer offers education and insights into Haiti’s fight for independence. (Oct.)