THE LEGEND OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER

Hodges (Saint George and the Dragon) masterfully adapts William Caxton's 15th-century translation of The Golden Legend to serve up a saint's tale with strong folkloric elements. Offero, a strong man who works as a bearer (porter), wants to serve the greatest king in the world. When he discovers that the king fears the devil, Offero concludes the devil is mightier, and serves him until he learns that the devil fears Christ. Offero's search to serve Christ teaches him that his own inner grace is even stronger than his physical prowess. Watson's (The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake) artwork achieves a startling blend of the ancient and the timeless, the archetypal and the particular—he paints narrative elements in representational oils, reserving the backgrounds for abstract patterns that hint at the mythic roots of legend. All ages. (Sept.)