Andre the Giant: Life and Legend

Cartoonist Brown (The Survivalist) uses professional wrestling’s complex narrative devices in this biography, which pulls back the curtain on Andre the Giant (Andre Rousimoff), one of the industry’s most well-known figures. Brown tells Andre’s life story using both narrative and recollections by Andre’s contemporaries, blurring the line between what’s real and what’s just part of the show, mirroring the tradition of professional wrestling. Although he enjoyed worldwide fame, Andre’s life was hardly glamorous: he was on the road for long stretches, boozing and fighting at local dives; he suffered an array of health issues due to his immense size (he was 7’4” and weighed over 500 pounds); and he frequently felt isolated due to his enormity. Brown’s simple, blocky art keeps the story front and center, and the down-to-earth tone allows him to avoid demonizing or lionizing his subject. An engaging biography of a literally larger-than-life character. (May)