Big Man and the Little Men: A Graphic Novel

Whiting Award winner Thompson (Twin of Blackness) presents a timely exploration of political lesser evils and complicated truths in his first graphic novel. Essayist April Wells gets hired by Metropolis magazine to follow the campaign of aspiring Democrat presidential nominee Bill Waters despite her lack of journalistic background. Then a woman contacts April asking for a confidential meeting; she claims that Waters sexually assaulted her and that, as well, the rumors of his dalliances with male staffers are true. April, feeling out of her depth and worried that reporting on the woman’s claim could benefit the campaign of the racist, brash Republican nominee opposing Waters, brings the dilemma to her editor. But then her editor mysteriously vanishes. Uncertain and worried for her safety (“if there was ever a time to be paranoid...”), she reaches out to the mayor of her hometown, a former high school acquaintance, who is prepping to hold the Democratic National Convention in the city. Untangling the reality behind the spin uncovers more questions and forces April to make a difficult choice. Thompson’s flat, untrained drawings are earnest and evoke folk art, but they fail to meet the complexity of his probing themes; it’s a curious juxtaposition, but as comics, there’s an over-reliance on talking-head scenes and stiff figures, with a tendency to spell out exposition. However, it lands as a valiant, if not entirely successful, effort. Agent: Andrew Blauner, Blauner Books. (Nov.)