The Comic Torah: Reimagining the Good Book

An irreverent and occasionally amusing interpretation of sacred texts, this imagines the Jewish Lord as a green-skinned woman, one of many deities; a god whose personal failings are all too human, more akin to those of a spoiled child playing with its toys than the actions of an all-knowing, all-powerful god. Familiar stories are recast in this light; we see JHWH manipulating both Moses and Pharaoh to make them play the roles she has assigned for them and her interest in the Land of Milk and Honey—personified as an open-minded platinum-haired blonde—is not territorial but rather overtly sexual. Some people may find this imaginative approach offensive, even heretical; although not as specifically focused or as detailed about this specific period as this work, Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe covered similar ground decades ago and did so more skillfully. While theologists may be puzzled, the hyperactive, colorful art brings the story to life far more than more reverent versions. (Oct.)