King

Over 10 years in the making, Anderson's biographical graphic novel has theweight and depth of a lifetime of research. The book is a compelling and oftenmoving narrative of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Anderson follows Kingfrom boyhood through college and into the stormy civil rights movement. Butwhile the broad narrative of King's life may be familiar, this is hardly aClassic Comics approach to the man. In order to capture the complexity ofKing's life and times, Anderson employs a uniquely multifacted andmultilayered graphic and narrative technique that falls somewhere betweencartooning, painting, collage and documentary photography. It is deeplyeffective. At times, King's life is a straightforward narrative, but then aGreek chorus of voices will interrupt to comment on the action and otherdifferent versions of events. At other crucial moments, the pages errupt intocolor abstractions or expressionist renderings. Anchoring all this dazzlingtechnique is Anderson's acute ear for dialogue and profound understanding of hissubject. In the simplest scenes of King and his colleagues in discussion-in acar, a bar or a living room- Anderson makes history palpable. Through a variedgraphic arsenal and subtle prosse. Anderson's King comes alive.