Review by Comix
When historians hundreds of years from now look back on the 20th century, they will say that it was one of the most pivotal times in civilization. In a hundred years, we have driven faster, flown higher, and connected to each other more intensely than ever thought possible. We have also committed atrocities beyond redemption and spent a good chunk of our time at war. Of all the most notable events, the horrors of the Holocaust has left the biggest scar on the human psyche, inspiring tales such as Breath of Bones: Tales of the Golem to attempt to make sense of it. Emotional and thought provoking (though thankfully, not super depressing), Breath of Bones gives the all too known story a mystical element while epically battling with Nazis.
The comic is told from the perspective of a boy named Noah who spends his time hanging out with his grandparents while waiting for his father to come back from the war. One day, as he sits on the fence watching the road his dad left on, a plane crashes from the sky. The pilot barely slips out with his life and convinces the village to hide him from the Nazis, despite Noah’s grandfathers wariness. As expected, two Nazi (is anyone else reading that word in Brad Pitts voice from Inglourious Basterds?) soldiers come looking for them and with their arrival, all Hell breaks loose. Running out of the options, the village turns to their arcane studies and bring to life a giant made of clay, a Golem.
Breath of Bones is a good comic for what it is, a story about Jews and Nazis. It’s not exactly Eisner material, I mean, it’s no Maus, but it accurately portrays the fear of capture and prosecution. I liked the Jewish mysticism angle and the black-and-white artwork was perfect for the time period, kind of like an old time news reel. Unfortunately, the story didn’t really stick with me after I closed the book. There wasn’t any exploration into the actual war itself or the history or even much about Jewish religion or Nazi propaganda. I think the problem was that it was too short. The entire series was only three issues and mostly stayed with the one village with no mention of the situation outside of it. I could see that being a creative decision, but for how serious the work was, it fell short of making any real impact. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good read, but, meh.
The writer is long-time horror contributor Steve Niles who, with Breath of Bones, is making his first serious run at a period piece. For how short the comic was, he made a solid attempt at telling an interesting story. He and his co-author Matt Santaro bring the Golem angle in very organically and makes you feel for the kid and his village. I think it would have been interesting to see things from other perspectives, like the pilot or even the Nazis (who were mostly a generic force of evil) but once again, with how short it was, he did what he could. The art, though, really made the comic shine. David Watchter, who has also been credited with inking, coloring, and cover art-ing all kinds of crazy stuff, bring it his all in to this story. The style is a mix of watercolor with a thick inking, creating a pretty oppressive atmosphere as the Nazis roll in to town. Definitely hoping to see more of his work soon, it’s the perfect mix of small comic aesthetics that can translate easily to the bigger comic scene.
So, in conclusion, if you got like fifteen bucks burning in your pocket, feel free to pick up Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem. You won’t be any worse for it.