My First Comic Book Encounter

Will Eisner's "A Contract With God," is the first comic book I have ever read. Yes, I said it. Before entering Judaism in Comic Books, the only type of graphic novel I had experience with was skimming through a few pages of “Maus,” which I am also quite eager about. But, I must say that after reading one of Eisner’s works, I am truly excited to make it up to myself. I would have never known graphic novels and comic books could be so in depth, because I virtually know nothing about them.

When I think comic books, I think Spiderman, and that's about it. So, when enrolling for this class I repeatedly asked myself how a class could be based on comic books, specifically Judaism in comic books. What I have learned so far is that “comic book” doesn’t have to mean just superheroes and villains. After reading some of Eisner’s work, I feel like comic books are just a different template for any kind of story. It doesn’t make them less important or less interesting. Eisner touches on themes that any author could in a novel, he just also happens to provide us with some interesting graphics to go along with it. Which, I completely appreciate. I’ve come to realize the graphics in comic books are not just pictures, they’re artwork. The attention to detail specifically in “A Contract With God,” should be admired.

I liked Eisner’s portrayal of the Bronx, because it really allows us to get a feel for the tenement structure of how people lived. Because this book is semi-autobiographical, this encourages me to understand that this is really how people lived during this time period. A book could express this to me, but sometimes it’s nice to have the picture painted for us to get a better emotional understanding.

I’m interested to see what else Eisner has to offer, as well as if any of his themes cross over into his other works.