Abel [Paperback]

William Harms (Author), Mark Bloodworth (Author), William Harms (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Set in Friend, Nebraska during World War II, Abel is the story of racism, betrayal, and murder. At the center is thirteen-year- old John Vitosh, a lonely boy who lives under the constant violence of his older brother Philip. Friendless, John is taken under the wing of Mr. Mar, a Chinese man-servant for the wealthy Mr. Harrison, but it is a friendship which threatens to not only rip apart the Vitosh family, but the entire community of Friend as well. If you like Road to Perdition, you'll enjoy this compelling, sepia-toned graphic novel. Afterword by World Fantasy Award-winning author Rachel Pollack; matte-finished cover by Brian Wood.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: AiT/PlanetLar (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932051015
• ISBN-13: 978-1932051018
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,004,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Harms has been a professional writer and editor for nearly 15 years. He has been published by Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Top Cow.

His best-known work is Impaler, a brilliant re-imagining of the vampire myth. Impaler was a finalist for the prestigious International Horror Guild Award, one of the top literary awards for horror and dark fantasy, and has been praised by Aint-it-Cool News, IGN Comics, Fangoria, Rue Morgue magazine, Cinescape, and countless other sources.

William works fulltime as a writer in the video game industry -- he most recently wrote the story for inFamous, a PS3-exclusive title published by Sony Computer Entertainment America. inFamous was awarded IGN's Best Story of 2009 (PS3) and received praise from the Daily Telegraph, USA Today, the San Francisco Chronicle, and others.

He currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and their cat Maddie.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Stuff, July 22, 2011

By 

Charles M. Smith II - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Abel (Paperback)

I just finished this book and wanted to write my impressions while they were still fresh in my mind. This slim volume is not what I expected. It's much deeper and sadder than anything I've read in a while. I have to admit that I was not a huge fan of the art, although it was functional, it did not blow me away. However, the story did blow me away.

Don't bother reading this story if you're the type of person who loves happy endings and predictable characters. This story has neither. But it is a real gut-check story filled with real characters, both good and bad. It does a great job bringing it's WWII time frame to life, including the bigotry and ignorance that existed at the time, and still does to a, hopefully, lesser extent today. It's a story about good and evil, and about how good doesn't always win. It's about how difficult it is to do the right thing, and how we sometimes fail to do that because of fear or personal weakness. It's about the ugly side of humanity, as seen through the eyes of a small child.

Powerful stuff! I'd encourage you to read this if you like challenging stories that make you think and don't shrink from the ugly side of life.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Ugly Truth, July 16, 2003

By 

"devildog332" (Beaufort, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abel (Paperback)

William Harms has done a wonderful job of showing us how things would work out in reality. Things aren't always the way they should be. This piece of work is not your typical feel good comic but it defintely has something to say and is worth the time of a mature reader.

It is a bold piece of work and I highly recommened it to anyone who would dare to look the world in it's ugly face.

5.0 out of 5 stars A mirror to our world, October 27, 2002

By 

Li C. Kuo "jetlikuo" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Abel (Paperback)

Our world isn't a pretty place, good guys don't always win, and people don't always do the right thing. Harms shows us a reflection of the uglier parts of humankind that is unfiltered and unflinching. While the art isn't cutting edge, the story is evergreen. This tale definitely isn't predictable, at least, not if you're used to homogenized Hollywood fluff. It does a good job of tricking you into thinking you know where you're headed and then taking you somewhere else. And to be honest, that "somewhere else" isn't a very nice place. But it is a place that exists in our world and shouldn't be ignored. While Abel story is set many decades ago, the themes of hatred, fear, and ignorance are still alive and well today.

Bottom Line: I'm glad I picked up Abel, and I think you will be too.