The Saga of the Bloody Benders (A Treasury of Victorian Murder) [Paperback]

Rick Geary (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Treasury of Victorian Murder | Publication Date: February 1, 2008

In his next volume, Geary takes us out to the wild west and the just opened up prairies of Kansas. Out on a deserted stretch of road linking newly forming towns, a mysterious family stakes a claim and builds an inn for weary visitors. Soon, reports multiply of disappearances around that area. Generally, those who disappear have plenty of cash on them. A delicious tale of a gruesome family fronted by a beguiling lass who led their victims on…

A SELECTION OF THE `BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2008` Guest edited by Linda Barry.

A YALSA (Youth Librarians) 2008 GREAT GRAPHIC NOVEL.

"ONE OF THE BEST COMICS OF 2007. Geary is working on a higher plane than just about every other comics creator in the business." -The Onion

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Geary's ninth volume in his violent but informative and well-researched series covers the little known tale of the so-called Bloody Benders, a mysterious family of possibly German immigrants who set up a small grocery/hotel catering to travelers along the Osage Trail in southern Kansas in 1870. The townspeople figure out pretty quick that the Benders are an odd lot (the ethereally beautiful daughter holds séances and claims to be a healer, while the ape-like father barely speaks, and the son seems simpleminded). It takes them quite a bit longer to glom on to the fact that too many travelers, especially those with money, are disappearing near the Benders' place. By the time the locals catch on, the Benders have fled, leaving a multitude of gruesome clues behind. Because much about the Benders remains unknown, the story easily lends itself to fantasy and speculation, and Geary recounts theories about who they really were and what happened to them, presented in a quite credible manner, all accompanied by his usual exquisite art. Geary's riveting writing has a journalistic, matter-of-fact tone, making it quite palatable to adult audiences; though the subject matter may make some school librarians think twice. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—The Bender clan—nearly silent mother, German-speaking father, voluble adult son, and flirtatious adult daughter—arrives in Kansas in the early 1870s. On the prairie, along the Osage Trail that travelers take from northeast to central south in their new state, the family builds a combination dwelling, inn, and grocery. It's just a small frame house really, with family quarters curtained off from the larger area of the building where the public stops in for provisions, a meal, or perhaps a night's rest. There's a basement underneath, with a large, flat stone serving as its floor. Travelers in the vicinity are disappearing, but for a long time no one realizes it. As ever, Geary's details are well researched and presented in suspenseful, Victorian-like perspective, moody with minimalist detail. Period social concepts are folded into the storytelling, including the use of the term "savages" by a visiting missionary who manages to escape alive when he senses movement behind the curtain partition-the movement of Mr. Bender passing, carrying a small sledgehammer. True-crime fans will enjoy this book and history teachers may find inspiration for joining research to compelling storytelling.—Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 78 pages
• Publisher: NBM Publishing (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561634999
• ISBN-13: 978-1561634996
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,441,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Mystery

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bloody Brilliant!, May 17, 2010

By 

Sam Quixote - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Saga of the Bloody Benders (A Treasury of Victorian Murder) (Paperback)

"The Bloody Benders" were a small German immigrant family who settled in late 19th century Kansas, opened a grocery store/inn and began murdering rich lodgers and stashing the bodies across the prarie and in a ditch beneath the house.

The ringleader appeared to be the young woman who pretended to speak to spirits and who would find out about the visitors who showed up at their inn. If they had money she would position them in the seat where their backs would be to a screen where one of the other 3 family members would bludgeon the visitor, rob him, then take him down to the ditch/basement and cut his throat.

They murdered over a dozen innocent people and then fled when they realised they had been found out. They were never caught and people around the country thought they saw various family members at one time or another. It wasn't even determined if they really were family or not.

Geary draws and tells the story brilliantly. The pictures of a late 19th century Kansas conjures up a wistful portrait of frontier life with all it's romance and harshness. The Bender's Inn is drawn in detail and shows how cramped conditions were in those days where you bought the land but had to build the house yourself. The artwork reminded me of Crumb but was different enough to say Geary has his own style. The story clips along at a quick pace and is easily read at an enjoyable sitting.

Overall, an interesting little history lesson about an obscure but fascinating case brought vividly back to life with Geary's illustrations and brisk storytelling. I've already ordered other books in Geary's series of Victorian murders so that's how much I enjoyed it. Can't wait for more forgotten cases of murderers from the past!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richly Detailed and Legitimately Spooky!, October 1, 2008

By 

Amanda J. Henning "bond_girl_double07" (Marysville, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Saga of the Bloody Benders (A Treasury of Victorian Murder) (Paperback)

I almost didn't order this book for the teen section of the library where I work, and I was honestly surprised at how fantastic it was when it came in. The pen and ink illustrations are beautiful and detailed, and Geary tells the story with interest. All of our staff members are hooked on this series now, I'm currently reading "The Case of Madeline Smith" and love it! Great series for fans of true crime..

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hipster Says--The "Treasury of Victorian Murder' series does not disappoint., August 8, 2007

By 

The Mystic Eye Of The Hipster (Murfreesboro, TN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Treasury of Victorian Murder: THE BLOODY BENDERS (Hardcover)

Geary has opened a chapter in history in a very accessible way with this graphic novel series.

And "The Bloody Benders" is a fine addition to the series, recounting th history of a family of robber/murderers in the West that kill by stealth, & could easily appear in today's headlines. Their disappearance as mysterious as their lives.

Geary's art & writing improve steadily as time goes by, & while the first volumes in the series are very, very good, this one has a fine polish to it.

If you like it, try these--
The Big Book of the Weird Wild West: How the West was Really Won! (Factoid Books)

Daisy Kutter: The Last Train (Daisy Kutter: The Last Train (Turtleback))