Customer Reviews

A History of Violence

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Looking ever so forward to the David Cronenberg-directed adaptation of _A History of Violence_ to arrive at my local theater, I found it of the utmost exigency to buy the 1997 graphic novel that inspired it. And let me tell you, it does not disappoint one bit.

_AHoV_ tells of a small-town Michigan diner owner named Tom McKenna. McKenna is a nice guy with a loving wife, an adorable preschool daughter, and a quirky but still likable teenage son. Life is just one uneventful day after another - just as Tom likes it.

Until one day that should have been like every other, two thugs with robbery and murder on their minds enter Tom's diner for the first (and last) time. The hoodlums decide to push their luck until Tom is forced to kill one and badly injure the other. The press catches wind of the incident of course. While Tom is hailed as a hero by his friends and neighbors, he does whatever he can to downplay his newfound fame. It doesn't work.

Shortly after the failed robbery attempt, three mobsters from New York City come to the diner. All three of them have rap sheets with just about everything on them except broadcasting without the expressed written consent of Major League Baseball. Johnny Torrino, the leader of the three, is an aging assassin with failing eyesight looking for someone named "Joey", whom he needs to settle a score with. Torrino wears a necklace with a Joey's severed finger as a pendant. Mckenna, curiously enough, is missing one of his little fingers. Soon, it becomes evident that McKenna lived another life before settling down to small-town family life.

What makes _AHoV_ stand out from all the "edgy" graphic novels on the shelves is how it reads more like a great crime novel than just another graphic novel. It has a cinematic atmosphere that feels like what would happen if Martin Scorsese and Sam Peckinpah were to collaborate on a film. Make no mistake about it, this is one grisly read. Even with the borderline minimalist black and white artwork, the violence elicits more than a few cringes. Characters are either done in with or injured by bullets, axes, chainsaws, axes, power drills, etc. Take that "Suggested for Mature Readers" label seriously here.

But even with all the bloodshed, there is plenty of heart here as well. Tom and his family are presented as people just trying to keep their heads above water when faced with an unexpected and hostile situation. Tom does everything he believes he can do to keep his family of danger. You can't help but feel for the McKennas.

I love everything that _AHoV_ represents. There are no super"heroes" who are more attitude than personality, no superheroines who look like Playboy centerfolds, and no absurd comic book cliches. It's just a nice little (albeit graphically violent) tale of how the average American is anything but. For all those aspiring comics artists and writers trying to figure out how they are going to reinvent Superman the 16,549th time, read _AHoV_ and learn something new.

As other reviewers have noted, David Cronenberg's movie adaptation of "A History of Violence" will be released at the end of the year. This is the primary reason I picked up this graphic novel tha I passed on when it was first published. I'm glad I did pick it up, because John Wagner and Vincent Locke have crafted a gut-wrenching story of violence and revenge that transcends its lurid subject matter.

Wagner's premise is simple. Tom McKenna, husband and father of two, is closing up his diner when a couple of killers attempt to rob and murder him. Tom foils them, killing one in the process. Naturally, he receives a great deal of publicity, which he seeks to avoid. In short order, some very tough looking types come around looking a guy named Joey, a guy, it seems, who resembles Tom, right down to missing a finger. What follows is a hard-boiled tale in the best tradition of Ross MacDonald or Jim Thompson, as Tom finds his past catching up to him, and trying to eat him and his family alive, while Tom does everything in his power to beat that monster back (including killing a few people).

John Wagner is a British comic book writer, most remembered as a co-creator of Judge Dredd. That early work shows to some extent. "A History of Violence" is, well, violent, often appallingly so, as Tom is witness to, and himself inflicts, all manner of cruelty upon human beings. However, Wagner imbues his work with a soul. Tom and his wife, Edie, are good people, and Wagner makes it clear that whatever Tom has done, he has paid his dues. He deserves his happiness. That is underscored by the appalling antagonists Tom fights. Wagner further makes it plain that for Tom to win the final showdown, he still has to pay one last due.

Vince Locke's art is an interesting moody and sketchy style. It is highly detailed on the one hand, and yet his line work has an almost surreal quality, reminiscent of a woodcut. While it goes without saying the acts of violence are vivid (and almost difficult to view at times), Locke also depicts the more mundane aspects of the McKennas' lives, underscoring the everyman quality of Tom and the essentially average existence he leads.

Cronenberg has admitted in interviews that he did not know that the script for "A History of Violence" was originally a graphic novel until he and the screenwriter had gone through several drafts. Still, the advance reviews are good. The key to a successful translation of this GN to film is maintaining the central point: you have a gun in your face-what do you do?

I'm glad I got the book, which is actually a very graphic comic book that goes far beyond the film version which is "based" on the book. This book is far superior to the film, in my view, although it is so graphic that I was wincing at parts of it. Imagine whatever weapon you want - chainsaws, drills, guns, knives...and you'll find them being used in this story. The drawings are very...detailed...and my tolerance wasn't as high as it should have been to handle all that blood and gore, at least not in illustrations. I prefer to read about stuff like that. Visuals can be too intense for me.
Still, don't let me scare you off. This book was not only believable but had integrity and heart, in its own violent, grisly way. I have to admit there were times I wished I was simply reading words on a page instead of having the images thrust in my face (this may also be the reason why the film sometimes seems "watered down" compared to the book, which is so graphic that it might have turned off film audiences).
You won't find any superheroes like Batman or Superman in this book. It is the type of comic that represents real life, starting with a guy, Tom, who seems to have a pretty low key life in a very small town. He runs the diner. He's barely on anyone's radar screen, apart from the people he knows in town and his wife and kids. He has a reputation for being a decent guy, even a better than average guy with a generous heart...but he's not particularly ambitious and he certainly isn't out to make waves. In fact, he PREFERS being out of the limelight - for reasons even his own family wouldn't suspect.
Everything changes when a couple of lowlifes come to town and try to rob him. He's forced to protect himself and those in the diner and he does so with amazing skill. Even so, no one suspects that this is particularly unusual, except for the fact that this type of crime doesn't usually happen in their town. So he's the hero of the local (and even the national) media for awhile and then it seems that things will die down.
Except that they dont...and in the process, Tom is forced to examine his entire life, going back to a childhood which wasn't always so peaceful, to hidden parts of his past...and he also puts his family in danger and tests his marriage and his wife's trust.

I wanted to read this GN because I'm a big fan of David Cronenberg, going back to the days when my friend Ken and I went to see Videodrome for the first time at the Vogue Theatre. Cronenberg's new movie, which was just screened at Cannes is based on this GN. It may never make it to Sydney,(unless Parker gets it at his fall mini film fesival) and I always want to see the source of movies by Cronenberg, Kubrick, Speilberg, etc so I had to get this. I only found out it was a GN by reading it in some obscure review of the movie. Amazon.com was also the only place I could find this book, so thanks for that guys!

I didn't know anything about John Wagner the writer either, though I've read many GN's over the years, especially Frank Miller and Alan Moore, (Dark Knight Returns,Sin City, Sandman, etc). I Didn't know the illustrator either.

With all that said and done with, this is truly a terrific read and visually very effective and stunning in stark black and white, basically pencil drawings with shading for mode. It's very well drawn.

The story is well plotted, twisted, dark, vengeful,depraved almost with the bizarre discovery at the end, and not something for everyone's tastes. if you liked the GN's and Movie version of Sin City, and movies like Pulp Fiction, and mafia stories, well then you'll like this. It's a film noir type GN, though incredibly graphic near the end. I really didn't like what was going on when I found out, but it doesn't stop me from saying this is an amazing piece of crime fiction.

I now realize why Cronenberg went after the GN for a film and also realize why some people's comments coming from Cannes were full of fear and loathing of him for making this film. I'm sure he went over ther top with the violence as only he can do(maybe Quentin Tarantino could to).

That said I think anyway who enjoys crime fiction (that's what this really is) will want to read this GN, just be forewarned because the bizarro ending is a combination of Pulp Fiction, Boxing Helena, Straw Dogs, and any dozen or so Jim Thompson novels, especially Population 1280. I will search out other John Wagner titles after reading this one.

It's also terrific that the film makers are using GNs as source materials these days. The work in writing and drawing a GN is just as hard and literary and artistic as novel writing and painting. People working in the GN business should be recognized more for their work, of course those that read GNs know what I'm talking about, don't you.

hope this helps
waiting for the film
Paul

After watching the film and being disappointed in it I decided to check out the book. To my surprise the book is much much better. The movie just felt like the producers tried to throw shocking graphics in, such as all the sex scenes, and there was many holes to the story. The graphic novel goes into more detail of all the events including how things got to where they are currently. The movie never tells the past of Tom or what exactly he did so we have to assume. The book is just as graphic as the movie, if not more Graphic, at least as graphic as a Graphic Novel can get. The images are very sketchy and in black and white. It is a quick read but if you dislike Comic Book style of writing or violence this book obviously is not for you.

I picked up A History Of Violence from Borders, after having heard a lot of good things.
It's a fast and easy read, but also fun and compelling. The story moves extremely fast and swiftly, even with the main character, Tom McKenna, having lengthy flashbacks to his younger years.

The story was written well, a lot of the action and violence is sudden and shocking and it's hard not to feel sorry for Tom and his family, all the while wondering whether or not Tom actually has a history (of violence ;D) with the mafia.

The artwork is gritty and somewhat realistic, in complete black and white. I don't know if this was a choice to make the story seem more bleak and colourless, maybe it's to demonstrate that black and white contrast of right and wrong and good or bad? I'm not sure. Even so, the artwork remind me of Eddie Campbell's artwork, specifically on his work on From Hell.

My only main criticism is the lack of character development, particularly with Tom's family. His wife Edie always seemed very much two dimensional to me, and his teenage son seemed stereotypical to a tee.

But other than that, this is a great story that's well worth the read. It has some pretty shocking twists and some edgy artwork.

I read this before watching the film adaption, and I prefer the book. The movie is fine on its own but it takes too many liberties with characters and the storyline in general.
I'd recommend the book over the movie.

I am a huge Cronenberg fan, and the actors he chose for the film were all 'dead on', excellent actors.
BUT, I was hugely disappointed to change the final act of the book, and virtually remove the impact, the horror and the great original ending of the book.
The graphic novel is an amazing read, I highly recommend it, and the film is still a good watch, but somewhat disappointed one for me.

A History of Violence is Graphic and Realistic. The suspense and story build and there are many surprises. It is enjoyable to watch a relatively average individual react to an extra ordinary set of circumstances.

The Graphic Novel and Movie are different enough that each should be experienced. I thoroughly enjoyed both.

A History of Violence was a shocking tale of a small-town man with a shady past. The visuals were excellent and horrifying, and the writing was great. This graphic novel tells the story of Tom McKenna, who shoots two gangsters when they hold up his diner. A suspicious group of men come looking for Tom, claiming he is someone called Joey Giuseppe. As Tom deals with the problems building up around him, an expertly crafted thriller unfolds.
The depiction of the New York hoods, of which there are many, from the crew who comes looking for Tom to New York's biggest crime boss, are quite accurate and portray the antagonists in all their cold-blooded cruelty. As the pieces of Tom's back story fall into place like an intricate jigsaw puzzle, we find ourselves wondering if there really is a hero, or if everyone who enters the book has already crossed over to the dark side.
With the book having the title it does, there is bound to be a plethora of blood and gore. The violence, however, does not detract from the novel, but merely adds to the disgust we feel whenever we encounter one of Tom's old nemesises. The blood starts almost immediately, when two hitchikers are shot for money the killers do not have, and ends with a gruesome scene involving blowtorches, drills, a chainsaw, and various body parts. The most shocking thing I have ever seen in a graphic novel appeared in this book, showcasing the horrible transformation of Tom's old friend Richie.
The supporting character's add to the story greatly. Tom's daughter brings empathy for his family, his wife joins us in the state of fear we are experiencing, while trying to keep her children calm, and Tom's son Buzz's look of fear is powerful enough to freeze blood. The wannabe robbers which Tom takes care of are eerily foreshadowing what Tom will be up against later on. Though Johnny Torrino's henchman look innocent and boyish, they show their cruel side later on. And the typical cop tries to do his job in this book.
I have not yet seen the film, but you can never beat the original for shock value. A History of Violence is an excellent book for anyone looking for a good social commentary or teenage boys obsessed with violence themselves.

John Wagner, A History of Violence (Vertigo, 1997)

It should go without saying that the book contains spoilers for the movie. But I'll say it just in case.

A History of Violence is the graphic novel on which the recent David Cronenberg movie is based. It tells the story of Tom McKenna, a guy from the middle-of-nowhere midwest who makes himself a small-town hero by facing down, and subduing, a couple of crooks looking to hold up his diner. When he does so and his face gets into the papers, though, some guys from a past he's trying to forget turn up.

While the book begins somewhat slowly, once we get into Tom's past, things pick up quite nicely; I read the rest of it in one go over my lunch hour. The art is unobtrusive, and gets out of the way so Wagner can tell his story; an interesting concept, not normal in graphic novels, but one that does the job here.

Good stuff. If you liked the movie, the book is a no-brainer. *** ½