Customer Reviews

The Iron Wagon

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Iron Wagon is a graphic novel based upon a book by Stein Riverton, a Norwegian writer, which was published in 1909 but has never been translated into English. Jason creates the early 20th century without effort and the scenery of blank mountain scapes, spindly night forests, and open empty fields crossed by a dirt path, are beautifully drawn and wonderful to see. I've gone back to the book several times just to look at the individual panels.

Not having read the original novel I couldn't say how faithful an adaptation it is, however the story and contains a lot more dialogue than usually appears in a Jason book. It is a murder mystery story in the style of Agatha Christie (and contains a famous plot device used in one of Christie's most famous books), where a game keeper in the countryside of Norway is murdered walking home in the dark. An odd sound is heard and the story of the Iron Wagon, a ghostly apparition of a wagon and its driver who met with a grisly fate, is revealed. Is the death of the game keeper due to a ghost or is an earthly solution more likely? Why does the dead gamekeeper return each night to one of the hotel lodgers' rooms? And is that the last of the murders?

I can't recommend this book more but then I'm biased as I love all of Jason's books. He's a fantastic cartoonist and is becoming, rightfully, more famous. Strangely though some of his best books have gone out of print, The Iron Wagon being one of them. Let's hope with his readership growing Fantagraphics bring this one back (as well as Tell Me Something and Sshhhh!).

I'll have to say that this artist has a way with the graphic art form that I feel few others have demontrated thus far in the genre. The sincerity conveyed through simplicity in order to portray a wonderful series of elements that characterise the human condition is refreshing...not to mention that zombies, mummies and monsters in general NEED to be in our lives!

I've read several of Jason's books. Perhaps "read" is the wrong word; they are generally almost wordless, relying on his spare, precise drawings of highly "schematic" anthropomorphic animals. Most are tales of hurt, alienated people.

"The Iron Wagon" is quite a departure. It is a word-heavy comic book version of a Norwegian mystery story, set at and around a resort hotel where the lead character is vacationing. There's a murder, than another; a detective comes to town and digs up family secrets and odd local legends.

Overall, a satisfying tale that, though populated with talking rabbits and birds, has a charming turn-of-the-century flavor.

This is a great book! Jason was perfect to re-do the (ye) old tale of The Iron wagon! This is a cunning, great and psycho story, it's filled with creepy silences, perfect for Jasons type of material!
Much of the greatness lies on the fact that it's based on a great book, but even so!