The Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation (Paperback)

by Siku (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
One wouldn't imagine that Siku, onetime artist for postmodern bloodfest Judge Dredd, would be the ideal choice for a manga-style graphic novel adaptation of the Bible, but not many pages have passed before it becomes clear that the Bible is, in fact, the perfect material for him. This audacious little book doesn't make much effort to be authoritative and include every last Old Testament begatting or bloody massacre. Instead Siku presents jazzy and irreverent riffs on the good book, leaping brazenly over whole reams of material and scattering behind numerous Want to Know More tags directing readers to more explanatory chapter and verse. The action is breezy and flip, drawn in a sharp and Anglicized manga style. The dialogue is not just laced with humorously incongruous Britishisms (My maths has never been very good!) but with slangy passages worthy of the CW Network (Cain to Abel, Whassup, bro?). Although the book (already a hit in the U.K.) is being released via Doubleday's Galilee imprint and is clearly targeted at youthful believers, it makes little attempt to sanitize the grottier aspects of the source material, as witnessed in the scene where a crowd of Sodom's citizens bellow, Bring out those men so that we can rape them! (Jan.)
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From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up–British cartoonist and theology student Siku, perhaps best known for his work on Judge Dredd, offers a concise, well-staged, and fulsome take on the Bible. Because of the character-driven nature of his art, the accounts tend toward the best story pieces, with lots of Genesis included (Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Abraham and Sarah, and more), as well as stories from other Old Testament books such as Joshua and Ruth, through which readers can become acquainted with the individuals. The New Testament collapses many books into a couple of sections but includes several of Jesus's parables and ends with a surprise twist on the Book of Revelation. While costuming tends toward a kind of storied old Middle East (and women's forms are visible but always clothed), an occasional story line will have some updated visual metaphor attached to it: a mid-20th-century crime boss or a nuclear warhead, for instance. Each story includes a marginal tab directing readers to the book, chapter, and verse where a more traditional account can be found in the Bible. Accessible, respectful, and creative, this is an excellent resource both for manga-loving teens who are familiar with The Book and for teens who have no familiarity with the traditional text and are looking for an engaging overview.–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: 224 pages
• Publisher: Galilee Trade (January 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385524315
• ISBN-13: 978-0385524315
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,011 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dramatic New Vision of the Bible in Manga Form, February 9, 2008

By	David Crumm "Editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com" (Canton, Michigan) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Even though this is a thick manga-style graphic novel, obviously its not the whole Bible -- nor is it the only possible interpretation of the Bible's sacred text. So, with those potential assumptions set aside, you're likely to really enjoy this vivid "take" on the Bible's highlights.

Research into Americans' Bible-reading habits has shown repeatedly that Americans love to own Bibles -- often more than one. The problem is that we frequently can't find time to read our Bibles, or we get stuck in a rut of a single version or two. Even if we love the Bible and read it regularly, most of us are always looking for fresh ways to re-envision these powerful, timeless stories.

When I first got my copy of this book, opened the first page of Genesis -- I was lost for the next couple of hours!

Plus, I like the chapter-and-verse references sprinkled through the book -- so readers can check out the full version of the stories in the Bible itself.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A God-fearing college student would say, "Sure, why not?", September 24, 2007

By	E. Chen (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Manga Bible - Extreme (Deluxe Edition) (Paperback)

Cover looks cool, doesn't it? I saw the preview spreads on the Manga Bible's main site ( http://www.themangabible.com/ ) and it looked very impressive. If I were walking in a bookstore and I came across this I would say to myself, "Sure, why not?" and buy it on the spot. But having the thumbs up from the Archbishop and putting in the effort to effectively summarize the Bible but keep biblical accuracy is great too. There are some parts where a reader would sort of disagree or be disappointed with what Siku decided to leave in or take out ( no mention at all of David's mighty men ), but overall a very interesting book to have.

Mentionable problems... Firstly, the artwork seemed rushed , not as detailed as I'd hoped ( the story of Ruth especially ), and sometimes even seemed like they took pages from a sketchbook and put them together in manga layout. Secondly, this Bible is huge. Real wide margins are nice for taking notes on, but the thing is as thick as my pinky is long (about 6 cm). I recommend all you kids out there who are just interested in reading the Manga part, buy the Raw version ( with David and Goliath on the cover ), so you don't have to lug it around to show your friends.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very cool but respectful, February 12, 2008

By	M. King "Shabti" (Glenn & Ellen) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The art is what grabbed me first as I paged through at the store (sorry Amazon). As I read it I enjoyed the dialogue, it's the same as the bible you already know, but the style and action, and the great attention to details, especially the background, made it a great read. Good stuff.