On the Ropes: A Novel
In this sequel to the Eisner Award–winning Depression-era graphic novel Kings in Disguise (1988), Vance and Burr pick up the tale of their young protagonist, Fred Bloch, five years after his father’s disappearance left him homeless and riding the rails. He’s now with a WPA traveling circus as an assistant to an alcoholic escape artist who, like Fred, is haunted by his harrowing past. Inspired by the brutality he saw on the road, Fred is also secretly working for a group of radical labor organizers and is being hunted by a murderous pair of strikebreaking thugs who threaten his life and that of his circus friends. Kings was one of the first graphic novels to win widespread critical acclaim, and this successor is equally praiseworthy. Once again, Vance provides vivid, intriguing characters and a strong, suspenseful plotline, replete with period details that are enhanced by Burr’s simple but powerful black-and-white drawings and straightforward storytelling. Readers should hope the team doesn’t wait another 25 years to continue Fred Bloch’s story. --Gordon Flagg