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A review by sarabz
Incognegro by Mat Johnson
4.0
Maybe actually 3.5 stars...
Incognegro takes on the challenging subject - especially for a graphic novel - of lynching. Although the story is really about the Zane's (the main character) use of his ability to pass as white to observe and report on lynchings in the South. And the risks associated with doing that for him and for his friend that travels with him. The action in the story focuses on Zane and his brother, who Zane travels to the South from Harlem to rescue. We're taken through a story that explores passing and the price and riskiness of taking on a new identity to participate in social spaces that would otherwise be closed to you. There are also themes of community, solidarity, and belonging.
I wanted some more depth and complexity to the characters and the story. The art was great and the story was well structured. But I was left feeling like there could have been more - maybe in the interplay between words and pictures that great graphic novels sometimes accomplish.
But definitely worth checking out. There are ideas in the book that are worth exploring and I appreciated that Zane made a choice to use his ability to pass to expose the horrors of lynching.
Incognegro takes on the challenging subject - especially for a graphic novel - of lynching. Although the story is really about the Zane's (the main character) use of his ability to pass as white to observe and report on lynchings in the South. And the risks associated with doing that for him and for his friend that travels with him. The action in the story focuses on Zane and his brother, who Zane travels to the South from Harlem to rescue. We're taken through a story that explores passing and the price and riskiness of taking on a new identity to participate in social spaces that would otherwise be closed to you. There are also themes of community, solidarity, and belonging.
I wanted some more depth and complexity to the characters and the story. The art was great and the story was well structured. But I was left feeling like there could have been more - maybe in the interplay between words and pictures that great graphic novels sometimes accomplish.
But definitely worth checking out. There are ideas in the book that are worth exploring and I appreciated that Zane made a choice to use his ability to pass to expose the horrors of lynching.