Title: Trotsky: A Graphic Biography
Publisher: Hill and Wang
Writer: Rick Geary
Artist: Rick Geary
Rating: 
Review by: Jason King
“Show, don’t tell” is one of the keys to good writing. Some of the heavy-hitters using graphic novels to convey elements of world history, such as Larry Gonick or Joe Sacco, are all-too-familiar with this idiom. They have the action, dialogue and suspense that comic books do well, while giving the reader a chance to learn something about history along the way.
Trotsky: A Graphic Biography, by Rick Geary, sadly, reads more as a short book with pictures attached, and fares poorly as a graphic novel. While the art works well and displays knowledge of Russian history, this graphic novel would lose very little without the pictures. The images are almost always superseded by the words that have already explained what’s occurring, and are almost entirely devoid of action. (more…)
