Helen Killer (Arcana Studio – Kreisberg / Rice)
“In 1901, twenty-one year old college student Helen Keller, with the aid of a fantastical device invented by her friend and mentor, Alexander Graham Bell, regains her sight and hearing as well as near super-human strength and agility. Helen is enlisted by the Secret Service to protect President William McKinley who has been targeted for assassination by Anarchists. As a deeper conspiracy to destroy America unfolds around her, Helen discovers that her new abilities come with a dark and terrifying price…”
Winner of the strangest concept I’ve read this month has to be Helen Killer. When I was e-mailed the covers, I really thought this was a book about a girl named Helen, and the “Helen Killer” title was just a play on words. Note: Yes, I am guilty of not reading the full description I saw on MySpace. I started reading and was immediately corrected. This is a story about Helen Keller and her kick-ass college years. Turns out, one of America’s greatest minds, Alexander Graham Bell, has created some device that not only lets Helen see, hear, and talk, but also gives her Spider-Man like strength and agility. Another piece I liked to this book was the relationship set between Anne Sullivan, Helen’s famous teacher, and Helen. It’s complex and tough loving, but intriguing.
The art and writing are both on par with today’s comic standards. That is to say, there are moments of brilliant artwork with good art work in between. The writing very good and very well researched. Writer Andrew Kreisberg certainly did his homework to be able to write Helen so well. I dig that some of the inner monologues are actually excerpts from Helen Keller’s own diary.
Overall this was a very good read. You can get it from Diamond Comics Distributors, the Arcana website, or look for these creators at the nations comic conventions.
Grade: B
