Overview

This sophomore graphic novel from Noah Van Sciver may seem like a left turn from his critically acclaimed debut graphic novel biography of Abraham Lincoln (The Hypo), yet upon closer reflection, it showcases Van Sciver's preoccupation with pathos and the human condition. Saint Cole depicts four days in the life of a twenty-eight-year-old suburbanite named Joe, who works at a pizzeria to support his girlfriend Nicole and their infant child-and then Nicole invites her troubled mother to move into their two-bedroom apartment until she lands on her feet again. Joe reacts by retreating into alcohol: he wants out, and he's angry. He's in a position to act rashly-and he does. 2015 Ignatz Award Nominee: Outstanding Artist (Noah Van Sciver), Outstanding Graphic Novel

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9781606998175

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Reviews

Saint Cole is another excellent comic from Noah Van Sciver but what truly sets it apart is how it unflinchingly tells its story in a way that is raw and without discretion. It's about a reality that we want to ignore but can't; most comics are the world that the creator sees in their head but Saint Cole is the world that Van Sciver can't ignore and he presents it in all of its raw and ugly elegance. --Patrick Hess

...Van Sciver... weav[es] a fictional tale with plenty of basis in reality for many young people lacking both the financial clout for higher education and the job opportunities needed to carve out a small slice of the American Dream that their parents and grandparents were able to grab.--Michael C. Lorah The simple black and white panels tell the story in a direct, naturalistic way that doesn't get in the way of the narrative but also repays a re-read, revealing plenty of subtle detail. ... Van Sciver has produced an accomplished work here, and he's clearly a promising talent.--Pete Redrup ...[T]he plotting of this book is airtight. What seem to be atmospheric or even entirely extraneous details and characters set up the near-apocalyptic final image, one that's so huge that it's ridiculous and even hilarious. Building up to that ending is some of Van Sciver's finest character work.--Rob Clough In less than 120 pages, Noah Van Sciver delivers a truly heartbreaking success. ... At times quite difficult, Van Sciver's original work shines a gut-wrenching and brutally honest light upon the trials and tribulations of a man who wants nothing more than to shed the demons that consume him.--Zach Hollwedel Top 25 Comic Books and Graphic Novels of 2015 Noah Van Sciver is a cartographer of his generation... Van Sciver's style seems uniquely suited to the topic of today's youngsters, admittedly bearing the influence of the Second Wave underground artists like Daniel Clowes and Peter Bagge -- with kind of visual raggedness driving home the narrative points -- but taking that influence in fresh directions.--Paul Buhle

Saint Cole is another excellent comic from Noah Van Sciver but what truly sets it apart is how it unflinchingly tells its story in a way that is raw and without discretion. It s about a reality that we want to ignore but can t; most comics are the world that the creator sees in their head but Saint Cole is the world that Van Sciver can t ignore and he presents it in all of its raw and ugly elegance. --Patrick Hess

...[T]he plotting of this book is airtight. What seem to be atmospheric or even entirely extraneous details and characters set up the near-apocalyptic final image, one that's so huge that it's ridiculous and even hilarious. Building up to that ending is some of Van Sciver's finest character work. --Rob Clough

Author Information

Noah Van Sciver is an Ignatz award-winning cartoonist whose work has appeared in the Best American Comics series, the Fantagraphics anthology series NOW, and Mad magazine. His many graphic novels include The Hypo and The Complete Works of Fante Bukowski. He lives with his family in Columbia, SC.

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