The Nobody

The last two weeks we had the opportunity to choose a graphic novel and to work on it in class. It talks about a stranger, wrapped from head to toe in bandages who comes one day in the isolated village Large Mouth. Driven by curiosity, the townsfolk quickly learn the tragic story of his past.

The winner of a Xeric Award and Yalsa Award Jeff Lemire describes in the first panels the small city Large Mouth, where a sixteen-year-old girl lives with her father. She is the first person, who speaks with the strange man with goggles. Vickie and the stranger John Griffen become friends, but the girl is really curious why he never takes off the bandages. The people of the village talk about him and invent stories why he could be like that. John was originally from Chicago and his psychic wounds are the result of scientific meddling. The girl discovers that he is an invisible man made corporeal by his bandages. Vickie accepts this but John doesn't want to hurt her. Vickie's father is worried about his daughter and one evening, when she doesn't return home, he starts angrily searching for John. Will he find his daughter?

The colours of this graphic novel are cold, this kind of style creates more suspense. The plot is action-packed and often the behavior of the characters is surprising and unexpected. Unfortunately the book has a sad ending. The gutter transition is scene-to-scene, so the reader has to think a lot. Further the panels have a fraying linework and splash panels are frequent. The book’s setting is real, it could be a known village.
The author wants to make the reader feel like they are part of the setting. The readers are often confronted with the strange face of the invisible man. He is the evidence, that a person can be friendly, even if the physical appearance is unusual.

Ich empfehle dieses Buch, weil ...
... I would recommend this graphic novel because it is well-developed and the actions of the main characters are captivating. If someone starts reading this book it’s nearly impossible not to want to know the end. The title of the book is well-chosen because it makes the reader wonder what the story would be about.