Into the Heart of Eisner

Will Eisner was a chronicler who changed the way people viewed graphic novels. His stories were about the everyman in which he “came to rely on the truthfulness of visceral memory” to relay their lives in a way that still resonates. Having said that “To The Heart of the Storm” is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel that has Willie on his way to boot camp remembering the past events that shaped his life to that point.

It’s a candid, unflinching look at a childhood of a Jewish boy growing up with the life lessons of his parents to instruct him. For Willie he copes with his life through art and attempts to fit into his world and still retain his Judaic roots. Refusing to deny his heritage causes him to get into fights, lose potential girlfriends and friendships, but these incidences will not draw you in the way the stories of his parents do as they try to contextualize his life by using their pasts.

Have you ever had a relative that always had a story to tell? They would regale you with tales that started “When I was young.” You were supposed to glean some wisdom from it, instead it bored you to tears and you would wonder why your parents wouldn’t just pretend not to be home when they saw him coming up the street. Not so with Willie’s parents. Their lives are so rich with difficult life-changing decision-making that you can’t help to learn from them. When his father talks about his life in Vienna and the oncoming of World War I we see from Willie’s face that it’s not the first time it’s been told, however, it’s still necessary. As is his mother’s tale of her parents dying young. These are glimpses into the worlds of people who under ordinary circumstances would never have met. It also speaks about how people persevere in the face of their complex lives. Survival throughout this novel is definitely the main goal.

What makes Eisner’s idea come to life are not only his words, but his artwork. Best known for The Spirit, Eisner in this graphic novel uses his artwork to punctuate the emotions of the characters. Whether it’s a pensive stance or a wracking cough, Eisner made each scene real.

Having said that, if you’re looking for a graphic novel in the shade of Marvel or DC comics, then you’ve got the wrong book. “To The Heart of the Storm” would not be a hard sell for a literature class and not one themed on the graphic novel either. Make no mistake this is a work of literature with subthemes on a plethora of worldly ideas that are still being debated. Think Phillip Roth without the didactic angst and you will have an idea of what this novel has to offer.

Overall Eisner created a work told in black and white with an overwhelming shade of gray. “In the end [what he gave us was] a selective memory and the tyranny of eternal hope.” That’s not a bad combination at all.