Larger than life people, both literally and figuratively, have fascinated people for centuries. People love hearing stories about these people even if it’s just mundane stuff. Matt Kindt has written “3 Story Man,†a comic about the life of a super tall man and it is as larger than life as the character.
The comic is about different stages of Craig Pressgang’s life as told by three people: his mother, his wife and finally his daughter. What’s interesting about Craig is that he’s the tallest person in the world who eventually grows to be three stories high. Add in the fact that there are three stories about him and you see where the title comes from.
It’s an interesting concept that is executed quite well. Each narrator puts a lot of emotion into their stories is a way that feels authentic. While we don’t see much of Craig’s emotions through Craig, we do get some semblance of what he’s feeling through his Wife. His mother and daughter, not so much.
In fact, while this may be Craig’s story, it feels more like it’s the story of the people who were closest to him. While this way storytelling does soften the impact of how Craig really feels, it does add emotion because throughout the comic there are news stories interposed that show the public’s view of him. It does work in a way to see both sides of Craig, but we don’t really see the true story Craig because we don’t hear his side.
The artwork is OK. Kindt decided to go for a more simplistic approach to the comic. It is nice to see this seeing as how this is supposed to be more of an intimate story it doesn’t really stand out. Granted there are some nice shots such as Craig in a parade and just walking aimlessly around the world, it won’t win any awards. It’s not a terrible design, it’s fine for this type of story. Just don’t expect high, complex art.
“3 Story Man†is a fascinating story about a giant man told by three relatives and art that helps tell it. It may not be any too special, but it is well worth looking at and probably one of Kindt’s best.
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