World War II was a crazy time for everyone. Not only was it the bloodiest war the world has seen at the time, but there were other things going on that just added to the fear of the time. Comics writer Stephanie Phillips writes about one of the craziest events that happened during that’s not well known for non-Parisians in “The Butcher of Paris†with art by Dean Kotz.
In Nazi-occupied Paris, 1944, The Nazis are increasing their crackdown on Jews trying to flee the country. As if Paris doesn’t have enough to worry about, the police have found chopped up body parts in the apartment of a doctor who claims he’s helping Jews flee the country.
Out of all the things going on behind the frontlines, this has got to be one of the craziest. This is the type of stuff history nerds want to read about besides the usual stuff about the Allies VS the Axis.
Of course, writing a comic like a history book is never a good idea. There has to be a narrative structure with characters and dialogues. Phillips manages to weave an enjoyable narrative with interesting characters. Oc course, there’s no way of knowing of these characters are exactly like their real-life counterparts, but that hasn’t stopped the thousands of books, movies and comics from dramatizing how real-life characters were for entertainment value.
The artwork may remind one of the comics that were published during World War II that usually portrayed what was going on during the war. This was a wise choice by Kotz. It’s near impossible to view comics that take place during that time without imagining this type of art (unless the comic is by Shigeru Mizuki.) Some may not enjoy this style and call it terrible, but it fits historically.
“The Butcher of Paris†delves into a relatively unknown event during World War II in an entertaining fashion with artwork that is appropriate for the era. Any history/World War II buff will easily sink their teeth into this comic because type of history is a gold mine.
Rocco Sansone is a “man of many interests.†These include anime/manga, video games, tabletop RPGs, YA literature, 19th century literature, the New York Rangers, and history. Among the things and places he would like to see before he dies are Japan, half of Europe, and the New York Rangers win another Stanley Cup.
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