A History of Violence

John Wagner

It should go without saying that the book contains spoilers for the movie. But I'll say it just in case.

A History of Violence is the graphic novel on which the recent David Cronenberg movie is based. It tells the story of Tom McKenna, a guy from the middle-of-nowhere midwest who makes himself a small-town hero by facing down, and subduing, a couple of crooks looking to hold up his diner. When he does so and his face gets into the papers, though, some guys from a past he's trying to forget turn up.

While the book begins somewhat slowly, once we get into Tom's past, things pick up quite nicely; I read the rest of it in one go over my lunch hour. The art is unobtrusive, and gets out of the way so Wagner can tell his story; an interesting concept, not normal in graphic novels, but one that does the job here.

Good stuff. If you liked the movie, the book is a no-brainer.