The main library in Halifax used to have a pretty diverse graphic novel display. Nested among the best sellers and non-fiction releases it sat. A testament to the idea that a book having as many pictures as words could still be enlightening. There I found Chester Brown’s comix retelling of Louis Riel.
To say Riel’s story is complicated is an understatement of historic proportions. Descriptions like Métis community leader, religious zealot, mentally ill, anarchist and historical icon all begin to paint his picture, but don’t completely explain the man. Riel led the North West Rebellion of 1885, in what is now the province of Manitoba.
It began as an attempt to ensure the Métis people of the North West received their fair dues when the Hudson’s Bay Company sold Rupert’s Land to Canada but became a pact with God to free his people from an oppressive government.
Brown is the first to admit his story takes liberties from historical fact when it’s convenient to his method, but he includes an extensive notes section at the back of the book to correct any misunderstandings.
The novel’s style is a bit of an homage to Little Orphan Annie creator Harold Gray, with the character’s large bodies, small heads and blank eyes. Each page features six black and white panels but the layout never feels restrictive. It provides enough space to see the tiny details in Brown’s work from footprints in the snow to the wisp of a man’s beard in the winter wind.
I was familiar with the history before finding Brown’s book, but the story line keeps me hooked today. It’s paced to leave to breathless as you flip from page to page during a battle scene, yet can still give you pause to contemplate Riel’s situation as the court hands down the verdict in his treason case.
If you have even the slightest interest in Canadian history or graphic novels this book will fit the bill. You can order the soft cover edition through Drawn and Quarterly.
