Berlin: City of Stones: Book One

Lutes makes history human. He shows it doesn't just happen to people - people do it themselves. 1920s Germany comes alive, and Lutes shows politics wasn't something separate, left to politicians: it was life & death to everyday people. Lutes' Communists & fascists are real, and we feel their motivations. The love affair brought a lump to my throat. City of Stones is proof that education and emotion don't have to be separate.Finally, as a student of socialist history, I can vouch for Lutes' accuracy. The fascist street gangs with their wealthy backers, the communist cooperatives, rising anti-semitism set against revolutionary fervour - it's all there, drawn in beautiful, spare lines.

I picked up "Berlin: City of Stones" and immediately fell in love with it. The art is outstanding and the human interest is unsurpassed. Even minor characters who have but a few frames seem to have Tolstoy-novel vividness to them. For instance: 1) A traffic director whose intestinal constipation makes him see the vehicles he's directing as loathsome insects. 2) A physically vigorous fifty-ish newspaper distributor who likes making fun of the Nazis. 3). A schoolteacher who faces down her dochstoss-spouting student by telling her pupils that November, 1918, was a good month for the German people, as it was the month that brought democracy. The book is full of these, along with major characters you'll care deeply about. The end - involving a single mother's vision of her now-estranged husband - very moving. I can't wait for the second installment of a story of individuals in this politically ablaze city. Mr. Lutes, please hurry!

This is a graphic novel for people who like to think -- a complexly connected set of stories that move together in productive, thoughtful ways. Lutes takes full advantage of his spare, generous style of drawing in the creation of this graphic novel ... once you read it, you'll be dying for the next one to come out. It's historically and psychologically rich; a tremendous addition to this growing genre.

This book is totally incredible. I consumed it in 2 late night sittings. The detail of each picture is so intricate, and the character portraits are fabulous. The novel follows several different people through their daily lives in 1928-1929 Berlin. Although I'm a history buff, I do not know much about the period, however prior knowledge is not necessary to become completely engrossed. The ending is stunning, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next of the Berlin books. This is a must-read for fans of graphic novels!

Jason Lutes has given himself a formidable task: Not only is he seeking to chronicle a hazily-understood period of German history for his American audience...the latter years of the Weimer Republic, when the nascent Democratic experiment was being torn asunder by the Communists on the Left and the National Socialists from the Right...but he is also doing it slowly, methodically, rather than in the slam-bang style most common to comic books. What one might have expected to be an event-driven adventure story is actually a series of thoughtful human interest pieces.Each chapter unfolds gracefully, linking easily with the next, although each one stands well on its own, without having to rely too heavily on the others in order to be comprehended. The art style isn't "cartoony" by any means...Lutes is a shrewd observer of the human form, and his figures reflect his keen eye. He's also a tireless researcher, and you can rest assured that when he draws an automobile, or a cocktail dress, or a phonograph player, it's appropriate to the time and place. Artistic drama is heightened by his clever use of inking; indeed, his employment of sheer black compares favorably to that of Milton Caniff, although in more subtle ways. It's worth noting that Lutes seems to prefer dealing in strict black and white; there are no zip-a-tone grays here. But what makes "BERLIN: BOOK ONE" so compelling is the writing. Lutes has created a handful of characters whom we follow chapter after chapter; sometimes, their lives intersect, but in other instances they never meet with one another. Some are Bolsheviks, some are Nazis, some are just survivors in the rapidly shrinking middle. They are all fascinating, and the drama, the humor, and the uncertainty of their fictional lives against the very real historical backdrop of their era gives "BERLIN" its true power.This is the first volume of what Lutes promises will be a three book saga. One can only admire his audacity, and marvel at the success he has achieved so far.