An appealing and inventive educational resource for young Christians.
A reconsideration of the heroism of Jesus’ life and the ways his story has shaped other accounts of heroism both ancient and modern.
According to Eichinger, Jesus is the ultimate protagonist; against formidable odds, he is called to save the entire world from destruction. His enemies are great—he’s not only opposed by the “triple threat of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees,” but also by Satan’s trials of temptation. And his superpower is unbeatable because he “possesses the exclusive ability to conquer death eternally.” And like many other superheroes, Jesus, who is both human and divine, boasts something of an alter ego, or “altar ego,” a corny joke charmingly delivered by Eichinger, who is primarily targeting a young audience bored by church and religion generally. The author thoroughly recasts Jesus as “the most courageous protagonist the world ever knew” and furnishes a vivid retelling of the biblical story of Jesus’ dramatic ministry, comparing it to stories of heroic triumph in ancient literature like Homer’s Iliad and contemporary tales in popular culture that feature Spiderman, Batman, and Luke Skywalker. “The seeds of Christ’s true narrative are evident in so much of our celebrated heroic literature, from ages past to modern triumphs. The underlying difference is that the story of Jesus actually happened.” The author is a Christian pastor and writes with the focused zeal of one. The result is a powerful representation of the story of Jesus’ life, though one that has the didactic tenor of a sermon. Also, in Eichinger’s enthusiasm, he sometimes makes a case that reaches beyond the evidence he adduces. It’s hardly obvious, and certainly not on the basis of the argument he furnishes, that the tale of Jesus is completely independent of the Greco-Roman mythology that precedes his life. However, this is still a buoyantly cheerful argument that Jesus is the original superhero.
An appealing and inventive educational resource for young Christians.Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7586-6990-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Concordia Publishing House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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