Snapshot review: 4/5
Written by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan
Illustrated by Pascal Dizin
176 pages, color
Published by First Second (:01)
I have passed by City of Spies on my search for graphic novels to read a few times now. It always looked a little… kid-ish. Which is funny because I’m all about reading all-ages comics, but sometimes your brain just holds you back from things for reasons you can’t quite explain. However, after reading Brain Camp, I had a sneaking suspicion that I would enjoy anything by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan, no matter what the art style. I’m so glad that I gave this book a chance, and I hope after my review, you all will too.
The story is of a young girl, Evelyn, who is shipped off by her all-too-important father to live in the German Town section of New York City with her Aunt Lia in 1942. Lia isn’t much of a parental figure either, living out a socialite lifestyle of partying all night and never settling down. In order to cope, Evelyn draws comics about a super-duo, Zirconium Man and Scooter (which bear a striking resemblance to her and her father) as they fight the Nazis and save the world. In reality, Evelyn doesn’t have any friends in this new building, but eventually she meets a young boy named Tony and they become nearly instant friends. With the looming suspicion of Nazi spies, the duo decides to go on a real adventure to find some spies and do their part for the war effort.
There is a lot to this story to love. It’s a bit educational, there’s the excitement of the superhero imagination stories, the romantic subplots (there’s 2!), the spies, the danger, the adventure, and so much more! For instance, one of the common themes is the idea that art is important, and that you should never give up on it. At one point, Evelyn is upset by her dad and throws her comics away (because they’re about her and her dad). Aunt Lia finds them in the trash and has a great heart to heart with Evelyn about how she was also an artist and so was Evelyn’s mother. It’s a beautiful moment. And there are more like it dealing with art, life, disappointment, and more.
Artistically, the story has a very European style similar to Adventures of Tin Tin. It’s not my favorite style, but it does fit the era, content and characters quite well. The style even changes during the segments with Zirconium Man and Scooter to a more American style. After I pushed through my initial hesitations to read the story, I was very happy that I did. The art is actually very fun to play along with the action of having evil Nazi spies chasing after two young sleuths. I wound up enjoying both the style and the story very much. And it makes me want to give other stories with similar styling another chance.
In summary, City of Spies is a wonderfully rich, action-packed story told in a classic style that is well-worth reading.
Support The Underfold: purchase a book!