Houdini: The Handcuff King by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi

This one is getting mixed reviews. Touted as a biography of Houdini in graphic novel form, it is really more of a snapshot. The introduction, written by Glen David Gold, is intriguing. Written in “plain speak” it comes to the point about who Houdini was, and wasn’t, and encourages the reader to really think about the impact of a life lived large. The panel discussions at the end are similarly interesting, providing some neat (and unknown) facts about the time period and various events portrayed. It is the “graphic novel” section itself that I struggled with. While the artwork is quite good – clean line drawings do a great job of creating a likeness of Houdini – the story is far too short and the dialog is campy. The entire “story” told here is that of five hours, and one escape, by this master of the art. And, while Houdini’s temper and his wife’s dedication were well-documented, they are depicted here with two-dimensional portrayals. Houdini is egotistical and mean, his wife never stops smiling and telling him how wonderful he is. It reminded me of those cartoons in the Sunday paper which show very “cleaned up” history. While some graphic novels are able to convey complexity and depth within their slim volumes, this isn’t one of them. I say, read the text at the beginning and end, then look for one of the other Houdini biographies to have come out lately (such as “The Secret Life of Houdini” by William Kalush and Larry Sloman). This book might make for an intriguing tease about the life of Harry Houdini, but it really only wets the appetite for something more substantial.