Review: Renegade: Martin Luther, the Graphic Biography

Andrea Grosso Ciponte. Renegade: Martin Luther, the Graphic Biography.  Walden, NY: Plough Publishing House, October 9^th, 2017. 160 pp.

3 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This year marks the 500^th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and this book is one that is published in light of that historic milestone with this being a graphic novel on the life of Martin Luther.  What follows is my thought on the book Renegade: Martin Luther, the Graphic Biography.

I was impressed overall with the book’s historical accuracy.  I thought the writer spend a lot of time researching and capturing the facts surrounding Martin Luther.  For instance I thought the book did a good job capturing the apocalyptic expectation during the sixteenth century of both Germany and Western Europe.  I also thought the author was accurate in portraying Luther’s struggle and courage as well as his moments when he did not shine so bright to us today such as his unfortunate views of the Jews later in his life.  Most of all I appreciated the graphic novel explaining the harsh conditions of the times of Luther and the aroma of death that was ever present during his time.  Overall the book early on give us a faint scent of death and decay.  This work has a sense of dark realism about it both in its story telling and the colors and artwork.  I would say though at times it was rather too dark especially with its depictions of hanging, corpse and death.  Overall I enjoyed the book.

NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Plough Publishing House and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.