The Big Kahn: A Sequential Drama Paperback – Illustrated, September 1, 2009

I can't believe there's no reviews for this yet. Here's a decent, adult themed, (PG-13 maybe for some nudity, etc.) story. If not for the pictures, it'd be a great novelette (I don't mean that derogatorily, I just mean as far as length goes). But, it has pictures, and they give the book a flavor of everyday Jewish life (warts and all), which helps move the story along, and give a full 176 pages to build the relationships and community.The story itself is interesting: A con-man becomes a Rabbi, marries a Jewish woman, has kids, and dies 40 some odd years later. That's when everyone finds out about the charade, and the story is about how it affects his family, and community.It's a damn fine story, in which you may even learn something about the Jewish faith,the artwork is great, and really fits the story. What more could you ask for?

would like to see it in colour. or even made into a film.a provoking tale of truth, dishonesty and how we may interpret the two.

The author and artist of this graphic novel are both new to me, though they seem to have a body of work already on the market. It’s kind of a strange one, too. The story opens with the funeral of Rabbi David Kahn, who helped establish New York’s Congregation Beth Shemesh, served as its leader, and was a noted figure in the community. And his eldest son, Avi, presently his father’s assistant, is the obvious choice for the job. And then the rabbi’s unknown older brother, Roy, shows up to claim that the supposed rabbi was never even a Jew, but a con man named Donnie Dobbs. He’s been playing a role for forty years, ever since he fell in love with Rachel. And then the deceased confesses it all in his will. Despite all the good he’s done over many years, his existence in the religious community is fundamentally a lie. The synagogue’s board no longer wants anything to do with Avi. Avi’s sister, Lea, a very independent and not religious wild child, begins to rethink her heritage -- Judaism being a matrilineal religion, so she’s covered. And the youngest sibling, Eli, has to deal with the snickering and name-calling at his religious school. Roy isn’t going to be much help, either.It’s a carefully thought-out story, and the highly realistic art work works well, . . . but there just doesn’t seem to be much to the story, after all the emoting is done. There’s no real wrap-up to the plot, either. In the spirit of the theme, about all I can say is “Meh.”

Rabbi David Kahn has passed away, leaving behind a grieving widow and three children: Avi, the eldest and the most likely to follow in his father's footsteps; Lea, the rebellious daughter; and Eli, the youngest son. They've all entered into a period of mourning for the great man they knew, as has the congregation of his temple. Truly, he was one of the greats, and they all know it.But they don't, not really. Unto the scene bursts Kahn's brother, a ragtag crook with bad manners and no appreciation for Jewish rules and rituals. That's because he isn't Jewish, and neither was David Kahn. The two were a pair of con men who went on the run decades earlier. David chose the best disguise and wound up posing as a rabbi in New Jersey.Obviously, this throws everyone into turmoil. Avi falls in with a non-Jewish girl, Lea drifts even further away from Judaism, and Eli begins to question his faith--and finds answers--in a way he never had before.Kleid's script is a wonder, with its pitch-perfect ear for dialogue. Paired with Nicolas Cinquegrani's richly textured shades and overtones, it not only captures New Jersey well--it also fully delivers on the premise of the story. When the no-good brother bursts in, disrupting everything and causing chaos at the scene, the emotions he provokes in the family and in the crowd are so nicely executed that they feel completely real--Cinquegrani's work bringing the panels to life right along with the script, which is at times funny and then heartbreaking.The Big Kahn is an adventurous step for Kleid, author of Brownsville and the webcomic Action, Ohio. Like Brownsville, it's a Jewish story set out east, but it's so simply executed (and subtly ambitious) that it sneaks up on you more easily and more casually than you expect. Its great strength lies in that. I loved the story and was glad to be able to read it in graphic novel form.-- John Hogan

A quick read exploring the dynamics of a family grieving over a father and husband that they thought they knew, until his "dead" brother crashes the funeral. Although it serves as a good glimpse into the effects of a devastating loss on a family without any of the expected community support, the way each handles the pain in their own way to eventually reject their insecurities and sins, it's more of a parable than a complete story in the end. Good triumphs and all, tragedy forces a refocus on religious tenets, and beginning new lives.Unfortunately, it's all a bit shallow, and doesn't really delve deep into the situation, nor do many of the characters move much beyond Jewish stereotypes, the neighbors especially. Avi comes the closest - perhaps he's the one the author identified with the most - and his ending in the final panels is the most intriguing and unique part of the story. Otherwise, it's just another story of grief; moving at times, but done often and by deter hands.The most powerful scenes are of the past, quiet memories in which dear departed David is impressing Jewish lessons on his children, the honesty in his words intermixed with their present betrayal. The internal battles are mostly left implied, but the questions taper off as everyone finds their new purpose, and are never answered or even revisited.The art is serviceable, and for the most part makes it possible to tell people apart, but not enough emotion is conveyed to really have the most impact.