Here’s a purchase I didn’t expect to make, but I was out today on the hunt for Valentine’s Day gifts and stumbled upon a great comic that was definitely worth buying …
Son of Samson Vol. 2 : Son of Samson and the Daughter of Dagon:
But I know you’re wondering … Why’d I buy it?
Early last summer, I was shopping at Ollie’s Bargain Outlets, one of my favorite discount stores. As usual, I made a quick round through the book section. There, I spotted a few graphic novels, including a fairly unique book called Son of Samson Vol. 1 Son of Samson and the Judge of God.
Now I’m not much for religious publications. They get too preachy if the writer’s not careful. But having seen more than my share of VeggieTale movies, I also know that religious-inspired works can by cleverly preachy. When these things are clever about their preaching, I like them. So with that hope, I bought Son of Samson Vol. 1
And I liked it. I really liked it.
The story by Gary Martin was funny, lively and adventurous.
Even more, I was impressed by art by Sergio Cariello. A graduate of the Joe Kubert school, Cariello shows some amazing talent for composition and perspective. Likewise, he’s got a real knack for making characters look unique in a setting where everyone could look alike if an artist wanted to be lazy.
By the way, the story tracks the life of Branan, the son of biblical hero Samson, as he tries to understand his father’s legacy while also finding his own way in the ancient world. In a way, Volume 1 reminded me of a typical Conan story from a vintage Marvel Comics story.
So when I was in a store today, I spotted a rack of religious comics, and there was about a shelf-foot worth of Son of Samson books.
Now when I read and enjoyed the first one, I was pretty sure the series didn’t last long. See I had never heard of it, so I figured it didn’t make it past the first volume. I’m glad to see it didn’t. It actually flourished.
I paid 99-cents for Volume, 1, but I was happy to pay full price for Volume 2. Quite frankly, I’m also tickled pink that I’ve got a reliable source for volumes 3, 4, 5 and in May of 2009, Volume 6.
Purchased at Lifeway Christian Store.
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