Saint Cole

By Noah Van Sciver. Published by Fantagraphics. 

Kinda softish-hardish cover, 116 pages, B&W, 2015.

In critically acclaimed cartoonist Noah Van Sciver's new graphic novel, angry, alcohol-fueled Joe works overtime at a pizzeria to support his ever-expanding family—and he wants out.

This sophomore graphic novel from Noah Van Sciver may seem like a left turn from his critically acclaimed debut graphic novel biography of Abraham Lincoln (The Hypo), yet upon closer reflection, it showcases Van Sciver's preoccupation with pathos and the human condition. Saint Cole depicts four days in the life of a twenty-eight-year-old suburbanite named Joe, who works at a pizzeria to support his girlfriend Nicole and their infant child—and then Nicole invites her troubled mother to move into their two-bedroom apartment until she lands on her feet again. Joe reacts by retreating into alcohol: he wants out, and he's angry. He's in a position to act rashly—and he does.
2015 Ignatz Award Nominee: Outstanding Artist (Noah Van Sciver), Outstanding Graphic Novel

"Saint Cole… is a wiry thicket of black-and-white imagery both feverish and mesmerizing in its intensity." — John Wenzel - The Denver Post

"The simple black and white panels tell the story in a direct, naturalistic way that doesn't get in the way of the narrative but also repays a re-read, revealing plenty of subtle detail. ... Van Sciver has produced an accomplished work here, and he's clearly a promising talent." — Pete Redrup - The Quietus

"...Van Sciver... weav[es] a fictional tale with plenty of basis in reality for many young people lacking both the financial clout for higher education and the job opportunities needed to carve out a small slice of the American Dream that their parents and grandparents were able to grab." — Michael C. Lorah - Comic Book Resources

"Noah Van Sciver is a cartographer of his generation… Van Sciver's style seems uniquely suited to the topic of today's youngsters, admittedly bearing the influence of the Second Wave underground artists like Daniel Clowes and Peter Bagge -- with kind of visual raggedness driving home the narrative points -- but taking that influence in fresh directions." — Paul Buhle - The Comics Journal

"In less than 120 pages, Noah Van Sciver delivers a truly heartbreaking success. ... At times quite difficult, Van Sciver's original work shines a gut-wrenching and brutally honest light upon the trials and tribulations of a man who wants nothing more than to shed the demons that consume him." — Zach Hollwedel - Under the Radar