REVIEW: Moses

Publisher: Westerino Comix
Writer: Jeff Guarino
Artist: Dean Westerfield
Review: Art Bee

Recently The Hammond Comics Blog received a request to review a graphic novel called Moses. This monster of a novel (597 pages) was a little intimidating at first, but once I got started it went pretty smoothly. Jeff Guarino and Dean Westerfield are a pair of school teachers who enjoy creating their own webcomics at www.westerinocomix.com. and, according to their Facebook page, they like to do most of their work at various coffee houses around Long Beach, CA.

To really gain an appreciation for this novel I had to read through it twice. The first time I was lost due to trying to get through it too fast. This book needs to be taken panel by panel as you need to pay attention to when you are in a flash back, a telling of a story, or the mainline plot.

This book has its roots in the Holy Bible and other referenced books. Moses portrays Moses’ life outside of the plagues and Mt. Sinai in which he shares wisdom through stories. These tales include the story of Adam and Eve, Noah and the Arc, Job, and others. It is interesting how each of the stories has a different spin on it from the Bible. For instance, instead of the name Abraham, Avraham is used. Overall this book is Moses’ spiritual journey over the course of his life.

Dean Westerfield uses a black and white ink style that, while not spectacular, is effective. Towards the end of the book he has some really superb art, and his consistency with the characters makes it easy to follow who is who.

There are some panel sequences that seem like they do not need to be there, however. For instance, at the start of chapter 3, the first 13 panels seem to have nothing to do with anything other than showing Moses’ tent and different features. Right after these panels, the chapter goes right into the creation story with Adam and Hava. Every so often a series of these non-important panels appear. Perhaps I am missing the significance . . .

My favorite part of the book takes place in chapter 8. Moses is out on a hillside taking a leak when a voice tells him to remove his shoes. “Why?” he asks. The voice responds, “The place you stand borders on the holy.” This just struck me as hilarious. Moses had just urinated, but the concern was his shoes.

This is not the best nor the worst graphic novel I have ever read. My suggestion is to keep an open mind as you read it or you will get lost. My being lost the first time had to be due to the fact that I am Christian, and I was looking too deep. This book is not claiming to supplement the Bible. They are just trying to entertain us by putting a little spin on religion. You can read Moses for free on their website.