Al Capone

But this was a nice intro to the story of Al Capone. As someone from Chicago it felt like a little bit of out hidden history in my hands.

I loved Capone. The art was exquisite, and the story was intriguing. I enjoyed how the artwork made it feel like a movie pulled from the golden age of Hollywood. The artwork, in particular the color pallet, was perfect for the story they were telling. It was a great story and beautiful to look at, too.

The opening page of this graphic novel declares that "This is the story of the greatest gangster of all time." I have a Chicago historian friend who hates Al Capone, because in his words "being a great gangster means no one knows you're a gangster." Both of these things are true, and this biography demonstrates how that's possible. We are shown Al Capone's life, but in his words as he tells it to his mother in his cramped, dingy Alcatraz prison cell. The tone of the book is established in the first few pages of the extended flashback as we are shown Capone as a child stealing a fish but telling everyone else he caught it. "Whether I caught it or borrowed it, what difference did it make? God put it in my path." This belief in his own lies blends with his entitlement and self-aggrandizement to create the notorious historical figure we recognize. He justifies his behavior to his mother and to himself.The artwork by PF Radice is exceptional, full of rounded edges and curvy character design similar to a children's book, suggesting that Al Capone has remained the child from the opening pages even as he grows into the role of career criminal. The colors are mostly muted, but not in the sepia tones that are normally used to evoke bygone eras. Instead, we are shown early twentieth century New York City and Chicago as dirty, sooty, and smoke-filled havens of organized crime with polluted skies, cigarette butts, and dilapidated buildings. It's all the more shocking when splashes of bright red blood appear, and they appear a lot.Swann Meralli does a great job capturing the voice of Al Capone. This isn't the dry recitation of historical events that many biographies become, but a character study that is all too relevant for contemporary events as mug shots fill the news and would-be authoritarians reject reality. I highly recommend Al Capone to readers of historical fiction and current events alike.

I absolutely enjoyed this graphic novel. I was surprised at how large the book is. It was perfect for immersing oneself into the life of Al. I vaguely knew of his life, so I was very excited to get this title in my hands. And I love that Al himself was speaking in first person to tell his perspective of his life and the choices he made. The beautiful artwork pulled me in every time and captivated my interest. This is definitely a good read I would reread and recommend to others.

This book was a great use of the graphic novel medium. The pictures and text worked together to demonstrate the grit and gore of the gangster era of America. They also frequently contrasted each other to allow for the perspective of Capone, and contradictory histories to share a story where the full truth will never be fully known. This allows the reader to decide for themselves how they will feel about a character who was powerful, brutal, but who may have had a better side as well. Art Deco illustrations share the glamor of the era but other panels are sketched in a way that shares the seedy side of this same coin. Black Panel also crafts beautiful solid books that are worth the investment in a physical copy.

i wasn't too sure what to expect when this book arrived on my doorstep. First off, totally surprised at the size of the book. I was expecting something smaller than a 8x11 book. However, the size is perfect for the artwork! Might even be cooler if it was printed a little larger to fit Capone's personality but then the book would be a bit more pricey.The story was engaging and grabbed me from the start. Only put it down briefly to use the restroom. That's how much I wanted to finish this book! Anyone ever seen the HBO show Boardwalk Empire? I felt a lot of remnants from that storytelling in this graphic novel as it was just as interesting as that show.The perceptive of Capone telling his own version of events with actual facts being illustration was an unique feature as well and help twists his perception of a guy just trying to get by verses THE TRUTH. Loved it! Could definitely see a teacher using this book in a history class somewhere to help students learn more about the most prominent gangster in history. This comic also hit home more for me as well since I currently reside in Illinois and have lived in Downtown Chicago for a brief time. Certain locations portrayed in the graphic novel flashed before my memory as I was enthralled in the big foot art style of PF Radice. Would definitely recommend this read to any and all who may be interested in seeing Meralli's interpretation of Capone based on his own thoughts and other works. Check it out!

The book is an engrossing read for anyone interested in true crime stories. The writer does a great job of placing you within the inner psyche of Capone, with believable dialog. Mostly told from a first person perspective, the story plays with the idea that Capone is an unreliable narrator of his own story; this is juxtaposed with events that play out differently based on research the writer has gathered. As for the art itself, at first it seems a bit innocent, and light hearted with very rounded figures and stylized designs, but then it really delivers some gore that is very deftly illustrated with interesting panel layouts and gritty textures. The whole book feels like you stepped into some back room in the the prohibition era, filled with smoke and the grimy reality of the time period. The bold black shading that looks like it was made with charcoal really lends itself to this smoky atmospheric world the illustrator has created. I wasn't sure what to expect at first, but I would highly recommend this anyone who is looking for something interesting to read in graphic novel form.

Al Capone was undoubtedly a powerful man in Chicago. To hear him tell it, he wasn't a bad guy. But read this book and be your own judge. A very insightful look into a historical figure. Stylistically drawn, and well paced, this book will have you binging the whole story in one sitting.

This was a very entertaining graphic novel written from Al Capone's perspective. Even though it is his perspective the artwork showed the user what was actually happening and how the narrative doesn't match reality. Great artwork makes this an enjoyable read.

Had the pleasure of reading this remarkable book that gave us a different look into one the world of one of the most notorious mobsters in American History. The “unreliable” narrator aspect is my favorite part, all being told in a seemingly “private” confessional with his mother. The way he explains it to her is great especially when we get to see how the panels depict his choice in words. Overall it’s a great read with a dynamic artstyle accompanied with comforting colors and great paneling.

This was a lot of fun to read. Just the right combination of grit and gangster to make a compelling graphic novel. The way the imagery and dialogue play off each other was also really well done.

The graphic novel is told from the point of view of Al Capone himself, writing to his mother from his prison cell. The story is created from a mixture of true life stories and myths, and Al Capone himself chooses to downplay his own crimes and paint himself as the good guy to his mother. This is in contrast to what the gritty illustrations themselves show the reader. That said, the drawings are stunning and I enjoyed the mixture of the crisp Art Deco graphics and the sketchy crayon-style character art. Overall, this is a fun read, especially for anyone with an interest in true crime and/or American history!

I love a good gangster story.And who doesn't know about Al Capone? He's a legend.This graphic novel supposed Al was retelling his life and career to his beloved mother, in his words.Luckily, his words and the graphics told distinctly different stories.The artwork is very reminiscent of the 30s, loved it. The story itself is very clever, especially when the words and the graphics clearly aren't saying the same thing.Funny, violent, sad... it's a great story and a perfect way to see a gangster through his own eyes.

The teaser on the back of the book grabbed me right away: "Based on truth, lies, myths, and rumors..."The bold, vintage-style graphics reminded me of children's classics like Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and the original Curious George books, but darker -- much, much darker! Plenty of blood and even a bit of nudity!My favorite, though, is that the story is told in the voice of Al Capone himself. The setup is that ol' Scarface is telling his mother the truth about his life, and it works so well, especially when the violence that we see contradicts what Capone tells his dear mama. It made me want to rewatch some of the classic gangster films, scroll through old photo archives of Chicago, and learn more about the organizzazione.A fun read for a weekend afternoon!

The book utilizes a common device: it is told in the first person, as Alphonso Capone- on his way to Alcatraz prison-, attempts to justify his life to his mother. This allows the reader to make Capone the hero of the story, and sympathize with him, and at the same time judge him as the vicious murderous thug he is portrayed as being. We get to watch Capone invent or improve all the ways a thug can become a crime boss: intimidation, violence, buying crooked politicians, etc. while the voice-over has Capone claiming his innocence and victimization.Violence, in particular, was a major part of Al Capone's life, apparently. As a warning to the reader, the book doesn't stint on showing the pitched battles he was involved in, along with beatings, gangland slayings (including, of course, the Saint Valentine's day massacre), and more. The illustrator Pierre-Francois Radice, uses a Brutalist style to convey these events. It is very effective, but it's not "cartoon violence" so I suggest this is not a book for children.About the artwork: kudos to M. Radice for excellent pictorial story-telling. There are full-page and two-page spreads that are brilliant: a scene-setting view of Brooklyn in 1899 with the Brooklyn Bridge being built in the background; a meeting of Chicago crime bosses, with Capone getting angry at the way the Italian mob is being treated; an overhead view of the squalid Alcatraz prison cell where Capone lived for more than a decade; Capone at his height as the King of Chicago contemplating his city from an Art Deco stuffed penthouse.This is a terrific book. Excellent writing, excellent illustrations. If your collection includes graphic novels, consider including Capone.

I gave this to my husband because he's a fan of true crime and has an extensive manga collection. He enjoyed reading it and the hardcover seems to be good quality so is a great addition to his collection.

I loved this book. The art was fantastic. The story felt real. I loved it. If you can, read it and enjoy it!

Many people know who Al Capone is and have heard the stories, but I didnt know much about his childhood or how he rose to power. This book does a great job of telling the story visually with lively stylized illustrations and a compelling narrative!

A fantastic treatment of America's most legendary gangster. Capone narrates his own life here, unreliable narration and all, and it's all treated in such an inventive way. Meanwhile, I could get lost in PF Radice's beautifully drawn cityscapes for hours. The cartoonish nature of the illustrations effectively contrasts with the violence and despair that defined Capone's life.Well worth adding to your collection. I imagine I'll be pulling this one down off the shelf a lot in the future.

I had no prior knowledge of Al Capone's history, other than that he was a notorious gangster in Chicago during the 1920s. The book is 172 pages long and is full of color illustrations. The artwork is simply stunning, with incredible detail in the buildings and people of old downtown Chicago. The characters are all drawn in a unique style that is both odd and charming. I particularly enjoyed the crayon-like style of the comic strips.I read it on my 32-inch monitor, and the full-color eBook was a feast for the eyes. The artwork was so vivid and lifelike that I felt like I was right there in the middle of the action. The story was engaging and suspenseful, and I couldn't put the it down.At the end of the book, it is revealed that this "biography" is actually a mix of fiction and real-life stories. While this may disappoint some readers, I found it to be an interesting and unique approach to telling Al Capone's story. After all, we will never know the full truth about his life, so why not enjoy a fictionalized account?Overall, I highly recommend Al Capone to anyone who enjoys a good story, stunning artwork, or a bit of history. I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

The stylized art is fun in this graphic novel. Learning about Capone's story from his POV added to the great storytelling. If you want to learn more about Capone's rise, grab a copy of this.

Al Capone, sitting in an Alcatraz prison cell, narrates the story of his life, starting from his childhood as a poor but happy Brooklyn kid just trying to please his mother. Capone serves as narrator for the whole book, in fact, telling his visiting mother how he ended up there in Alcatraz. Speaking to his mother, he underplays the gory details, outright lies, and paints himself as a victim of circumstances, a hero even, rising above his lowly birth estate to be a champion of the people and provider of jobs for many. When he does come close to telling the truth he rationalizes his crimes. As this “I’m the good guy” narration runs, the art shows what really happened: ruthlessness. The violence is shocking, but Capone’s selective narration creates a slightly distanced feel to it.The art really “puts you there”, especially the cityscapes and establishing-shots, even though Radice’s style is not realism… more like representational.Meralli’s writing is based on known facts, at least as much as possible according to reliable sources, with the gaps in known facts filled in plausibly.While I typically dislike stories using an unrepentant criminal as the protagonist, I did find Capone to be an engaging and even sympathetic character here. Not that I think he was innocent or good, or that as he claimed, God was on his side, just that I appreciate his drive and ability to work within the system when necessary and create new methods when necessary. At one point he says the U.S. government, via prohibition, created Al Capone, but we see his deviousness long before the 18th Amendment. By the way, politicians do not come off well in this story.The story is entertaining and an interesting study of morals. It taps into the organized-crime ethos of “I’ll be as loyal to my people as humanly possible but ruthlessly murder other people with no qualms.” Humorously, Capone complains about the racism against Italians and the “dirty Irish” in the same breath. Additionally, this book gives some insight into how criminals today still think: believing God is on their side, proclaiming “I didn’t do anything” right after doing something horrific.If you're wondering, Elliot Ness and the G-men get a nod, but that’s about it. I would have preferred more, but this is Capone’s version the story. In his mind, he is the main character… which, I suppose accounts for the messy morals mentioned above.Disclosure: I received a free, pre-release digital version of this book with the expectation that I review it here, but this review reflects my honest opinions.

It's a fun read, especially for those who have an interest in infamous historical figures. The art really pops and meshes well with the storytelling as the life and times of one of the most influential crime figures in American History.