The Jew of New York

Reading The Jew of New York was a lot like reading King, graphically and through the representation of the story through the images.  I loved opening up that first page to find the map of New York City covered by the body system of a human.  It was the opening mark putting a message out about the interaction of the human race with others but also with the city atmosphere.  Once I moved on to the actual comic I began to feel very uncomfortable reading it and I could not understand why.  Finally I came to the conclusion that the images themselves were oriented to make the audience feel uncomfortable while reading to mirror the emotions and situations that occurred in the comic.  For instance, the way the images were staged made me feel very claustrophobic.  There barely any breathing space, empty space, and everything in the image seemed to be fighting for attention.  The use of value gave off a mood like a piece by Caravaggio with the intensity of chiaroscuro.  The piece is very wordy and the text blends right in to the busyness of the images.  Also, all the characters look the same, even though they were introduced in the beginning of the book.  After reading this book I felt like I had inserted myself into something I was not meant to see.  I felt as if I intruded on somebody’s inner thoughts.

 

Reading The Jew of New York allowed me to learn how powerful images can truly be.  The composition forced me right out of the book. I have learned from this book that if one strategically or absent-mindedly fills the space up and makes the image busy the audience is doesn’t get the proper time to enjoy the work.  Instead they just close the book or feel guilty for continuing forward.