Berlin Kindle & comiXology

I’ve spent the past 35 years reading graphic novels and comics of all genres and this has to be one of my favourites.I didn’t think Berlin would appeal to me - I’ve never been to the city & I’d never even heard of the author. But I’d read great things about it so I thought I’d give it a go. Berlin is an opus of more than 500 pages set in the late 1920s in the titular city, teeming with journalists and junkmen, artists and runaways, fiery rabble-rousers and burnt-out cases from the First World War, perceiving the city with their own nervous systems.At first glance the art work didn’t appeal to me but after a few pages I realised just how spectacular it is. Lutes is incapable of drawing a lazy panel. His scrupulous style, which is reminiscent of Herge, makes everything from the font of a store sign to a parlor wallpaper pattern worthy of study. Immerse yourself in every frame and panel and you'll get an opportunity to be transported back to another time and place. It’s about the lives of everyday people set in a bygone era - which might not appeal to those seeking escape in fantastical superhero stories but if you’re into history, a great story and a heartfelt and emotional journey I would recommend this. It truly is a spectacular and brilliant masterpiece.

'Berlin' by Jason Lutes took around twenty years to produce. It's a remarkable piece of work as far as Graphic Novels go and although the artwork is persistently in black & white, it's staggering how this works so effectively.If your curious about the history of Germany but more so, the inner history of Berlin from the 1920's into the 1930's, then you really cannot go wrong getting hold of what is one of the best Graphic Novels in existence.I thought for the price, it is a real bargain but it's also extremely well written with real intelligence and I wouldn't be surprised if at some future point the experience of reading it would be transferred into a film. As it is presently, 'Berlin' is fascinating and an amazing warning about how changes in history became disastrous over time.Highly recommended.

This is a brilliant reconstruction of life in one of the world's greatest cities during the four years before President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor on 30 January 1933. Behind the vibrant, liberal facade created by the middle class the smouldering embers of the First World War burst into flames. The two million dead, resentment at the treatment of ordinary soldiers by their officers, abandonment of disabled veterans, and the humiliation and poverty inflicted by the Treaty of Versailles are the bellows. We see the citizens becoming more polarised, some gravitating towards the Communists, others to the Nazis as they seek remedies for their deprivations.The characters whom Jason Lutes draws out of the crowd become real people, far from the stereotypes of Germans we are often presented with. A reader can become involved in their lives, fearing for those who have not opted to idolise Hitler. 'Berlin' also takes us well beyond Germany's capital city. It brings us to the present and to the poorly understood grievances which are polarising our own world. Let's hope fervently that the fate of Berlin and its inhabitants will not be repeated.

A fascinating insight into the mood and art of the era

Since it is generally described as a work of genius, let me give a diverging opinion. It's absolutely the case that Lutes' panels of city scenes are magnificent, but his characterisation is poor. This is especially the case for female characters, who I frequently struggled to distinguish from each other. No doubt this contributed to the feeling I had that I wasn't really engaged with any of the characters as people, and that Lutes had only placed them to represent historical forces or social realities that he wanted to represent.

Gritty novel. Evoked emotions of headaches, loneliness, love and desolation, set amidst the beginnings of world war 2. Read it.

An ambitious and well researched graphic novel. For about 2/3 of the book the artwork is top-notch, but then comes a gradual change in style (simplification) which I don't quite appreciate. Also, I can't shake the feeling that the ending was better conceived than executed.

This graphic novel has taken up much of the adult life of the author / illustrator to produce. Wonderful penmanship is employed to tell the stories of pre-war Berlin. A heady mix of individuals suffer the years with varying degrees of skill.