The pictures aren't just people saying, 'a god is possessing me!' while nothing is happening - a god is _there_. In the book, Gene draws the gods as they are taking over the Boxers and propelling them into battle. One of the things that makes both Boxers and Saints fascinating is how the author treats religion.īoxers features a magical realistic element the Chinese gods (who the characters know mainly through the opera) possess the Boxer rebels and help power their rebellion when the rebels go to war, they feel that they are taken over by the gods and protected and driven by them. If you're interested in buying Saints, just click on the image below to go through my link.

I just had different expectations going into this, for better or for worse. But that's not to say that I was disappointed-I'm pretty sure Gene Luen Yang can do no wrong with his storytelling in graphic novels. In the end, I loved Saints more for its opportunity to give us some closure on the first volume and not quite for its lead. I was left perpetually confused until everything gets connected at the end, which ended up spoiling my enjoyment a bit while reading.

I was proud of Vibiana when she finally realized what she wanted to do with her life, but the whole thing was left kind of open-ended with her last appearance. My everlasting admiration is in his hands. Gene Luen Yang once again proves what a masterful storyteller he is. But once Saints reached those last fifty pages, I was hooked. And so it took me a few days to complete it. To be frank, the plot was for the most part quite uneventful compared to the first volume. Torn between her nation and her Christian friends, Vibiana will have to decide where her true loyalties lie.and whether she is willing to die for her faith. The Boxer Rebellion is in full swing, and bands of young men roam the countryside, murdering Westerners and Chinese Christians alike.

She finds friendship-and a name, Vibiana-in the most unlikely of places: Christianity.īut China is a dangerous place for Christians. An unwanted and unwelcome fourth daughter, Four-Girl isn't even given a proper name by her family when she's born. And for the most part, it did not disappoint.Ĭhina, 1898. I was more than excited to start this companion graphic novel, which is told from an alternative perspective than the one in Boxers.

Boxers & saints