‘Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?’ (review)

Written by Eric Powell, Harold Schechter
Art by Eric Powell
Published by Albatross Funnybooks

Comic books and graphic novels about something that happened in the real world are incredibly hard to pull off well.

When it doesn’t work, it is pretty hard to trudge through, although when it does work, there is literally nothing better.

This is an example of a book that works extremely well, almost on another level.

This story is about the murderous Ed Gein.

Before people start thinking “oh, we have heard his story before,” they need to take a moment and read the first few pages. After that, there is literally no going back.

There wasn’t for me, I was completely hooked.

We get to see a history of the Gein family. It is pretty complete as well as pretty thorough. The research that went into this book is apparent and it shows on every single panel. The history is presented too, in a unique way that doesn’t bog down the story, but rather enhances it.

The reader gets to meet Ed Gein.

We get to see his surroundings. We get to see his upbringing and how all the different factors in this life led him down the path he went. We get to see his frame of mind . We get to live and feel with him. It is downright terrifying.

The details here are incredible. Writers Harold Schechter and Eric Powell don’t hold back and the details in the story make you sit up.

The art, also by Powell, is the best of his career. Powell has never turned in a bad job, but his work on this book is extra special.

This is an unbelievable book, well worth reading and poring over for years to come.

RATING: A+