A Child is Born

Those of you who enjoy reading comics and graphic novels should consider picking up Billy Tucci's A Child is Born. I received my copy a week ago, and have found many of the images to be quite fantastic. I am not a huge comic book guy, although I have collected a few over the years. This one-shot graphic novella of the birth of Jesus, according to Matthew and Luke, could be a great gift idea for a teenage boy (or girl) or young adult. Heck, I am 33 and like it, so it really is something that a person of any age could enjoy. The book is 32 pages long, and utilizes the KJV as the basis for the text.

There are a number of beautifully illustrated pages, but my favorites are found on pages 9 and 10, where Joseph approaches Mary after his dream in Matthew 1:20. Though we don't know exactly how Joseph approached Mary after the dream, Tucci does a remarkable job of showing the bond between the two, with little use of words. Tucci's illustration of Mary's facial expression and the posture of Joseph in this encounter is both touching and poignant. We see here the Holy Family truly coming together in their commitment to God and to each other.

Again, I highly recommend this book. An interview with Billy Tucci, who is Catholic, can be read here. We have talked about the New Evangelization here quite a bit recently, so I can't help but think that this comic book is an example of what is needed to engage the culture. More info on the book, include some sample pages, can be found at the Apostle Arts website.