Steagle & Kristiansen. Genius.

Steagle & Kristiansen.  Genius.  Macmillan/First Second  2013     126p  $17.99  ISBN 978-59643-263-5  hs/adult  Graphic novel  E-BN 

Ted is a very bright man working as a theoretical physicist in a very prestigious facility.  However, his creativity and productivity have dropped and he worries that he no longer has anything to give.  He just needs a “new idea”. Ted worries about keeping his job, but more importantly about the benefits he needs to help his seriously ill wife.  How he copes, and the life realizations that he makes, provide an ending that I won’t ruin with spoilers.  Not being a fan of most graphic novels, I realized by reading this book how good a graphic novel can be.  The story is beautifully written and illustrated.  What starts as a story about a genius who wishes he were the next Einstein while he is no longer thriving in the “publish-or-perish” world of theoretical physics, becomes a story about love and family and the importance of being true to yourself. Ted’s relationship with his teenage son is truthfully portrayed through vivid language (translation, direct sex talk); the relationship with his father-in-law displays the typical dance of words common between in-laws (some of which is trashy); and the relationship with his wife is very loving, if a tad more needy than supportive.  Again, the author does an excellent job portraying these characters.  There is humor, especially in the conversations between Ted and his son, as well as those between Ted and his father-in-law.  The reader can almost hear some of the sarcasm and will hopefully chuckle as I did. The ending tied everything together in a most satisfying manner.           

Summary: Ted is a very bright man working as a theoretical physicist in a very prestigious facility.  However, his creativity and productivity have dropped and he worries that he no longer has anything to give.  He worries about keeping his job and especially about the benefits that go with it.  How he copes, and the life realizations that he makes, are at the heart of this graphic novel. 

Realistic fiction, Job security-Fiction                           --Lynn Fisher