Greetings, humans! Josh ‘Smokey-Hell’ Nelson here with my thoughts on a brand new graphic novel, “Who Killed Sarah Shaw?”.
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest true crime fan. It’s nothing against the genre itself; I just prefer my escapism to be rooted in the fantastical, as opposed to being rooted in the depths of human depravity. However, my wife is the target audience of that genre. I admit, occasionally, I find myself pulled into hibernation on the couch while learning about some new/old tragedy being dredged up and exposed by the light of streaming.
Here’s my full breakdown of the graphic novel!
“Who Killed Sarah Shaw?” Review | Graphic Novel Breakdown
Hook, Line & Sinker
It’s in this light that we begin “Who Killed Sarah Shaw?”, a brand-new gripping graphic novel from publisher Dauntless Stories by writer Frankee White, chillingly illustrated and lettered by Adam Markiewicz in stark black and white. That artistic decision works heavily in their favor, as it lends itself to the genre, almost in juxtaposition to how situations are rarely binary within it.
The story opens up at the beginning of 1986 in the small town of Hardground, Mich., with the discovery of Sarah Shaw’s body within a snow-covered briar patch.
The story quickly jumps ahead to the current time on the next page. Protagonists Jesenya (on camera) and Dave (behind the camera) are the creative teams behind “Cracking A Cold One,” a show that has run for four seasons on the “TruCryme” network.
As they wrap up a follow-up interview with Sarah’s best friend, they get a disheartening phone call informing them their show has been canceled due to a ratings drop. In a subtly skewering send-up of superficial true crime show tropes, they quickly work through the first three stages of grief and loss before an epiphanous moment from Jesenya (pictured below).
Who Killed Sarah Shaw? (Page 6)
That was the moment that I was absolutely hooked. This graphic novel had no intention of letting those barbs loose (and this was only page six). If the language is off-putting, well, go to church. This is real, gritty, unabashed material, including coarse language, violence and full-frontal nudity.
It wouldn’t personally turn me away, but it is worth mentioning for any Puritans who might be reading this review.
Character Depth
What followed on the next 112 pages was a thrilling, chilling tale of killing, cover-ups, crime and a vicious dedication to a sleepy town maintaining its status quo. A prescient piece of the writing was how Jesenya and Dave each reacted to trouble with the local law enforcement. As you can see in the page above, Jesenya and Dave have different racial backgrounds, which inform diametrically opposed viewpoints and experiences in this regard.
I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will leave it at that, but that stood out as a testament to the depth of characters Frankee has written.
Visuals
Visually, this graphic novel is arresting, clutching your eyes and mind within its grip until it chooses to release you (on the last page of your second read-through).
One of the moments that stopped me in my tracks was the last two panels of chapter one, where you see Sarah’s father, Harold Shaw, for the first time. The soullessness his face conveys is something I never hope to experience, as losing a child is likely one of the worst situations anyone could ever find themselves in. The decades have emaciated him, both physically, mentally and spiritually. Markiewicz really did an incredible job bringing these characters to life.
Bottom Line
In closing, and I don’t say this lightly, “Who Killed Sarah Shaw?” has become one of my absolutely favorite all-time graphic novels. I cannot wait to dive into the other collaborations this team has birthed.
Now, if you don’t mind, I am off to read it for a fourth time!
But wait! There’s now a Kickstarter open to support this amazing work. Available are two formats: a 5.5×8.5 inch paperback edition and a 6.8×10.5 inch hardcover edition.
Thanks for reading my “Who Killed Sarah Shaw?” review. Remember, where there’s Smoke… there’s fire! For more entertainment and sports takes like these, find me on Bluesky, at The Smokeshow!
