The Book of Lies

August 30, 2008 on 2:43 pm | In 3.5 Stars | 1 Comment

The Book of Lies
By Brad Meltzer
(Grand Central Publishing, 2008)

I’ll bet you’re wondering what a fiction novel has to do with the mission of “The UnGraphic Novel” to review books that give credibility to comics as a legitimate form of art and literature. Right? Let me explain.

The author, Brad Meltzer, is an accomplished comic book writer; ergo, it bodes well for the industry to see one of its creators demonstrate that they aren’t merely comic book writers – they’re accomplished and talented writers who sometimes write comics. Meltzer is a New York Times best-selling author, and that reflects very well on the comics he writes.

Secondly, the story heavily involves comic book history, characters, and our forgotten Mecca in Cleveland, Ohio.

In the story, an ex-federal agent is reunited with his long lost father. Together they set out in search of clues in a biblical treasure hunt with ties to the 1932 murder of Mitchell Siegel, father of Superman co-creator, Jerry Siegel. Throughout the story, readers are taken along on a search for clues left in comic books by Jerry Siegel, himself. But what great secrets will the clues lead them to, and what does Mitchell Siegel have to do with the biblical story of Cain and Abel?

“The Book of Lies” is a DaVinci Code mystery for comic book fans. In that vein, sadly, my biggest complaint would be that its nowhere near as complex or as deep as “The DaVinci Code.” Some of the obstacles in The Book of Lies are downright silly (like the “Zombie Possum”) and the characters seem to solve these riddles a little too easily sometimes.

Regardless, the adventure is fast-paced and a lot of fun, holding your attention every page as you try to figure out the puzzle along with the characters.

More important, I think, than the adventure: “The Book of Lies” offers a deep and compelling look at the rarely seen real life of Jerry Siegel, and the events that forged a man in steel. If you don’t read it for the fiction, read it for the facts. So many people today think Superman was created as a comic book stand-in for Jesus, Moses or Samson, but Meltzer presents a more Batman-like origin … that Superman was created by a scared little boy whose father was shot and killed, so he created a bulletproof vigilante.

His presentation of this alternate and little known history has gained attention from national media like this story in USA Today, and there was also a great feature article in the Oct. 2008 issue of Wizard Magazine. It seems poised to rewrite comic book history, or rather correct it. This could be a major turning point in the entire Superman franchise. As our perception of the Man of Steel changes, hopefully so too will our understanding of the character. Just as Dan Brown today gets most of the credit (or blame) for writing about theories that have always been out there, maybe Meltzer will be credited for popularizing this history behind the creation of Superman.

Forget the fictional elements and the transparent DaVinci knockoff for a moment. This book is worth reading because of how it will forever change the way we look at Superman.

I’d give this book three-and-a-half stars!

FUN FACTS: The main character, Calvin Harper, goes by the name, “Cal” — like Superman’s Kryptonian name.