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Art and Story By: Will Eisner
Genre: Drama
It is rare as a reviewer, or fan for that fact, to have the opportunity to 
read the very book that spawned a whole new medium of comic book writing and art. A Contract With God and Other Tenement Stories by Will Eisner, the first ever-graphic novel is a collection of riveting and revealing tales that illustrated the power of free will when confronted with fear, and hope.
A Contract with God takes place during the 1930's at 55 Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx. Located in a poor Jewish ghetto during the midst of the Great Depression, residents of 55 are financial and/or self-imposed psychological ruin. Taking a snap shot from the world Eisner himself grew up in, he weaves thrilling and spiritually bereft tales that masterfully draw the reader full force into the minds of the tenants and the mood of hopelessness and despair the entire nation endured for nearly a decade.
The first story in the novel, A Contract with God eloquently foreshadowed the complex emotional and psychological trials to be featured throughout the novel. A notoriously pious Jewish man, Frimm, feels God, has violated a childhood contract when his one and only child dies. In return, Frimme gives up his kind and loving ways and becomes a vicious tyrant. The story traces his downward spiral and his subsequent attempt to regain his former love for God. In the end this story provided a powerful message about faith and the reality of loving an unseen god.
The second story, The Street Singer told about a time when destitute people would sing outside of the tenement buildings for money. This story follows one particular singer, his chance at fame, and by any means necessary attitude that land him in some interesting positions with a long forgotten performer.
The Super, Contract's third story, is about 55's Superintendent and how quickly scandal spreads in a tenement, after the Super and a young worldly girl engage in sexual favors that result in a game of blackmail. Contract's final story, The Cookalein, chronicles the vacations the tenants of 55 would like to take and how such a time would change them. Each story is told from an ethnic Jewish tilt that reminded me of some of my best years growing up in a partially Jewish household.
Eisner's art technique and superbly written story really made this comic stand out from the rest. While traditional comics use frames to guide the reader through the story, Eisner picked and chose his use of frames, sometimes making a page one huge frame.
Eisner's use of caricature style art brought a child like innocence to the most dastardly situations; it was as if Eisner were reliving the memories of his childhood from page to page. The look of his characters helped to hammer home the gritty reality this graphic novel speaks of so expressively. I particularly liked how Eisner used art as onomatopoeia. For instance, if he talked about rain the letters he is using look rain-soaked and drip water. Absolutely genius!!
While I personally liked the first story A Contract With God the best, all of the stories in this collection are worth checking out. Each has a tough message and hammers home lesson after lesson. In addition reading Contract is even more rewarding because this novel is reading a little piece of history within a little piece of history-a thought that is always quite rewarding.
Send your comments and or questions about this article to jmanzano@ybfree.com.