Gift Guide

Marked

by Steve Ross

Seabury Books/Church Publishing, 184 pp., $20 (paper)

It's often been noted that the Bible is the world's most-read book. Not so well-chronicled but surely equally valid is the notion that it's the world's most rewritten book, as well. You've got your original Hebrew and Greek tomes, your King James, your Living Bible, New Living Bible, your Pocket Bible, your Bible for Kids ... even comic books have gotten into the act, most recently and notably with Chester Brown's serialized retelling of the Gospel According to Matthew. San Antonio native and UT alum Steve Ross, however, claims that Marked is the first graphic novel (i.e., really long comic book) based on the Gospels – in this case, as the title implies, the Gospel of Mark.

Messing with the Good Book is a risky task; whether fact or fiction, it is a truly formidable and enduring work of literature. Plus, there's that whole heresy thing to worry about. Ross states that his chief focus in this surreal, futuristic take on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ is to strip away preconceptions, such as that of the long-haired, bearded Jesus of the Renaissance painters. It's a noble and lofty goal, and, to his merit, Ross almost manages to pull it off. His illustrative ability is more than competent, as he renders in complex but easily followed panel grids a dark, bizarre world of sinners, suckers, and seekers in dire need of a Savior.

Where Ross misses his mark (sorry!) is in his overkill. Rather than settle for working in recognizable modern evils like sham televangelists, the world according to Marked is peppered with off-the-wall weirdness that seems to have no clear satirical purpose. Not satisfied with nice touches like having his Christ appear as a hairless Hare Krishna wannabe whose fate is decided on a game show called Ultimate Decision, Ross baffles the reader with moves like having the angel at Christ's tomb appear as ... a circus clown?!? If you're an open-minded Christian, you'll doubtlessly find Marked to be a fun carnival ride, even if you do already know how it ends. If you're a nonbeliever, though, regarding the allure of either Christianity or comic books, there's nothing here that's likely to inspire you to convert.