Note: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Somehow they managed to make every character unlikable in this story, with king douche-canoe being Django himself. It tells us a sprinkling of history but doesn't explain why that history is important until after the story is told in an afterword. Pretty disappointing, even as someone who can read French and is well schooled in music. ( )

Not knowing more than his name, I went into this hoping to learn more about this legend. Mission accomplished. The artwork is beautiful as well. ( )

Django is a graphic biography of renowned twentieth century guitarist Django Reinhardt. Born in 1910 in a Roma community in Belgium, Django's childhood friends were taking him in a bad direction. He began stealing and gambling. After a run-in with the police, Django's mother finally buys him what he always wanted-a banjo. Django learns how to play quickly and he develops an expertise by his teen years. He plays in several bands in Paris, earning alot of money. However, after a fire started in his caravan, Django's left hand is seriously burned. He is told that he will never play again but Django overcomes all the odds by switching to playing an easier instrument-the guitar. His fame continued to spread and he is considered one of the best musicians of his time.

The comic had a slow start for me. I had never heard of Django before reading the book. This child prodigy was leading a fantastic life. There wasn't much excitement until the halfway point in the story when he was injured in the fire. Then there was the wondering whether he would recover. He had to use his hand differently after it was injured but the author did not go into any detail about how he made the transition. Django had two loves, Naguine and Bella. These storylines were OK but there wasn't much mystery here. ( )

Excellent art, intriguing story (author acknowledges multiple myths surrounding subject). Django’s drive to play present before injury — somehow overcoming narrative isn’t offensive. ( )