My War With Brian

    (NBM)
™ and © NBM

Cartoonist Ted Rall certainly knows how to make the best of a bad situation. In this graphic novel, Rall flashes back to his high-school days and tells of his daily harassment at the hands of his arch-nemesis, a useless lowlife he calls Brian Koff. Not only did this unpleasant chapter of his life make for better-than-expected story, but Rall even partially credits his current success to his former foe.

This isn’t just another story of a helpless kid being tormented at school; Rall portrays himself as the victim who still manages to get in a few good punches before going down. Rall can live with getting beat up on a daily basis, because he’s not content to just let the torment pass without incident; he comes up with clever reciprocations that often are worse than what he himself endures. Although he knows this won’t stop the confrontations, he at least scores a few points.

An interesting paradox can be read between the lines, as Rall claims that his harassment was unprovoked, yet his character’s confrontational attitude is one that arguably could provoke such actions. Readers can decide for themselves whether such physical retributions are justifiable or not.

As disturbingly funny as it is, the enjoyment is tempered somewhat by Rall’s odd inking style that gives everything a glazed, fuzzy appearance. But the story, nonetheless, succeeds at proving the old adage: The best revenge is living well.

— Jim Johnson
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