The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln

    (Image, 1998)
™ and ©1998 Scott McCloud

From his quirky Zot! to his absorbing examination of comics as an art form, “Understanding Comics,” creator Scott McCloud has presented projects that do not easily fit into standard categories. That is no less true of “The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln.”

This graphic novel is actually a political allegory that presents biting sarcasm of the current American political scene. Abraham Lincoln inexplicably arrives in late twentieth-century America, reinforcing historical inaccuracies while spouting feel-good slogans that mean nothing. The shallowness of his platform is blissfully accepted by the populace who are willing to make him their leader. When another Abraham Lincoln arrives to challenge the one riding a wave of popularity, McCloud skillfully illustrates the danger of worshiping symbols and ignoring what they represent.

— George Haberberger
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