Harpe arrives in stores November 25, 2009. This is an early review.

The story of the Harpe brothers is mired in rumor and myth. In modern times, their story is relatively unknown. I had never heard of them until I picked up this graphic novel. What is known is that between the years of 1797 and 1799, Wiley and Micajah Harpe roamed Tennessee and Kentucky--killing as they went. Their victims included men, women, and children. By the time they were stopped, the body count was well over two dozen. It was the first widespread killing spree to hit America.

Chad Kinkle and Adam Shaw's Harpe tells the story of the serial killers from the perspective of Wiley Harpe, the younger of the two. Falsely accused of murder by a townsman named Moses Stegall, the two brothers escape jail and collect their wives--intent on tracking down and killing the man who set them up.

Whether the motive is true or not, Kinkle does not go out of his way to make the brothers sympathetic. He does not demonize them, but he never shies away from the atrocities the Harpe brothers committed. In the execution of its story, Harpe mixes family tension, revenge, and early frontier history to create a captivating character study of the killers.

Harpe is brutal, there is no other way to describe it. The brothers shoot, stab, and torture their way through the pages. They put their families through hell in their pursuit of retribution. The violence is not hidden, but it never devolves into gore or torture porn. All the atrocities are stark, and the book is very effective because of it.

Kinkle avoids the flowery speech usually found in historical pieces, instead using realistic dialogue with a simple southern dialect that never feels forced or stereotypical. The main strength of Harpe is its efficient simplicity. There is no padding; subplots are introduced and resolved--always tying into the main plot and not leaving any loose ends.

Kinkle doesn't take the story in any odd directions; he tells the tale in a refreshingly straightforward way. It's not the most innovative of stories, but it is entertaining, direct, and very effective.

Similarly, Adam Shaw's art compliments the direct storytelling.

Painted in black and white, the pages are full of gritty action and emotion. It is not the most detailed, but (like the writing) its very effective.

Shaw manages to capture the look and fashion of the early frontier. Desolate forests, waterfalls, and even snow-filled nights loom throughout the pages. Action scenes are fluid--with the violence brutal and done realistically. Shaw's use of shadow and chiaroscuro are very well done, and they add ominous tones to the book. As with the writing, Shaw's art captures both the gritty nature of the subject matter, and the historical setting of the story.

Overall, Harpe is an entertaining look at an often ignored part of American history. Kinkle and Shaw have created a wonderful character study of two killers, taking history and spinning a great story out of it. For fans of true crime, historical fiction, or just non-superhero comics, Harpe is a fitting book and well worth the read.

For ordering information, visit http://www.harpegraphicnovel.com/Harpe_Graphic_Novel/Blog/Blog.html

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