An incredible true crime graphic novel, less about crimes and more about ultimate truths. The plot moves along at a good pace. Not so fast as to leave you unsatisfied and not so slow as to be a slog. The art style is untrained but very expressive, dark and at times relentlessly gory and disturbing. ( )

I wasn't as thrilled by this book as others. It's a graphic novel biography of Matt Rizzo, who grew up in Chicago’s Little Italy in the roaring '20s, hung out with the wrong crowd, and found himself blind in Statesville Prison. His cellmate was notorious thrill killer Nathan Leopold, who got Rizzo interested in Dante’s Inferno and other classics, motivating Rizzo to become a writer when he got paroled even though his formal schooling after 4th grade. The story is told by his son Charlie, who is reunited when his mother dies. Charlie is desperate to know his father’s history, and Charlie's own troubles with the wrong crowd and the law, force his father to divulge the truth as motivation to choose a better path.

The black and white illustrations are powerful, setting a bleak mood and a bygone period setting. Highlights for me were: (1) Matt Rizzo's coming to grips with his loss of sight and (2) Leopold's reformative role as an educator in prison. A good cautionary tale to turn kids away from a life of crime, but I found the Dante storyline overbearing. ( )

Wow...I really enjoyed that... I had never heard of the Leopold and Loeb murder and was a little unclear as to how much of this was a true story. By the end I was fully invested. Landis Blair's crosshatching is perfect for the mood. ( )

Gorgeous art! Just opening the cover was breathtaking! I’ve become a fan of Landis Blair for sure! And I really liked that the last illustrated page had color! Awesome choice! I also liked the pictures at the end! A real work of art!

The story was just so-s0 for me. Way too much Dante and philosophizing. The “Writings of Matt Rizzo” were absolutely not my cup of tea. It was interesting historically, with it being set at Hitler's rise to power and with Matt's cell mate being Nathan Leopold, of Leopold and Loeb infamy. But the poetry and philosophy really bored me. Art and presentation = 5 stars! Story, for me = 1 star. ( )