BOXERS & SAINTS is the new two-volume graphic novel set
by award-winning artist/writer Gene Luen Yang. In these slip-cased books, we see two very
different sides of the Chinese Boxer Rebellion.
China, on the cusp of the 20th century, faced challenges
from many sides. Severe drought brought widespread starvation and poverty. The growing influences of
western culture led to the uprising of the violent Righteous Harmony Society, aiming to repel and
eradicate the influence of foreign imperialists and Christian missionaries.
In BOXERS, we get the tale of Little Bao, a peasant who
witnesses life-changing and culture-changing forced on the Chinese by imperialists from
the West. These foreigners bring not only their brute force but also their “devil” religion, leading
Bao to join and then lead a new and violent uprising called the Righteous and Harmonious Fist. Inspired
by Chinese gods and colorful characters from the opera he loves, Bao’s band of nationalists ultimately
lead to the center of the battle and destiny awaiting in Peking.
In SAINTS, we meet Four-Girl (also known as “Death-Girl”)
who is an outcast in her own home village, leading her to the Christian missionaries who take her in
amidst the growing Rebellion. Taking the name Vibiana, hers is a quest for the soul as she decides
whether to abandon her past and embrace her future by committing herself to the Christian religion of
the foreigners.
Since his break-out hit graphic novel AMERICAN BORN CHINESE
seven years ago, Gene Luen Yang has been consumed by researching, writing and drawing BOXERS
& SAINTS. While each of the volumes can be read and enjoyed separately, the powerful
combination of both cannot be over-stated. BOXERS & SAINTS not only fleshes out the different sides
of a troubling point in world history, but it’s apparent that Yang’s own family history is a subtle
back-drop to the entire epic.
BOXERS & SAINTS may even be considered a prequel to
AMERICAN BORN CHINESE... and given ABC’s deservedly respected place in the graphic novel world, it’s time
to make room on the bookshelf for this new and thoroughly thought-provoking two-volume set.
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