Andre The Giant: Closer to Heaven; a Graphic Memoir Review

Title: Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven

Author: Brandon Easton

Illustrator: Denis Medri

Publisher: Lion Forge

Publication Date:

Description:

He was one of the greatest performers in sports entertainment history, but his legions of fans around the globe barely know the man behind the legend of Andre the Giant -- until now! 

Jean Ferre. Monster Eiffel Tower. Fezzik. These were alter egos for the internationally acclaimed pro wrestling superstar known as Andre the Giant, who thrilled audiences worldwide with his unmatched charisma and remarkable athleticism. Despite his astonishing popularity, few really knew the man behind the curtain -- the man born in the French countryside named Andre Roussimoff. Showing signs of gigantism at an early age, Andre decided to use his size to his advantage and entered the wild world of professional wrestling. From his first day in the squared circle, those close to him knew that a legend was born.
This lavishly illustrated authorized biography of Andre the Giant charts his entire life from the earliest days on his family's farm to his blockbuster feuds with the biggest wrestling stars of all time, exploring the dark side of fame and fortune along the way.

My Review:

"I've heard that a pessimist believes that memories are only regrets organized in chronological order...the optimist says that you should be lucky to live long enough to have regrets. Neither is correct. We live on the border between optimism and pessimism. The darkness and the light." 

" I began to wonder if I was going to outgrow the world itself."

I want to mention that this is only my second encounter with the graphic memoir and I really think I need to explore this medium in more depth because it is absolutely compelling. 

This covered every aspect of Andre's life but mostly focused on his career and public image. It has everything from growing up and towering over his peers to having to leave school to help support his parents farm. It showcased his love of wrestling but also the struggles with addiction and fame that he faced. 

Personally being a fan of early 90s wrestling and the Princess Bride film I was happy to see the impact these things made on his life so I understood him better at the times I was most familiar with his career.

The fact that his estranged daughter prefaced this and that he believed she wasn't his due to medical issues was a great way to see behind his mask and his public image.

The art style in this is simple but detailed. The coloration is plain but I don't think that really takes away from the design in any way. I liked it and felt like it was a good companion to the plot and didn't distract from the overall story. I enjoyed that aspect as well.

I really liked this and would recommend it to fans of graphic memoirs, professional wrestling, and sports stories in general. I thought that they did a fantastic job.

My Star Rating: 

4 out of 5 Stars

I received this as an e-advanced readers copy from netgalley.com and the publisher. All opinions are my own but I appreciate them letting me review this graphic memoir in advance.

Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26486370-andre-the-giant

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1439810440

http://www.amazon.com/Andre-Giant-Brandon-M-Easton/dp/1631404008/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447428480&sr=1-1&keywords=andre+the+giant+closer+to+heaven&pebp=1447428508889&perid=0GDYF874D8QWK6RS0S6A