Review by Ian Keogh

Xavier Saxon’s Night at the Belfry is not only an outstanding début graphic novel, it’s all the more remarkable for an online interview revealing it was created spontaneously without any direction in mind. The only pre-planned item was the visual prompt of events somehow involving a church bell tower.

Lead character James Ransom is an elderly man who lives with his daughter, who has concerns about him, especially his trips out in the middle of the night. In his youth he was briefly a boxer, and still keeps himself fit, but his former strength has been left in the past. What he does have is a crazy plan, and Night at the Belfry is best experienced knowing very little else, although parts of James’ life are revealed as his plan rolls out.

Old people don’t feature much in graphic novels, which tend to be created by younger people, although as they age their concerns develop into different areas. It can be assumed, though, that Saxon is relatively young based on this being his first graphic novel, so choosing to focus on someone so much older than himself is unusual, never mind being able to slip himself so thoroughly into another skin. James is created perfectly from the start, his reactions and feelings transmitting instantly, and when he explains himself it rings true, not just for him but for many others you might see around you every day.

James dominates proceedings, but Saxon takes equal care with the supporting cast. Their own problems and motivations transmit without ever being oversold.

It’s not only the understanding writing that sells Saxon’s ideas, but his neat art. He keeps both people and surroundings simple, yet the panels drip with feeling. Is this due to the spontaneity or perhaps due to Saxon just being a creator emerging fully tooled up#? Either way, unless one of the Hernandez Brothers publishes something this year, you’ll go a long way to read a better human drama as a graphic novel.