Ron Wimberly

One of those graphic biographies where the subject -- the adventurous and heroic Eugene Bullard, in this case -- carries you past the shortcomings of the book's writer and artist.

Bullard fled the racism of his childhood home of Columbus, Georgia, and made his way to Europe where he could live without fear of lynch mobs. He had settled in France by the outbreak of World War I and quickly volunteered for the French Foreign Legion to defend his new country, first on the ground with the infantry and then in the air as the first African American fighter pilot. His story is by turns sad, scary, thrilling, and improbable.

Unfortunately, this book chooses to tell his story with a tired framing device of Bullard -- an elevator operator in 1950s New York City -- telling his life story to a television executive when they become stuck in a malfunctioning elevator. The narration lacks dates and broader context for much of the book. Without the cover copy, readers without much historical knowledge might not be able to tell what war is being depicted in the back half of the book.

The book gets bogged down a bit in the trenches of World War I for a little too long with some extended action sequences that feel like they could be stock footage from any number of war movies. The repeated wounds Bullard sustains are rather glossed over to get back to the action. It's not until page 265 -- 82% of the way through the book -- that the possibility of becoming a pilot is mentioned in the flashbacks. The book then zips through his aerial career and ends before the war's armistice and decades before the 1950s elevator sequence, teasing that they've only told half of Bullard's story. What?!?!?

If they ever do a sequel, I'd gladly pick it up. But there may be some better sources out there to find out about this extraordinary man.… (mer)

Now Let Me Fly is a deeply powerful graphic biography about the first African-American fighter pilot, Eugene Bullard. Born in Columbus (GA) under the oppression of Jim Crow laws, Bullard dreamt of Europe, especially France, where he heard black people are free, safe and treated as fellow human beings. The eve of World War 1, he realized his dream, and discovered Parisian life, before joining the fight in 1914 to defend France.

The artwork is incredible and the story is really interesting. I was fascinated by that forgotten page of history. Even if the graphic novel depicts a dark page of history, it is easy to read and the narrative is perfect. Eugene Bullard had an inspiring life, never letting go of his dreams : from a ride with the gypsies where he learned to ride horses, to England where he mastered boxing, up to France where he served with the 170th Moroccan Division at Verdun and after being wounded, joined the Lafayette Escadrille and became the first African American fighter pilot.… (mer)