Surely the thug’s bloody face on the cover art should have been your first clue. But if not, Saint by J.R. Dunbar is the visceral journey of a superhero who fights just as violently as his enemies. If you like your superhero stories with action, philosophy and grit, then look no further than this.
Jake Barker’s story begins as a comic-loving kid who grows up inspired by superheroes and their morals. He trains in combat and eventually becomes a masked vigilante. One night, a job goes wrong and Jake meets a sticky end; he gets trapped by some criminals. This is just one of the many instances of stylised violence A. Afolabi’s art depicts. I must admit that the first of these graphic scenes did catch me off guard; mainly because I wasn’t expecting it. However, as the novel goes on, I find that they fit the tone and themes of the story well.
After his early death, Jake wakes up in a type of limbo. He meets a wraith-like figure who we learn is the unseen narrator from the opening. Jake names them Judge based on their role of maintaining the balance of good and evil souls in the world. Here, Jake is reborn as the superhero Saint. Armed with abilities such as speed and strength, he continues his mission to stop criminals.
Initially, Jake focuses more on random crimes. But his desire for revenge takes over. This leads to a series of battles that remind me of The Bride’s rampage in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films. I do enjoy the combination of gritty and supernatural elements. It blends an urban setting and crime bosses with the mysterious After Realm. One of the main things I also like about Saint is the focus on morality. I find it refreshing that Jake Barker was already helping people before receiving his powers; just because to him, that was the right thing to do.
Dunbar presents us with a superhero who is ready to kill “bad guys” when he sees it as necessary. The artwork even reflects this theme of morality. Afolabi depicts most criminals with faces in dark shadow, deep lines and a rough, haggard appearance. They also often have animalistic features such as large teeth and bulbous eyes. The link between physical features and morals is shown by Judge’s ability to reflect someone else’s true self by revealing their face from under their hood. I think this is a clever technique which returns later in the story to speculate on Saint’s moral standing.
Leading on from this, I also like the contrast between the name of the superhero and his actions. The word “saint” implies purity. And although he does defend innocent people, he wounds and kills others. It is thought-provoking and asks a question: when facing relentless enemies, should a hero be able to kill? The story delivers its verdict which you can read in its epilogue, illustrated by Rich Hennemann.
