The Original Johnson, Book Two, by Trevor Von Eeden

Writer and Artist: Trevor Von Eeden; Additional Inks: Don Hillsman II; Colors: George Freeman & Glenn Hauman

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

The first volume of The Original Johnson, Trevor Von Eeden's graphic novel biography of boxing champion John Arthur Johnson, was released in late 2009. After some delay, the second half of Von Eeden's portrait of Jack Johnson finally saw print earlier this year.

Book two of The Original Johnson opens with a brief history of boxing from it's inception in England in 1719 through to the status of the sport in the early days of the Twentieth Century. For someone such as myself, who was unfamiliar with boxing and its major figures, this summation was useful and informative.

Von Eeden observes that Jack Johnson's quest to become the first black heavyweight boxing champion of the world was fraught with obstacles. Johnson lived in an era when, unfortunately, African Americans were regarded by a significant portion of the population as both physically & mentally deficient. Many of the athletes in boxing were resistant, if not outright hostile, to the idea of facing a black opponent. Undoubtedly at least some of these individuals were driven by a deep-rooted subconscious fears of how their reputations and their own self-images would be shattered if they were defeated in the boxing ring by a black man, someone who was supposedly "inferior."

The book depicts Johnson's relentless pursuit of the title match, culminating on December 26, 1908 in Rush Cutter's Bay, Australia. There, Johnson faced and defeated the reigning world champ Tommy Burns. But even then, many reacted with disbelief, rationalizing that Johnson was not the "true" world champion due to earlier titleholder James Jeffries having retired several years before undefeated. Here we learn the origin of the expression "the great white hope." Jeffries, persoaded by public opinion, returned to the sport to reclaim the title from the supposed usurper Jack Johnson. The two men met in the ring on July 4, 1910 in Reno, Nevada, in a match dubbed "the battle of the century."

Von Eeden's pacing of events in this second volume of The Original Johnson is unconventional. He devotes over 40 pages of the book to Jack Johnson's encounter with lovely millionaire heiress Dominique St. John in her titanic, resplendent mansion. Much of this sequence deals with the central themes of the book, the harmful, self-deceptive nature of racism and how it corrupts the United States from within, and Johnson's determination to succeed as an individual, to be the master of his own destiny.

A good portion of the encounter between Jack Johnson and Dominique is illustrated with splash pages and double page spreads. The subsequent matches between Johnson and first Burns then Jeffries are told within a sequence of tiny, almost claustrophobic panels. It is a strange choice, but perhaps Von Eeden felt the themes being articulated in the sequence with Dominique were important enough to devote a significant portion of the book, as well as to render them in large, dramatic splashes. In any case, it is a beautifully illustrated sequence, with Von Eeden at the height of his artistic prowess.

There is a sensual undercurrent in much of the interaction between Jack and Dominique, which culminates with them having sex. The line between eroticism and pornography is a thin one, especially as it can be subject to individual interpretation. For the most part, Von Eeden successfully remains within the realm of the artistically erotic, and the scene is more amorous than it is carnal.

Also effective is the transition back and forth between Jack and his wife Etta in each others arms in bed, and the establishing shots of the Johnson / Jeffries match amidst a hostile crowd of spectators. It is here that Johnson explains to Etta how he does not allow the ignorant racist comments of others to get under his skin, stating "My secret is simply this: no other man's opinion is as important as mine, when it comes to my life!"

The coloring on this volume by George Freeman and Glenn Hauman is very effective. Often they utilize bold colors to emphasize a mood or emotion. At other times there is a delicate subtlety to their work. This diversity of style complements Von Eeden's artwork very well, especially in these scenes.

Von Eeden moves through later years of Jack Johnson's life at a fast clip. Again, I wish Von Eeden had paced the book in a somewhat different manner, so that more space could have been devoted to chronicling this part of Jack's life.

Much of the final segment is rendered in an allegorical manner. Part of this harks back to the first volume of The Original Johnson, where a young Jack Johnson dreamed he was a knight in golden armor in battle against injustice. Here, as Von Eeden recounts Johnson's struggles with the racist judicial system of the time, he is seen in battle against a fire-breathing dragon. In the end, Johnson is not able to slay the dragon, representing as it does the institutionalized racism & bigotry of an entire nation. But neither is the dragon able to slay Jack.

Like one of his opponents in the boxing ring, society's ignorance and discrimination succeeds in knocking Johnson down, often repeatedly. But each time he falls he struggles back to his feet, unwilling to admit defeat. Though he could not topple the juggernaut of intolerance that lay within America in the early Twentieth Century, and the battle left him bloody & bruised, he was able to stand up to it, and achieve his personal goals.

I did feel that Von Eeden may have somewhat glossed over Johnson's faults, namely his frequent sexual infidelities and his temper. Even so, these are not swept under the rug, either. Obviously Von Eeden felt it more important to highlight the accomplishments of a brave man ahead of his time. Johnson may not have been a saint, but he was definitely an inspiration. And considering the fact that Jack Johnson is a figure who has been seldom explored by either popular culture or historians in the past, I can understand Von Eeden's reasoning.

While not without flaws, the second book of The Original Johnson is very well done. Looking at the entirety of Von Eeden's two volume graphic novel, it is a beautifully constructed work that examines the life of a unique, outstanding individual who existed in a very troubled time. And though it, one can also view just how much this nation has grown and matured in the last one hundred years, as well as how far we still have to go.