Dixon, Smith Lampoon Clintons in Graphic Adaptation of Peter Schwiezer Takedown Book

The modern political landscape is a labyrinthe so torturous and dizzying that those who live outside it are often happy they do not understand it. Ignorance, after all, is bliss, and those who do completely understand the inner workings of the machine never seem all that happy about having the knowledge.

For all the misery that comes with political knowledge, there sure are a lot of books on the subjects -- and an awful lot of people buying them, depending on the season. Case in point: Peter Schwiezer's point-by-point takedown of the Clinton Foundation during the 2016 campaign, which was greatly anticipated, hotly debated, and, now, nearly antiquated (such is the speed of the news cycle).

While much was made of the anecdotes relating to UraniumOne, Rosatom, and Ericsson, the overall gist of the book was to demonstrate a pattern of enrichment, following the players and the flow of money across a blurred-line overlap of political favors and charitable donations. 

Chuck Dixon and Brett R. Smith, along with a team of comic artists, have now adapted the Schwiezer exposé, breaking it down into a format that's easier to digest for the uninitiated, lampooning the events while setting them within the overarching framework of the Haitian disaster and, in specific, a single Haitian family's struggles after the 2010 earthquake. The graphic novel format takes full advantage of the medium's ability to evoke emotion as well as lay out event sequences in a manner that makes clear to the reader what happened, when, and what it impacted. The MAD MAGAZINE style parodying of events (qv Bill Clinton in presbyter's robes collecting cash from parishioners, having three Huma Abedin's in a scene to illustrate her coexistent roles) keeps things from getting too dry so that the reader stays engaged with the narrative.

It's not your usual graphic novel as far as content goes, but for a quality hardcover it's definitely priced to sell.