‘Sainthood is inherently appealing,’ says Franciscan friar who contributed to the project.
At the Battle of Collestrada in 1202, with nobles of Assisi and Perugia, Italy, engaging in a fierce conflict, a young Italian son of a wealthy merchant engages in the fight to be a heroic knight.
On his horse and waving his sword, he charges into the midst of the opposing army. “The glory of battle is mine today,” he boasts while the battle rages in the action-packed and colorful Francis: Herald of the Great King, from Voyage Comics.
But getting knocked off his horse is the first step that will change the course of his life. After a year in prison with other military men, Francis comes back to his family and city in tatters and is told that someday he will be the wealthiest cloth merchant there. Yet there is the nagging question about the glory of being the heroic knight he wanted to be. The comic book artfully traces the life of Francis on his journey from military dreamer to eventual friar.
As St. Francis of Assisi continues to be spotlighted in many ways during this octocentennial anniversary year, Voyage Comics has released this saint story that joins the lineup of other comics about saints and holy people.
Philip Kosloski, founder of Voyage Comics, who wrote Francis, told the Register that one reason why “we engaged in this project is because the last comic book created on St. Francis was done by Marvel Comics over 40 years ago. It was launched during the 800th anniversary of his birth, and so it is fitting that we conclude the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, celebrating the 800th anniversary of his death, with a new comic book.”
There was no hesitation to bring the story of Francis in comic form because Kosloski said he has “found comic books to be a very effective medium in the modern world in evangelizing others with the good news of the Gospel. Comics have a particular ability to speak the language of beauty, not only beautiful images, but also beautiful stories that captivate our imaginations. It’s also a very accessible medium, as a kid will not refuse to pick up a comic book, while he might be more hesitant to read a full-fledged chapter book.”
Hopes are that this new comic on St. Francis will have the same appeal as Voyage’s other entries have in the past. Kosloski said, “While we aim for children aged 8 to 14, we’ve found many teenagers, young adults and even many older adults have enjoyed reading comics.”
Francis’ story is well-suited to this medium.
“A life like that of Francis lends itself to the colorful and adventure-filled medium of the comic book,” Father Paschal Mary Yohe of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word at EWTN, who contributed to the story and book, told the Register. “The imagination needs to be fed in order to capture the reality of the choices he made in his life. It is one thing to say he had tried to be a knight, but it is another to see what that entailed and the struggles he endured.”
To bring that out, like other Voyage stories, Francis: Herald of the Great King seeks to be adventurous. “Comics are all about action, and the more gripping adventure you can put into a comic, the more likely someone will want to see what happens next,” Kosloski explained.
The action comes to life thanks to a team that includes Will Nathans, “a highly talented, classically trained artist who really delves into each comic he creates,” Kosloski noted. “His art was then colored by Marvel Comics artist Jay David Ramos, who is a veteran of the comic-book industry. Both are devout Roman Catholics and have drawn many of our comics.”
Each step Francis takes starts to answer why “something is missing in my life.”
The story goes from Francis selling his father’s clothing material in Rome and visiting St. Peter’s Basilica to encounters with people he used to ignore like lepers to finally arriving at the abandoned and crumbling chapel of San Damiano, where he prays, “God, grant that I may know you, O Lord, in order that I may always and in all things act according to your most holy and perfect will.”
That is where Jesus tells him, “Repair my church, which is falling into ruin.”
Every step is meant to bring readers closer to understanding the slow changes in Francis as he finds the direction he was searching for.
Considering these actions, Father Paschal Mary explained that he “was so happy to help along the way to address common historical misconceptions about Francis and to add notes from the best current scholarship. An example that made it in was that the trip to Rome where he first became a beggar was itself part of a business trip. This also makes sense of the money he had to spare and connects in later with the desire to give money for the lamp at San Damiano.” Francis appears to take Jesus’ order literally to repair the chapel’s appearance, leading him to give a bag of money to the priest to buy a lamp and oil to burn before the crucifix.
Naturally, there is more action in the comic style, including the way Francis leaves town for his mission, the trial he must undergo before the bishop, and the encounter with a band of brigands in the forest.
The story continues for readers to learn and see how Francis came to start the Franciscan religious order, how he got followers, and what he did at first after he physically repaired the churches.
The story only stops at the point when Francis begins to organize his many followers. But the book doesn’t end there. Francis: Herald of the Great King has a second surprise. Joining the illustrated story of his life up to the founding of his order, there is a written section of pages with artistically decorated edges that explain and comment on details in Francis’ conversion and his going from “Jester to Herald.” Franciscan Father Herald Brock of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal contributed to this portion, as did Father Paschal Mary.
Father Paschal Mary told the Register how Francis’ conversion can reflect our own. “Very often, we make even the greatest saints static models and we call this art. But the person and their journey is not just what became of them in the end. That the topic and reality of desire have to be brought out. Sainthood is inherently appealing because it is in the ultimate way the fulfillment of the desires of our hearts.”
He hopes that “all will understand that God is calling them through their desires in whatever stage of life.” Like Francis in this story, “We must discern between the holy and unholy desires of our hearts. Yet even the latter are revealing to us something about our history, our present needs and wants, and our destiny in God.”
In the comic, Father Paschal Mary noted the universal connection. “It was for the Lord to make clear the path common, not upward in worldly glory, but downward towards the least and most in need of mercy. … Francis of Assisi gives us hope and courage to keep moving forward when all hopes for greatness seem dashed, when discouragement clouds the best of us and when family struggles overwhelm.”
Readers like Kevin Bist of Tallahassee, Florida, who purchases the comics for his godchildren, are thrilled with this version.
“Terrific artwork matched with artful storytelling makes this comic a hit — literally! Lots of action from the beginning,” he said. “This is a story that provides life lessons for kids and adults alike. So cool to see St. Francis come alive in this Voyage masterpiece!”
Sarah Robsdottir, a home-schooling mom of seven and a contributor to the Register, offered the comic high praise on social media: “Personally, I love how Francis: Herald of the Great King challenges readers of all ages to be ‘fools for Christ’ — to not succumb to what the culture expects of them but to live holy, radical lives like St. Francis.”
The Francis saga is likely to continue. Stay tuned for more adventures with Francis and his band of little brothers because this is the first in what likely will be a series. As Kosloski said, “St. Francis’ popularity will never cease, as his radical life will always shake us up, reminding us to focus on what truly matters in life.”
READ
Francis: Herald of the Great King is available at VoyageComics.com.
