To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those books just about all kids read in school. Harper Lee’s 1960 classic of American literature is, for many of us, the first encounter with the concept of white privilege in American history, even if the concept wouldn’t earn that designation for years to come. And more: while the central tension in the story hinges on a legal case in which near-perfect father and lawyer par excellence Atticus Finch (played iconically onscreen by Gregory Peck) defends African-American Tom Robinson in a near-futile sexual assault case, the larger story, told through the eyes of his daughter Scout, includes seeing the differently abled neighbor Boo Radley through new and less fearful eyes.
It’d be stupid to remake the flawless 1962 movie–not that that would necessarily stop anybody–but a comic book version, free from grandiose precedent, might be able to find a new way in. And heaven only knows we need it. Every few weeks bring a reminder of far we still have to go in regard to our country’s standing race relations.
Entertainment Weekly has provided us a first look at the artwork (above) from a new graphic novel adaptation by Fred Fordham, whose work has been approved by the estate of original author Harper Lee. That single image captures both the colors of nostalgia and the darkness that surrounds its protagonist, so we can’t wait to see the balance the entire book strikes.
We’d do well to recall the lessons of those bygone days, and to embrace the story as the lastingly significant classic that it is. But are you ready for an all-new journey to Maycomb? Let us know in comments.
Images: Universal Pictures/HarperCollins
