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In a city astir with dangerous new ideas, the son of a Catholic priest becomes a leader of a nonviolent revolution.
Five hundred years ago, in an age marked by war, plague, inequality, and religious coercion, there were people across Europe who dared to imagine a society of sharing, peace, and freedom of conscience. These radicals were ready to die for their vision. They were executed by the thousands – by water, by fire, and by sword – in both Catholic and Protestant states. Their stories come to life in this graphic novel series that dramatically recreates a little-known chapter in the history of the Reformation.
By Water is a true story of friendship and betrayal set in the Swiss city of Zurich. It chronicles the conflict between establishment reformer Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531) and his student Felix Manz (1498–1527), who at first reveres Zwingli as a father figure but ends up drowned on Zwingli’s orders for insisting that only adult believers should be baptized. In this dramatic visualization of the birth of the Radical Reformation, water is both wonder and weapon, a symbol of new life and a death sentence.
This action-packed, historically accurate account of young people standing up for their convictions against the corrupt political and religious leaders of their day will awaken courage and commitment in young readers today.
I'm not particularly religious, but I love history and did study the Reformation in college. I like graphic novels, and I love history, so I this is right up my alley. I really liked the artwork and it looks like a lot of effort went into it. I also thought the story was done well. A few parts were a little confusing/hard to follow, but nothing major. At the end of the novel, there is a section that gives some information about the major players, a timeline and a bibliography. I thought the timeline and historical figures was a really nice touch. I'm interested for more from the team that worked on this. Whether it's a follow-up to this, an Anabaptist (or Reformation) series, or history in general, I look forward to it.
Beautiful and encouraging. The history and the characters are depicted in a soft palette of colors in what looks to me like watercolor. Each chapter opens with a picture that greatly resembles the historical art of the period. The story is well told with beautiful poignancy and simplicity. The artwork complements well the struggle and journey of Felix Manz from child to man to martyr. Definitely recommend! And I’m looking forward to the two next installments in this series.
