Review of "Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy and John Jennings"

As a huge fan of Octavia Butler I picked up this graphic novel adaptation having never read the original text. After finishing “Kindred”, it’s definitely worth it to revisit the source material if you’re curious or just a completionist. However, this graphic novel has enough depth in its story to leave the casual reader completely satisfied. It’s unsettling, in a good way, making the reader question their own opinions towards slavery and why this graphic novel is particularly relevant today.

 Dana lives in California with her husband, Kevin, during the 1970s. They live a peaceful life as aspiring writers until Dana is suddenly transported back in time to the Antebellum South. Unable to even get her wits about her she’s thrust immediately into a situation where she witnesses a young boy drowning. Instinctively she jumps in the river to save him but her rescue efforts aren’t as appreciated as she might have imagined. When the boy’s parents arrive on the scene they’re horrified to discover a young black woman handling their child, especially one dressed in modern day clothing, and give their thanks by pointing a gun at her as she is transported once more, back to the future. Bewildered, Dana tries to explain to her husband what has just happened but finds she is unable to comprehend the situation herself. Who was the boy she saved? Why was she transported to that particular point in the past? As Dana’s trips back to the past become more frequent and harrowing, she comes to realize that the young boy’s identity is distinctly tied to her own and her own existence in the future. How can she survive in Antebellum south as a young black woman with a modern mind to make sure that her own progenitor survives as well?

 Octavia’s Butler’s science fiction elements lend a unique spin to the story and allows the reader to to be transported back to times of slavery and see all the hardships each character faces while still being removed from it. The graphic novel’s use of sepia coloring is very minimal, making Dana’s bright blue aura stick out a bright beacon of the future but also making her more susceptible to scrutiny as she navigates the time, culture, and role of women on a Maryland plantation in the early 1800s, including daily beatings, slave auctions, families being torn apart, and the struggle to survive. Butler also creates her white, slave owning characters to be almost sympathetic as well the more Dana visits her ancestor, Rufus, and sees him grow up. Will Dana’s influence of modern times impact how Rufus treats his slaves or will he never be able to break free from the culture of his time? Such questions lend an extra level of moral quandary that the reader must face as the story unfolds goes on. This haunting tale is best suited of mature readers due to the graphic nature of its content.

Fans of this graphic novel would also do well to check out the rest of Octavia Butler’s repertoire, including her dystopian duo “Parable of the Sower” and “Parable of the Talents” and her story about a half vampire-half human named Shori in “Fledgling”. For a non-fiction tie-in, check out “12 Years a Slave” by Solomon Northup. Overall rating: 5 stars. This graphic novel is phenomenal and should be included as a tie-in for schools who use the original novel "Kindred" as required reading.

Overall rating: 5 stars. This book was phenomenal!