Graphic Novel Reviews: The Collected Toppi Volume 5: The Eastern Path

Be prepared to shudder as superstitions arise in The Collected Toppi Volume 5: The Eastern Path.

This graphic novel series highlights Toppi’s skillful artwork and masterful storytelling by collecting previously published works under a theme. Each volume stands alone, and despite having a number in the subtitle, readers can read this series any order. The Collected Toppi Volume 5: The Eastern Path focuses on lore from Eastern Europe.

The Collected Toppi Volume 5: The Eastern Path reads like a mini-marathon of The Twilight Zone. Readers get six short stories in one novel. Each story is influenced by the folklore of Siberia and Eastern Europe including WWI and WII. The narratives weave the ancient world and 20^th century. Superstitions challenge arrogance. A political figure confronts a shaman. A scientist faces a rogue in a superstitious town. A ferryman meets an unusual traveler. A soldier discovers an unsettling familiar face of brutality in a trench. A soldier transforms with rage. Victory comes at a price. Each short story wields tension, unease, and surprise with a steady pace. They are easy to read and reminiscent of original stories told over a crackling fire. Teens and adults would enjoy. Readers will be left wanting more from this masterful storyteller. (Good thing: there are more volumes.)

Toppi’s artwork is powerful and beautiful. With the precision of a medical doctor, characters and scenes of nature are rendered with exceptional detail. His crosshatching technique shows the grit of war, beauty of nature, and the nuances of the human face. Readers will feel as if they found an adventurer’s journal, and these are the stories of the people encountered.

Plunge into the unsettlingly familiar and strange as Toppi explores human relationships, confronts war, and shows the risks and power of the unexplainable. The Collected Toppi Volume 5: The Eastern Path is a great match for fans of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and Michael Moorcock’s Elric the Eternal Champion.