In westerns, we often see the cowboy leave the city to continue alone on his way. But have you ever wondered what he does next? Pulp by Sean Phillips and Ed Brubaker gives you the answer: he lives in a thriller.
An Old Person's Story
Pulp is written by Ed Brubaker and drawn by Sean Phillips, a team accustomed to working together. But this tandem offers here an innovative title in its period and its register. In the United States, in the 30s, Max Winters wrote stories of quat'sous in cheap magazines (the pulps). He earns his living through stories of vigilantes in the Wild West but he finds himself embroiled in a troubled and dangerous plot. Will he be as good in the real world as he is with words? The main character of Pulp , Max Winters, is an elderly man who, poorly paid, lives from day to day. As a writer, he tries to make art but his editor reminds him of the purpose of his magazine: to write about shootings to sell as much as possible. In addition, the author does not own his characters. Its situation worsened with the economic crisis of the 1930s. Max is not always friendly. He is embittered and vindictive about youth. He refuses to grow old but his body weakens. Wanting to help a young Jew, he suffers a heart attack. Pulp is a good way to change your mind about comics. No superpowers here or fights in space: when Max Winter gets beaten on the subway platform, no one comes to help him. It is the story of a vanquished man who tries to get up one last time to recover a bundle of happiness and security.
A narrative about stories
All published by Delcourt, the titles of Brubaker and Phillips are a pocket of blood and powder in the world of comics. But this short narrative is also metatextual. The beginning is worthy of a pulp. As if the writer could not help but tell his life in the same style as his fictions. Max's cowboy stories are actually a hidden biography. He was born on a farm in Wyoming and experienced violence at a very young age. But his life was much less glorious and by imagination, Max seeks to redeem his cowardice. He also relives his past to find a solution for the future. Although the book is short, Ed Brubaker multiplies the stories and levels of reading. He is well helped by the colorization of Jacob Phillips, son of the cartoonist. Max's past is shown by a flatter colorization effect. Everything is brown except red or black spots.
An intelligent narrative about social hierarchy
However, Brubaker does not make a simple tribute but rewrites history. It shows not only the avarice of the director of the newspaper but also his racism and further the anti-Semitism of two mobsters. The Nazis were indeed influential in the 30s in the United States. The intervention of a character at a decisive moment diverts the narrative in an unexpected direction and until the last page the reader does not know what will happen. It's very rare. Pulp is a thriller delivered by the dream team consisting of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. It is also a reflection on a life of violence and a tribute to the Pulp. This narrative also sheds light on the violence of cowboys in the past, gangsters in the present, and social hierarchy in any era. If you like thrillers, we advise you to discover the links to the chronicles of Atom Agency and Tragic Bullet for a series Z.
