Leonard Cohen On a wire

Leonard Cohen was a Renaissance man--a singer, songwriter, poet, and author who reached far beyond his native Canada to make many connections worldwide and influence scores of musicians with his heartfelt lyrics. The opening of this slim graphic biography shows Cohen, having fallen from his bed as an old man, reflecting on the great influences on his life and career. Cohen's accomplishments were prolific, and Girard necessarily provides a very broad overview of Cohen's life. Readers meet lots of other personalities from Cohen's career; for readers unfamiliar with the notable people peppering the graphic novel, there is an index in the back with brief blurbs about their accomplishments. The art is done in a mostly muted palette, though the panels showing performances offer a little more color. Some of Cohen's most influential songs ("Suzanne," "Hallelujah") are given special attention. While hardcore fans of Leonard Cohen will likely be dissatisfied by the lack of detail for someone with such a rich history, this provides the perfect overview for those just becoming familiar with this artist.

Canadian rocker-poet Leonard Cohen's tumultuous life and career gets an oddly muted replay in this graphic biography from Girard (Haiti). Framed in mordant fashion by Cohen's final thoughts as he lays dying on his bedroom floor in 2016 ("All alone, like a dog"), the narrative cuts to postwar Montreal, where Cohen pursues his priorities ("wine, women and song") with a dour determination. Wandering from London to a small Greek island, he plucks away at a minor poetry career before turning fully to the guitar. Trying to break through as a singer-songwriter in 1960s New York, he hobnobs with some rock stars (Lou Reed) and romances others (Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin). The ups and downs are narrated in a straightforward, episodic fashion with simple character drawings, often layered with a depressive torpor appropriate to Cohen's musical mood. Girard hits all the major touchstones, from the surprise late-in-life fame from Jeff Buckley's hit cover of "Hallelujah" to Cohen's manager defrauding him out of millions, and the artist going into a Zen monastery. Girard's focus on Cohen as a complicated man is well detailed, but it leaves limited space for untangling the complexities of his musical and literary output. All the necessary elements are in play, but they're not quite in tune. (Oct.)