Baker's graphic novel is a retelling of the story of King David, complete with sex, violence, and naked Bathsheba. Being a sucker for retellings of biblical stories, I picked it up at a local comics shop. It was an unsure buy. Now I see why.

The art in this book is very hit-or-miss. It can be grand and beautiful. Baker illustrates with vibrant colors, and his rendering of characters such as Goliath could be great. But the panels often look chintzy, amateurish, even done with 3D animation from the 1980s. Even worse, the panels often don't march the words; a character's facial expression will be angry and his picture looks scared. David himself is animated very poorly; in the scene with Goliath he looks too young. I understand the biblical text emphasizes David's small statue, but he looks about 7 years old in the battle with Goliath. Somehow he morphs into a seven-foot tall man almost overnight.

The words don't help either. Baker adds contemporary lingo to the story, but it never fits. For example, when Jonathan is introduced he is asking his dad for the keys to the chariot, and Saul reprimands him, wanting to know what time he will be home. WTF? I understand the desire to creatively add to the story, but it comes off as misplaced and whimsical.

Overall I can't recommend this book. Unlike Megillat Esther, which was thoroughly researched and supplemented with added details from rabbinic tradition - details that fit - Baker's study seems to be a quick sketch by someone who has spent little time with what Robert Alter refers to as the "David epic."

This was alright, but the modern dialogue felt out of place. ( )