I am fascinated by Harry Houdini and the seemingly impossible feats of escape he performed throughout his career. This graphic novel features Houdini’s escape from the icy water under the Harvard Bridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1908. While it is only a small glimpse of his life you get a sense of his egocentric personality and how he craved attention. The use of only black, white and blue for the colors gave the book the feeling of coldness that was perfect for the stunt he was performing. Not enough information for a biography report but the story does contain information on his background and life. The panel discussion at the end of the book was full of history and very interesting to read. Also contains a short bibliography for those looking for more on Houdini. ( )

Who knew comic strips could be so informative! I never knew Houdini's wife was trained in the same way Houdini was. This book is great for any scholar who intends to delve into the life of a celebrated daredevil! ( )

Anyone interested in the unique combination of Harry Houdini and graphic novels might find this a fun read. Cartoonists Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi artfully tell Houdini's story in medias res, recounting one performance in 1908 rather than give the audience a linear exposition of his life. Elements of historical context seem conspicuously juxtaposed with the general sensational nature of Houdini's performance, such as a reporter sending a story over the telephone, or of the audience complaining about not being able to hear Houdini speak--highlighting the absence of technology. These and other similar aspects of the story seemed strange to me, as a reader, since I was expecting more about Houdini and less about context of America in the early 1900s, but the notes at the end of the text address these specific interjections and explain them as educational material.

The format itself is engaging, and story is told in black, white, and shades of blue. The introduction and end notes serve to frame more hearty material around a very short moment in Houdini's life. A quick read that was surprisingly more mature than I originally expected, Houdini: The Handcuff King reminded me of the next generation of educational entertainment found in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood or The Magic School Bus. ( )

I'm fairly mixed on this one. The art is clean and does the job of showing what needs to be shown. The writing is fine too. Together the two ends meet and work, but it's the audience I wonder about. I'm guessing it's targeted for middle schoolers and up. That being the case, then I think a lot of students won't appreciate the book. It'll be read fast and then sort of brushed off. I believe even the authors of the work felt this as they've included lengthy historical descriptions for many of the panels in their work. That end of the book I enjoyed. It's the kind of deeper, researched, information I like to learn about. But, will a youth do this on his or her own? Hmmm..... ( )

It was a good telling of one of Houdini's legendary escapes, with plenty of behind the scenes details. As much as I enjoy magic and Houdini, I found the artwork more interesting sometimes than the story. Totally worth reading, but unless you are a HUGE Houdini junkie or really like the artists' work, I recommend borrowing the graphic novel from the library (like I did) rather than buying it. ( )