Simon Says: Nazi Hunter Volume 1

by Andre R. Frattino, Jesse Lee (Artist/Letterer)

An artist, forced to paint swastikas on train cars for the Nazis during the Holocaust, has become an unlikely vigilante in pre-Cold War Europe. Alongside his army companion, Bruno, he hunts down the criminals responsible for murdering his wife, his family, and his people. SIMON SAYS is one part action-adventure, one part crime-noir and all high stakes drama!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Comics, Holocaust, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Comics Manga

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2019

Reviews

[sunny ☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true story of Simon Wiesenthal’s attempts to track down Nazis who escaped justice after WWII, retold in a crime noir comic... consider me sold. The comic isn’t 100% true-to-fact, but I feel it was a respectful narrative that takes its time to justify its liberties, and is extremely successful in keeping the reader engaged.
You can’t go wrong with black and white art, and the splashes of red were a great choice for emphasis. I loved the art style, specially all the action scenes!
As for the actual writing, I think the story line was incredibly well balanced between Simon’s thoughts and feelings, and the action scenes. It was also very well paced and the tension was present through to the end. AND THAT FINAL PAGE god.
In short, all of the elements in here totally worked for me, I will be getting a copy as soon as I can and I already want Vol. 2.

➝ 4.5 Stars

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange of an honest review!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/rMLjKvljzfY

[Parker Gilliland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon Says is set in the late 1940's, and is about a Holocaust survivor who now tries to serve all of the former Nazis with justice, of their former actions. During this journey, Simon deals with the death of his wife and kids at the hands of the SS soldiers. This is what motivates him to do what he does.
I really liked the historical elements of this book because it had a lot of people who committed the atrocities of the Holocaust really sorry about what they did. I also really liked how this book had mystery elements in it too because it was cool to see all the clues and things getting unfolded as the book went on. I didn’t like how it jumped from thing to thing fast, this made it confusing at parts. I found myself clarifying by going back farther in the book. I would warn that this novel has a lot of cursing in it, so I would recommend this to an adult audience. I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was reading this graphic novel I realised that this comic, although fictional, is actually based on the story of Simon Wiesenthal who tracked down Nazi's after the end of World War Two. Even when the Americans and the Russians decided to end the hunt for Nazi's, Simon recognising this as a process of justice continued to hunt and bring them to justice.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon...

The graphics are good, mostly in black, white and red, and the use of these colours gives the novel a dark kind of feel which could actually be described as noir. The story is quite gripping and it left me wanting to know more about the real Wiesenthal.

My only problem with this book is that it had a few typos and it tinkers with historical facts for e.g Eichmann's children were never killed and yet in this book they are referred to as having been killed. There is also a glaring error in the verse from the book of Genesis which should be chapter 1 instead of 3 and there are other typos here and there. This is an arc copy so I hope these errors will be resolved before the book is published because the typos and errors interrupted my reading and took me out of the story which is a pity.

Generally this was an interesting read and I would definitely like to read the next volume.

Copy provided by Eidelweiss in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Vi · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweeet. too violent for YA? thinking.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit thin on context and artistic distinction between characters, but an excellent story overall.

[Samantha Matherne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great tale of hunting down Nazis after WWII, made even better being inspired by a true story. I really enjoyed the book. Volume 2 cannot come out soon enough. The only element lacking here for me is more backstory to Simon’s life and his relationship with his friend, Bruno. His takedowns of Nazis is exciting to see unfold, though, especially how he finds and reveals them.

The artwork of the graphic novel is phenomenal. Every scene is illustrated in film noir style with tons of grayscale images and splashes of red at the perfect moments. For my enjoy adventures into graphic novels, this one definitely ranks high. The nonfiction aspect drew me in, while the writing style and art sold the deal.

[Ron Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

A weird attempt to turn Simon Wiesenthal into Batman, which is sad because I'd rather celebrate his true self. It's like the new movie about Harriet Tubman. She was an amazing woman. Can't we focus on that instead of turning her into a crazy action hero?

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent noir. Loved the lipstick.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sample only but it could be good.

[Alex Sarll]

"It was Berlin, 1946. I never would have thought I'd be welcomed in this place. Do you know what? I was right." Simon Wiesenthal's attempts to track down Nazis who escaped justice, reimagined as a two-fisted thriller. Despite being told in black, white and occasional splashes of red, this is less Sin City pulp than the serious end of noir, the sort using it to talk seriously about the sheer monstrousness of which humans are capable. Nevertheless, I'm sure for some people questions of tastefulness will remain, and I wouldn't blame anyone who decided against reading it on those grounds. For myself, I think it takes the times seriously enough to justify its looseness with the facts, and it's not like people weren't telling similar stories pretty much as soon as the shooting stopped, as in Jacques Tourneur's 1948 Berlin Express, partially filmed in the actual ruins. Then too, it's not like Wiesenthal himself was exactly rigorous with the facts of his life. Mostly I enjoyed being reminded of what now seems like a regrettably brief and anomalous period in human history when it was the fascists and not the Jews who were scared.

(Edelweiss ARC)

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book, but one that left me with a few doubts. Visually it's fine – resplendent in black and white and just a few dashes of red, a combination that only a pillock could fail to succeed with. Oh yes, and it's also the colours of the Nazi party flags. I can't be sure if my quibbles with the book are as a result of it being a proof copy, with only the 'action' pages and nothing else, no blurb, no credits, nothing else. So I would hope, seeing as this is a version of Simon Wiesenthal's early Nazi-hunting days, that there is some editorialising about what I've just seen. As it is, I enjoyed it (the sense of a right justice being delivered kind of guarantees that, mind) but I do so want to know what was true, what supposition and what clearly faked. If you can find out, or ignore that, I'm sure you'll relish this interesting book, that adds a real taste of thriller sensibility to some charged, dramatic situations.

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon Says

Post-WW2 comic series about a Nazi hunter. Effective and different

Simon, having survived the concentration camps, now hunts down Nazis still hidden in Berlin and elsewhere. This obviously makes him a target as well. There are a few interesting characters and the story flows nicely. It’s a bit predictable and reminds me of French “bande dessinee “ story-telling - no bad thing. It’s well worth a look with its mainly monochrome artwork with the odd splash of red. Presumably a second volume will follow. Recommended.

[Raj Bowers-Racine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb on the cover says "Nazi-hunting 007" and unfortunately the characters in this book are about as developed as those in a James Bond movie. Which is even more disappointing given that we're told it's "inspired by a true story".

The characters of Bruno and Frau Rohr are the most compelling to me as they are both conflicted about their Nazi past, though in different ways.

That ending, though. Oy. Clunky. I hope they're angling for a sequel, because otherwise it's just unfulfilling.

[librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This book had INSANE TWISTS at the end! Like, I GASPED at two of them. It is AWESOME! I cannot wait for Volume 2!

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have thought that being a Nazi hunter could be so suspenseful and exciting?

The first half of the book gives background for the series: Following the defeat of the Nazis and the trials at Nuremberg, Occupied Berlin is controlled by the American, British, and Russian forces. There is an effort underfoot to return Germany back to local control. The Allied forces are unaware that an underground group of former Nazi leaders (called the "88") are secretly working together to restore the Third Reich. One man - Simon - a Nazi-hunter and Holocaust survivor with a penchant for finding and bringing Nazis to the authorities, is particularly interested in locating his personal list of former Nazi leaders still at large. He had been aiding the Americans as they rooted out some deeply-entrenched Nazi leaders using methods for extracting confessions from them that were not necessarily "by the book".

When the Nazi-hunting mission is cancelled by the Americans, Simon enlists a team to help him, including his friend Bruno, a seamstress named Angela, and a Black newspaper correspondent named Oliver. They have located and want to trap Ehrhart Rohr, who is now Chief of Police in Berlin. (How did he confirm this identification? Simon was an artist who was forced to paint swastikas on the sides of cattle cars while in the concentration camp; what the Nazis did not know was that he also was drawing pictures of their faces at the time.) Simon and Bruno attend the big gala at Rohr's mansion in order to trap Rohr in a game of cat and mouse. The story ends with a big twist/reveal in a cliff-hanging ending. The book closes withe a quote from Simon Wiesenthal: "For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing..."

"Inspired by a true story". This book is not, as some believe, a biography of Simon Wiesenthal. Frattino gives background about the character Simon (such as Simon's wife being killed by the Nazis) that is contrary to Simon Wiesenthal's experience (his wife survived the Holocaust). It is important to note that Simon's last name is not found in the book. While it may draw from the lives of Nazi hunters, this is a work of fiction. It is full of excitement and derring do worthy of a spy thriller (such as jumping through hedges, sledding down a hill, running across a frozen lake, and tossing some dynamite in order to evade those in hot pursuit).

There was one factual error noted in the text. On p.12. The quote from the Book of Genesis should be cited as 1:2-3,"the Earth was unformed...Let there be Light", not 3:1-3 (which is the story of the serpent in the Garden of Eden).

The B&W illustrations by Jesse Lee are angular and project an almost film feeling to them. Use of touches of red - Simon draws red swastikas on the foreheads of his captives, his flashbacks of painting red swastikas on trains, the "Detained" stamp on paperwork of captives, his late wife's lipstick and dress, the lighting in the darkroom, and the red robes on all members of 88 - pops and draws the eye immediately to the importance of these things. Backmatter includes a headshot of Simon Wiesenthal, done in ink; sample original pitch pages, art by Andrew Sides; four character sketches - two each of Simon and Bruno, one in street clothes and the other as if undercover; and a very spy-inspired montage with Simon, Angela, and Bruno.

Recommended for mature readers, grades 10-adult.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Freely Improvised, But Compelling, Historical Tale

This graphic novel is a loose, fictionalized retelling of the life and adventures of the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal after the end of World War II. I wouldn't treat it as an historical document, but it certainly seems true to the spirit and the larger outlines of Wiesenthal's story.

We open with a few gripping recountings of Simon's capture of ex-Nazis. This was done with the help of American Occupation forces, and Simon and his American counterpart have the same sort of relationship that we find between James Bond and the CIA operative Felix Leiter. This gives you a sense of the action-spy vibe the book sometimes has. But behind, or along with, that we also get the flavor of the politics and confusion that wracked post-War Germany, and a sense of the Americans' vacillating commitment to rounding up ex-Nazis.

From there we move on to bigger Nazi fish and a variety of suspenseful confrontations and missions. Again, the emphasis is more on entertainment than on historical accuracy, but that was O.K. by me since the idea here seemed to be to recreate atmosphere and context, and to create a fictional Simon who could stand in for Europe's Holocaust survivors.

The art is effectively stark and noirish, with the kind of gritty feel that complements the post-War Europe setting. The characters, as drawn, aren't especially expressive, but the action is clear enough and the tale is in any event mostly dialogue driven.

On balance I thought the author did a good job of balancing the need to create a ripping tale with the desire to not trivialize the subject; on that score I think the book succeeds admirably.

(Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the text on the back says this is a 007-type hunting Nazis in post-war Berlin. Okay, cool hook. The trouble is, this is all too true. However, they didn't really embrace the parts of the 007 stories that made them fun. Instead, this comic embraces all of the worst aspects of the Bond stories: the villain revealing their plan before shooting the protagonist, the impossible escapes from clearly unwinnable scenarios, the pointless twists.

However, instead of a handsome, charming, dangerous cad, our hero is a brooding, sullen death-seeker who is consumed by revenge. I get it, he's a holocaust survivor, and it's a neat idea, but the potential is poorly realized. His pain seems almost... superficial. Every few pages, he sneaks in a quip reminding his colleagues of what he's been through. It happens so often, it starts to dull the impact. Instead of a stiff-upper-lip hero who lets his humanity show once in a while, we get a broken man, committed to a life of misery, both for himself and those around him. The character's actions and way of thinking are internally inconsistent, making this a frustrating read.

If you want to watch a morally conflicted holocaust survivor take revenge on his tormentors, read V for Vendetta. If you want a thoughtful take on the holocaust, read Maus. This tries to be both, and ends up being neither.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling main character and revenge-focused narrative ensure that Simon Says keeps your attention even when the pacing is less than propulsive and the art drops the ball. Simon, a Jew recently freed from the concentration camps, helps the American armed forces capture former Nazis. When the army shifts gears to fight the Russkies, Simon must find a new outlet for his desire to put Nazis behind bars.

Fortunately, a pal Bruno has arrived in town and is happy to help Simon catch a big fish: the Berlin chief of police. There are hints of a grander conspiracy and the last few pages offer an unexpected twist, but Simon Says is, for the most part, pretty straightforward: see Nazi, get Nazi. Simon, as the main character, leaps off the page, an anguished individual driven almost entirely by thoughts of revenge. Not exactly the "Nazi-hunting 007" that the back cover proclaims.

Other characters are less well developed, much like the art, where the level of detail seems uncertain. Still, the story is fascinating (possibly true!) and largely riveting. I'm surprised there aren't more Nazi hunter comics out there.

[Scott Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent noir fictionalization of Simon Wiesenthal's Nazi hunting following WWII.

Artist Jesse Lee renders the almost entirely in black and white, which reinforces both the historical fiction take, and the noir/crime/espionage feel the book is going for. It is realistic and rendered in splendid detail. Similar to a few mainstream black, white, and red books in the last few years, Lee also makes selective use of bright fire engine red, most often in connection with depictions of Simon's memories etc. It's tremendously effective.

The story is well-paced, using Simon as a narrator in addition to all the traditional in-the-moment dialogue. The characters that spend any time in the story demonstrate their own speaking patterns etc. And the narration works without being heavy-handed, which is to say, without stepping on Lee's toes as a co-storyteller.

I'm really excited to see what's next in this series.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Austrian painter with a history in Concentration Camps gets revenge on Nazis just after World War II. It's a powerful premise and for the most part the story lives up to it, treating the topic with a fair bit of gravitas, even as it also uses it as a setting for a spy mission/revenge story.
The book is well couched in the era, and the black and white style (with splashes of red for memories and villains) works well. Simon is a strong lead, with a back-story that sets up the conflict well. There's a somewhat predictable twist at the end of the first volume, but the sequences before it are enough to get you invested in the characters enough to overlook the somewhat hackneyed surprise.
All told, this manages to balance between respectfulness and intrigue, providing a strong story in a fraught setting.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

How far would you go to see your version of justice? In American comics that isn't unusual. what makes this period piece standout is the setting and pacing. Simon is a Holocaust survivor, a man who lost everything in those camps and survived. He channels his PTSD and anger into hunting down Nazis for the Americans in post WWII Berlin.

But, the Nuremberg trials end, and the Americans are no longer interested in pursuing Nazis. So what is Simon to do? He finds, with Bruno, a man from his camp days, a way to go after Nazis. Together they stumble into a conspiracy to secretly bring Hitler's polices back into play.

Simon is very much an every man, but one who did pick up certain skills in making it through the camps. The end has a slight twist, and the promise for more stories to come.

[Bradley]

This is such a great story and a reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust. Simon was a painter during the war. When he was rounded up and taken to the concentration camps, he was forced to paint swastikas on train cars. Now, post Nuremberg trials, Simon is in the business of hunting down Nazis, including the one who killed his wife and child. This book blew me away and there's a jawdropping twist ending that has me eager for more Simon.

[Chris Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gripping read, but the ending gutted me. The word I said when I saw the final panels of this graphic novel are not for all ears — but this book should be read by as many people as possible. The illustrations were noir and the colors were righteous. I am glad I stumbled across the book. I hope you do, too.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to get to this book. It seemed like a heavy depressing book idea. But finally I picked it up and began reading it and boy was I shocked! This was a good read and I couldn’t put it down. Now I can’t wait to read volume 2.

[Drucilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The choice to go black and white with the art was a great one. My only nitpick is that since the cover says "Inspired by a true story", I wish we had got a little author note about the real life circumstances that inspired this graphic novel.

[Katie Maxfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon is a holocaust survivor working with the Americans to hunt down and put away former Nazis. When they stop funding the project, he can’t quit because working to punish Nazis is his whole life so he does it his own way.

[Dave Timney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read highly recommended to all

[Krista | theliterateporcupine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great graphic novel! I can't wait for the second volume.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome and I will be waiting on the edge of my seat for the second volume!!!!