3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man

October 26, 2009
3 Story
is a modern fable, exploring the life of the “giant man,” Craig Pressgang, through the experiences of three women—his mother, wife and daughter. The promotional material claims that Pressgang's “life is well documented in his official CIA biography, Giant Man: Pillar of America
,” and the opening pages present his early life in such a straightforward manner that it is easy to believe it is a real story. As Pressgang reaches extraordinary heights, however, the story takes off into the realms of fantasy. Born during WWII, Pressgang's life serves as metaphor for the American mood over the past 60 years, from the flush optimism of the 1950s to the confusion about the country's place in the world as the 21st century dawns. Throughout, the tale retains an emotional honesty, as Kindt meditates on the nature of love and belonging, the changes one makes in a relationship and the exploitation of anyone identified as different. Kindt's washed-out, watercolor palate helps establish the lugubrious tone; his lovely, deceptively simple style reveals the characters' pain—and occasional moments of joy. The “special enhanced die-cut cover” is an appropriately elegant detail for this moving graphic novel.