Sovereign Traces, Volume 1: Not (Just) (An)Other ed. by Gordon Henry Jr. and Elizabeth LaPensée (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Sovereign Traces, Volume 1: Not (Just) (An)Other ed. by Gordon Henry Jr. and Elizabeth LaPensée Lee Francis IV (bio) Sovereign Traces, Volume 1: Not (Just) (An)Other edited by Gordon Henry Jr. and Elizabeth LaPensée University of Manitoba Press, 2018 SCOTT MCCLOUD, the illustrator and comic book scholar describes the term "interdependent" in his seminal work Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art (1993). He states that the best work in comics happens when words and images synchronize to convey something that neither can do separately. Interdependence is, essentially, the magic that happens when words and pictures come together. It's a fitting term to use when thinking about one of the first Indigenous literary graphic anthologies. Sovereign Traces is the culmination of several years of work by James Sinclair, Gordon Henry Jr., and Elizabeth LaPensée. The anthology features the work of nine Native literary luminaries and runs the creative spectrum from werewolves to Deer Woman to an unfortunate trickster. Each of the writers was partnered with an illustrator tasked with a tall order of bringing each of the works into the sequential graphic medium. To this end, Sovereign Traces is a rousing success. As McCloud articulates, the best sequential illustration work comes when the words and pictures build upon each other to create a synthesis that conveys a greater meaning beyond what is contained in the story or the art itself. If each of the works in the anthology remained only as words on a page, they would still shine with energy and articulation. The synthesis of words and illustrations elevates this work to something more luminous. The lead story is a black and white tale of after-school terror from the master of Indigenous horror, Stephen Graham Jones. As the opener for the anthology, Jones's story is a great way to warm up the reader with sly humor and solid illustrations (by Delicia Williams). As the anthology continues, the interplay between art and words is clearly evident in "Ice Tricksters" by Gerald Vizenor. Ever the Trickster, Vizenor's work is masterfully illustrated by GMB Chomichuk, who brings texture and deeper meaning to the meta-narratives that are a hallmark of Vizenor's scholarship and fiction. For example, there is a brilliant moment when a character lies down on the text. Over the next few panels, the text box shrinks, and the character changes positions in response to the shrinking text in a way that is both subtle and striking. The playful nature of these illustrations breaks the fourth wall and allows more [End Page 131] insight into the text itself. Near the end of the anthology, comic veteran Weshoyot Alvitre creates some of the most powerful imagery in the volume including a portrait of Poet Laureate Joy Harjo that truly captures the poetic soul of one of the finest writers of our age. The other pieces in the anthology are no less powerful and build on themes of resilience and empowerment. As each work individually achieves cohesion through interdependence so too does the anthology as a whole, as each story weaves and connects to the others, shining a positive light on the series' editors, Henry Jr. and LaPensée. The editors deftly allow the anthology to breathe and develop into something greater than the sum of its parts. Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have understood the importance of interdependence. The multitude of stories that speak of weavings and webs attests to the importance sovereign people placed on the connections between all things in all of Creation. As an example of Indigenous philosophical understandings, Sovereign Traces Volume 1 is a beautiful visual articulation of Indigenous ways of being and knowing and should be on the list for any lover of Indigenous literature, comics, and philosophy. You can find Sovereign Traces, Volume 1 at Red Planet Books and Comics or online through Michigan State University Press. [End Page 132] Lee Francis LEE FRANCIS IV is the CEO/Publisher for Red Planet Books and Comics, the only Native American comic shop in the world, and the founder of the Indigenous Comic Con. Copyright © 2022 Regents of the University of Minnesota