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Jim Krueger

The comic-book industry isn't known for communicating spiritual truth. In fact, mainstream comics have backslidden a ways since the days of Archie and the original Spiderman. Walls in many comic-book stores are lined with covers drawn by illustrators whose sexually provocative creations are intended to tempt young men to hand over their minds and their cash. Comic-book conventions reach a seamier level, as fans line up to meet porn stars.

But now, some Christians are creating comics and graphic novels that communicate God's truth. Comic-book writers like Jim Krueger and the creative team at Metron Press-a division of the American Bible Society in New York-are translating Christianity into language that they hope will be relevant and attractive to today's comic-book readers.

To date, Metron Press has published two graphic novels that retell Bible stories for contemporary audiences-high school to post-college-age readers. Samson was released in 2002, and Testament, based on the stories of the Old Testament, last fall. The books show God at work, even amidst the treachery and violence of the Old Testament. "Metron would like to get the Word out to people who wouldn't normally read the Word,'' says Mario Ruiz, Metron Press's Editorial and Creative Director. "You have people who would never pick up a Bible and here they are reading a Bible story. It's done in a way that's not preachy. We're not trying to shove a Bible down anyone's throat. We're just trying to tell a story and leave it up to the reader to make up his own mind."

Krueger, 37, has written more than 100 comic books, including the Marvel Comics epic trilogy Earth-X, which features Spiderman, the Hulk, and Marvel's other cast of superheroes. In a genre that's known for sex and violence, Krueger's faith inspires thoughtful stories that communicate life-giving truth. Some of his writing, like Testament, is overtly biblical. Other works communicate Christian truths mainly through their themes and metaphors.

Craig Detweiler, an associate professor of mass communication at Biola University and an admirer of Krueger's work, said his stories are an "unlikely and surprising means" that God uses to speak to humanity.

"God has spoken through burning bushes, through donkeys-and now through comics books," Detweiler says. "A new generation of artists, writers, filmmakers and comic-book theologians are communicating eternal truths.''

The bartender as prophet
A fundamental goal at Metron Press is to produce religious-themed graphic novels with a standard of excellence comparable to anything in the industry, Ruiz says. Thus, Metron works with the industry's top writers and artists-resulting in various styles of stunning artwork on Testament's oversized, glossy pages. Noah's ark is awesome in its size, and a darkened sky in the background foreshadows doom. The portrait of an aged Sarai, the barren wife of Abram, is warm and intimate. And both the battle of Jericho and Samson's tragic exploits are filled with action and drama that burst off the page.

Krueger describes Testament as a Reader's Digest-like, condensed retelling of the Old Testament. To tell the stories, Krueger picked an unlikely narrator-a bartender at a pub called JJ's. Krueger wanted someone who didn't speak in a pious way, "an extremely human spokesperson.''

"I wanted to write something that would be interesting to the saved and unsaved person alike," he explains. "My first goal in dealing with my faith is finding a way to make it seem relevant to people I don't know."

Testament's story is told interactively. In its opening frames, the reader sees JJ's bar as if she's just walked through the doors. Then the bartender welcomes the reader, telling her the story of how God-the story's author-shows His faithfulness throughout the Old Testament. "It's the story of an author that writes a story and is writing it still," the bartender says, introducing Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning…''

Throughout the stories, God the "author" is shown at work in wondrous ways, such as when he protects His servant Daniel from the lions. Krueger also finds ways to foreshadow the coming Christ. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the fiery furnace, a fourth man is shown in the flames with them. "The author saved them," the narrator says, "and was beginning to write Himself into the story."

While Krueger adapted Bible stories and characters when writing Testament, he's also known for creating entirely new worlds in stories like The Foot Soldiers and The Clock Maker. The stories still reflect biblical truth, but more subtly. The theological concept of common grace-that all good things come from God-is central to his integration of faith and storytelling, he says. So, when one of the characters in The Foot Soldiers sacrifices his life so others can live, Krueger says it's a selfless act that points toward the divine.

"Any story of bravery and courage points toward the character of God, whether it says it, or not," Krueger contends. He says that most of his original stories feature unlikely people combating evil, and are an attempt to define heroism. "All stories of heroism, of good versus evil, point to man's relationship with God, because that's what moves the human heart."

Too violent and racy?
While some authors of Christian fiction take an overt approach to depicting God's activity in the world, Krueger's messages are more metaphorical, which he believes is the most biblical approach to storytelling. "If a Christian writer takes an overt approach toward showing God at work, the God of the universe is suddenly being used as a plot device that is manipulated according to the writer's desires," Krueger says. Instead, he patterns his approach after Jesus, who spoke in metaphors and parables to explain the kingdom of God.

Krueger's Christian point of view in The Foot Soldiers and The Clock Maker is easy for Christian readers to see. And quotes from Christian thinkers like G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis adorn the covers of his books. But his secular readers don't read him for a religious fix. A clerk at The Comics Factory, a comic-book store in Pasadena, California, says he had never considered The Foot Soldiers religious, but enjoyed the series because of its action and superhero adventures.

While Krueger and Ruiz have received positive feedback for their work, some Christians object to the graphic images of their comics. Samson, for instance, has been criticized for being "too violent and racy," and some distributors refused to supply Christian bookstores with the graphic novel.

Ruiz hopes believers will give faith-based comic books a chance. "Even though there is sex and there is violence, there's life lessons in it, there's consequences in it," Ruiz says. "That's why Samson is ideal for kids."

So far, Samson has sold about 9,000 copies, many in secular comic-book stores, Ruiz says. And Metron Press recently received an order for 2,000 more copies from the Florida Department of Corrections. "Chaplains are saying that the comic medium is so powerful," Ruiz says. "The inmates may not want to read a Bible there, or a book, but a comic book is so visual."

Marshall Allen is a journalist living in Los Angeles. For more information about Metron Press comics, go to www.metronpress.com.

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