Graphic Novel Review: Let There Be Light: The Real Story Of Her Creation by Liana Finck

Posted on March 9, 2023 at 6:26 am by Gene Ambaum

Let There Be Light: The Real Story Of Her Creation by Liana Finck. Random House, 2022. 9781984801531.

In Part I: Past, God creates everything: the heavens and earth, night and day, everything on the Earth. She’s a little more despondent and lonely than I’d have suspected, but she has a few wild, joyous moments too. Then she makes man (and Lilith, Monster of the Night). And man starts naming everything, including her. And when he names her “she [transforms] into a stern old man with a beard.” (That’s true only in man’s mind though. Ha.) When man is a little sad God has to tell him he’s right about everything, and then makes him a friend, woman. Everything is great, but then all of that stuff with the tree of knowledge happens, followed by the story of exile and Cain and Abel and a brilliant comics adaptation of all of the begetting that follows, plus the story of Noah.

I loved the retelling of the Book of Genesis, and I’m specifically recommending the book for Part I. Part II: Present lost me as it veered out of the story of Abraham and toward Isaac and Sarah and others. I know I lost something in skipping ahead to the Epilogue. I’m not a Bible reader, but if you are I’d love to know what you made of all of Part II and its modern setting. (And I may do a little reading to figure it out, who knows.)

Finck’s pencils and inks feel playful most of the time, and then entirely serious. I love her style, including the book’s simple layouts and how little text she needs. Her limited use of color is simply brilliant.

Worth noting: The book has illustrated, hand-lettered acknowledgments, and the funniest note about the type I’ve ever read.