Invisible People by Will Eisner

I am so impressed with Eisner's ability to pick up an ordinary black ink pen, sketch a few lines, and create such expressive and unique characters that seem to jump out of the book. Eisner is considered as one of the early shapers of the genre, and rightly so, because not only did he draw, he weaved stories.

Invisible People is part story, part social commentary. It is about the anonymous faces in every crowd, the "invisible people" we pass by every day. Eisner tells the story of three "invisible people": Pincus Pleatnik, the man whom the world pronounced dead; Hilda Gornish, a spinster involved in a perverse romantic triangle; and Morris, a man who was blessed with the ability to heal others.

I liked the first story best because of its poignancy and tragedy. What happens when an ordinary man, someone who shunned the limelight, suddenly realises one day that the world thinks he is dead? A curious thought, isn't it?

Invisible People is very readable — I mean, it is a comic book! — but the content is serious. It is like a parable in pictures. It is a great resource for teachers actually. Lit teachers can use the first story to introduce foretelling or tragedy; GP teachers can use it to introduce social issues.