My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel
Ratings9
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings9
Average rating3.9
You only think you know this story. In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer — the most notorious serial killer since Jack the Ripper — seared himself into the American consciousness. To the public, Dahmer was a monster who committed unthinkable atrocities. To Derf Backderf, “Jeff” was a much more complex figure: a high school friend with whom he had shared classrooms, hallways, and car rides.
In My Friend Dahmer, a haunting and original graphic novel, writer-artist Backderf creates a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a disturbed young man struggling against the morbid urges emanating from the deep recesses of his psyche — a shy kid, a teenage alcoholic, and a goofball who never quite fit in with his classmates. With profound insight, what emerges is a Jeffrey Dahmer that few ever really knew, and one readers will never forget.
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This is a very well researched memoir by someone trying to make sense of how his friend from high school became a serial killer. It provides a level of insight that other true crime novels often lack, especially considering the amount of misinformation this particular case has floating around out there.
I think Backderf could've been as critical of his own behavior, and that of the “Dahmer Fan Club,” as he was of all the adults in Dahmer's past. At times it felt more like Backderf was trying to show his distance from Dahmer but ended up showing how he and his friends behaved cruelly and treated Dahmer like an object. This likely had as much of an impact on him as many other anecdotes that were included from other parts of Dahmer's life, and it would've been very interesting to see Backderf acknowledge it and dissect the effects of damaging teenage relationships.
I could've done without Backderf's monologue about Dahmer's mother in the back of the book. It came across very asshole-y and felt unnecessary. Perhaps he was trying to justify portraying her a specific way that she adamantly disagreed with, but it didn't sit well with me.
The art is fantastic, the pacing is perfect, and the chosen anecdotes paint a vivid picture of a tortured teen heading down a dangerous and depraved path.
Artwork is great, but writing is so-so. The narration in particular is way too direct and unsubtle.
