Harlem – No flying, no tights

Writer/artist Mikaël’s third entry in his ‘New York Triptych’ is set in a beautifully depicted 1931 Harlem. at the damaging ways racism intersects with capitalism, while still delivering an intense crime drama. Harlem follows Stéphanie St. Clair (aka Queenie), a Caribbean, French-speaking crime boss who runs a highly profitable and highly illegal street lottery that provides a source of hope for desperate Harlemites, but also drains their pockets. Complicating her situation are rival gangster Dutch Schultz and a corrupt police force that collaborates with the white mafia. Queenie does everything she can to support her struggling community while staying one step ahead of the law, but as you might expect, that’s much easier said than done.

A fictionalized version of the historical figure Stephanie St. Clair, Queenie becomes increasingly fascinating and nuanced as the story progresses as Mikaël is unafraid to look beyond stereotypes and portray her as a surprisingly sympathetic figure. Although she is embroiled in the world of crime, her charitable acts and history of providing financial opportunity to poor, disenfranchised African Americans highlight the institutional inequality she and her associates face every day. In particular, she creates jobs and provides loans to those excluded from the white-dominated economy, demonstrating that seemingly shady activities are sometimes born out of necessity. As a self-made immigrant woman of color, Queenie is both a model for the American Dream and a powerful blackmailer, and to be honest, it’s hard not to root for her.

Although Queenie’s journey is the focus Haarlemsome of the most impactful moments come when Mikaël offers wordless panels depicting New York, allowing the reader to really get stuck in the setting. However, Mikaël’s New York is not glorified. It is rainy, dingy and inhabited. This is certainly reminiscent of the work of Will Eisner (esp A contract with God And New York: life in the big city), in which the city has its own character and is just as important as the people in the story. Although many of these images have no accompanying text, their complexity forces the reader to slow down and really take in all the little details. These contrast with the brighter, more expressionistic depictions of dance and live music sprinkled throughout.

Mikaël is very deliberate in his color choices, filling his panels with dull browns and grays, making the splashes of color during joyful moments or dreamy flashback scenes even more resonant. This seems to reflect an awareness of the fact that while brilliant, uplifting achievements occurred as a result of the Harlem Renaissance, it is important not to gloss over the suffering that occurred at the same time.

While Harlem is technically part of a loose trilogy that also includes the graphic novels Giant And Shoe shineryou can easily enjoy it on its own (but if you want Haarlemdefinitely go back and read the other two). It’s aimed at mature readers, which seems appropriate given its rather intense depictions of sex and hard drug use, although the violence isn’t particularly over the top. General, Haarlem is a compelling blend of historical fiction, crime drama, celebration of black achievement, and incisive critique of the way racism affects the lives of real people in ways that are both overt and subtle. Fans of beautifully detailed cityscapes, discussions about the complexities of race and capitalism in America, or comics with a 1930s crime/noir vibe (such as Sandman Mystery Theater or The good Asian) finds plenty to like about Harlem.

Haarlem Vol. 3
By Mikael
NBM graphic novels, 2024
ISBN number: 9781681123288

NFNT age recommendation: Adult (18+)
Creator Representation: French Canadian,
Character Representation: Black,