Norma Editorial brings us the most important story of Al Capone in human history
Organized crime has always fascinated the public, as evident in many films and series such as Narcos, the Netflix series depicting the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar. But while this series has catapulted Escobar to global prominence on the streaming platform, there’s another criminal who’s lingered in popular culture. Al Capone, a thug from another era who became part of popular culture.
The Chicago crime kingpin is a highly studied figure over time, from books to series or movies. The artists S. Meralli and PF Radice wanted to tell the story of this gangster in a comic published in our country by Norma Editorial.
The historical context of prohibition
In the year In 1920, the United States passed a law known as Prohibition that prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages in the country. This law was enacted in response to long-standing ideological and political movements in that country related to moderation and tolerance of alcohol consumption.
The law has been in force for more than ten years and has produced the opposite result than expected. Alcohol consumption not only continued, but increased significantly. Being illegal, there was no regulation and everything was carried in a secret yard without control, as well as no regulation with alcohol, which increased the risk of being more harmful to the body of its consumption.
Rather than solving social problems, Prohibition led to an unprecedented rise in organized crime (including illegal liquor dealers). Violence and gang warfare to control goods and territories has increased crime significantly. The government has spent a lot of money to stop the liquor trade, but it has increased the number of corrupt policemen and politicians. Prohibition was lifted in 1933. Even today, there are states in the United States that prohibit alcoholic beverages.
Al Capone was one of the biggest gangsters of the time, and although he operated in Chicago, his influence was felt across the country.
The biggest gang in history
As it often happens in real life, something really happened and it’s something you tell your loved ones. The first pages take us back to 1938, when Al Capo was imprisoned in Alcatraz prison after the government ended his criminal empire. In it we see how Alphonse Gabriel Capone (the gangster’s real name) begins to tell his poor mother that he is visiting his life story. As the prisoner says, she always tells the truth and who would deceive his poor mother?
The omnipresent narrator of this comic becomes the criminal himself, which makes it very interesting, because at any time we see a big difference between what we are told and the images. Let me give you an idea, when Capone is having a tough negotiation with other gang members, we see in the footage how Al’s kids are giving other people amazing beatings. The magic of meaning.
It is very interesting to enjoy a comic where we get such a contrast between what is read and what is seen. On the one hand, we see a boy who will do whatever it takes to earn more money, and on the other hand, a boy on his last legs who tells his mother what his life was and is like, the absolute brutality. How everything was in him.
We start with little Alphonse’s childhood in New York, when he is young and after an incident he is forced to move to Chicago. He starts out there as an ordinary gangster, but slowly climbs the ranks in the gang hierarchy. And Capone shows that it is not necessary to have brute force to gain power in the criminal world, but intelligence, cunning and the desire to gain power.
As for the art department, we’re not looking at pretty work, with fine, delicate strokes. Al Capone’s comic seems to want to depict what that time was like, crude, rough and not fun at all. The art is full of thick lines where the lack of sweetness is evident. Color is very helpful for the previously mentioned feelings, because it not only reminds us that we live in ancient times, but also increases the feeling of dirt.
Norma Editorial Al Capone Edition.
The edition of Al Capone that Norma brings us has a special feature, the edges of the cover and pages are rounded. The rest of the features of the sound are normal, European comic 12.5 x 29 cm. The 168-page volume retails for €29.50.
The comic Al Capone is a fun story about one of the most notorious gangsters in history. With a very unique narrative and curious art, the comic that Norma brings us is a recommended purchase.
Al Capone
Authors: S. Meralli | PF root
Publisher: Norma Editorial
Format: Hardcover
Dimensions: 21.5 x 29 cm
Pages: 168 in color
ISBN: 978-84-679-6662-6
Price: 29,50 €
Summary: The most important big picture in history
The 1920s saw the rise of organized crime on an unprecedented scale. Through deadly bribery, crime and gunfire, criminal empires are built on hundreds of corpses and millions of dollars in cash. In Chicago, the king had a name that everyone respected or feared: Al “Scarface” Capone.
In this thrilling graphic novel, screenwriter S Merali and artist PF Radis present the rise and fall of the most brilliant man in the underworld.