The Hypo by Noah Van Sciver

(Fantagraphics) Van Sciver's young, depressed, striving, brave/cowardly, ambitious, confused Abraham Lincoln offers a more three-dimensional, revealing, convincing portrait than the one in the recent Lincoln movie (and even the one in Young Mr. Lincoln with Henry Ford...and even the one in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure). The remarkably evocative art (cartooney, yet the pain on the faces is visceral and real), the storytelling technique (making the 19th Century seem vital and contemporary) and the commitment to research and the mission (so obvious by the love and commitment and blood and sweat put into this) makes this one of the most impressive comics I've read in a while. Warning: a few more hooker scenes that you may want your ten year-old looking at if you're considering giving this to them for their History Fair project research.