By Water: The Felix Manz Story
by Jason Landsel, Sankha Banerjee, Richard Mommsen

In a time of social upheaval, in a city astir with dangerous new ideas, the son of a Catholic priest becomes a leader of a nonviolent revolution.

Five hundred years ago, in an age marked by war, plague, inequality, and religious coercion, there were people across Europe who dared to imagine a society of sharing, peace, and freedom of conscience. These radicals were ready to die for their vision. They were executed by the thousands–by water, by fire, and by sword–in both Catholic and Protestant states. Their stories come to life in this graphic novel series that dramatically recreates a little-known chapter in the history of the Reformation.

By Water, is a true story of friendship and betrayal set in the Swiss city of Zurich. It chronicles the conflict between establishment reformer Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) and his student Felix Manz (1498-1527), who at first reveres Zwingli as a father figure but ends up drowned on Zwingli’s orders for insisting that only believers should be baptized. In this dramatic visualization of the birth of the Radical Reformation, water is both wonder and weapon, a symbol of new life and a death sentence.

This action-packed, historically accurate account of young people standing up for their convictions against the corrupt political and religious leaders of their day will awaken courage and commitment in young readers today.

4 out of 5 fairies

This was a beautifully illustrated biography. With watercolor style images laid out comic/graphic novel style, the reader is take on the journey of the life of Felix Manz, a key figure during religious upheaval in the early 16th century. Reading this as someone who knows nothing of Manz beforehand, I found it to be quite interesting, even though it’s clearly geared for readers younger than me. I can’t say I’m Christian by any means, but I didn’t mind reading this with a religious tilt given what it’s discussing. (I’ve always found saints interesting, including their religious experiences). I will say if you aren’t part of the Christian faith, you may find parts of this to be outright fantastical. Great for young readers interested in religious history.

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Jason Landsel is a New York-based writer and illustrator with a lifelong fascination with the history of social and religious radicalism. He is a regular contributor to Plough Quarterly and a member of the Bruderhof, an Anabaptist community movement that traces its roots to the Radical Reformation.