The Hockey Saint

Length: 150 pages

Author: Howard Shapiro

Illustrated by: Marica Inoue

Publisher: Animal Media Group

Publication Date: 10/14/14

Rating: 5 Stars

I must admit football is my favorite sport. No, I mean American football. Unfortunately National Football League has been under the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Its sad that a few bad apples can reflect poorly on a league that has over 2,000 players but that is the world we live in. Professional athletes are held to a higher standard because they serve as role models whether they want to or not. What does this have to do with books? It has everything to do with The Hockey Saint.

Tom Leonard is a college sophomore with a lot on his mind. Personal tragedy rocks his world and hockey becomes his escape. He is a very talented player and proves himself to the coach and the team. One evening Tom meets his hockey hero Jeremiah Jacobson and Jeremiah takes Tom under his wing. This friendship blossoms and Tom realizes you can’t always believe what you hear in the press. After seeing first hand that his idol is charitable, Tom finds that idols aren’t perfect.

Critically acclaimed author Howard Shapiro has put another great ensemble together for this graphic novel. The Hockey Saint is illustrated by Marica Inoue, colored by Andres Mossa of “Spiderman” & “Deadpool” works and featuring a cover drawn by Neil Googe of “Batman & Judge Dredd works. Shapiro marries illustration and text to tell a great story that teens and adults can relate to.

I have not been a big fan of the graphic novel but The Hockey Saint changed that. This story was thoughtful and quite cleverly written. The dialog was believable and as I found myself so absorbed into this story I felt somewhat like a voyeur. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading many more Howard Shapiro books.

You can purchase this book here.