Petrograd

by Philip Gelatt

Tyler Crook (Artist)

• Introducing the untold tale of the international conspiracy behind the
  murder of Gregorii Rasputin! Set during the height of the first World War, the
  tale follows a reluctant British spy stationed in the heart of the Russian
  empire as he is handed the most difficult assignment of his career: orchestrate
  the death of the mad monk, the Tsarina's most trusted adviser and the surrogate
  ruler of the nation. The mission will take our hero from the slums of the
  working class into the opulent houses of the super rich... he'll have to
  negotiate dangerous ties with the secret police, navigate the halls of power,
  and come to terms with own revolutionary leanings, all while simply trying to
  survive!
• Based on historical documents and research, Petrograd is a tense,
  edge-of-your seat spy thriller, taking the reader on a journey through the
  background of one of history's most infamous assassinations, set against the
  backdrop of one of the most tumultuous moments in 20th century
  history.

• ISBN10: 1934964441
• ISBN13: 9781934964446
• Publish Date: 3 August 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Oni Press,US
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 264
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Petrograd is a fascinating and deeply engaging graphic novel about the assassination of Rasputin by British agents in 1916 (Spoiler alert - he was *not* easy to kill). Originally released in 2011, this reformat and re-release with new cover and introduction is due out in Jan 2022 from Oni Press. It's 272 pages and will be available in paperback format in this edition.

I was admittedly unfamiliar with the exact political circumstances and background surrounding the end of the Romanov rule and the revolution in Russia and how they related to Raputin's assassination and death. This book does a good job of painting the broader strokes. The narrative seems fantastical, but apparently the high points are widely accepted if not completely proven. It's not always clear where the real history shades over into fiction in this volume, but it's certainly a riveting read. I found the afterword by eminent Russian historian Dr. David R. Stone enlightening although I was surprised to learn that a number of characters in the book which were so over the top as to be almost unbelievable were, in fact, historically accurate.

The art by Tyler Crook suits the story very well and serves to fill in the narrative by Philip Gelatt. It's a successful partnership and the book manages to combine espionage, politics, revolution, and some murder and skullduggery without ever one time being pedantic or boring.

Four stars. Well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes