Bezimena

This graphic novel retelling of a myth resonates in today's cultural and political climate.

The jumping-off point of this graphic novel is the myth of Artemis and Siproites, in which a young man is turned into a woman as a punishment for the attempted rape of one of Artemis' virgin cohorts. Bunjevac's retelling follows Benny, who, when he comes across a former classmate, concocts a disturbing rape fantasy. In her stippled, illustrative style, Bunjevac crafts a gripping noirish, Nabokovian tale, by turns sensual, surreal, and harrowing, that turns the male gaze inside-out. Black & white illustrations throughout.