Written and Illustrated by: Nicolas Otero
Lettered by: Troy Little
Translated by: Ivanka Hahnenberger
Who Killed Kurt Cobain?: The Story of Boddah is a new graphic novel from Nicolas Otero that covers the life and death of Kurt Cobain. The story includes the perspective of his childhood “friend,” Boddah. Kurt and Courtney are both aware of Boddah and the fact that he doesn’t actually exist, but that doesn’t keep him from being a main focus in this story. And it’s probably worth mentioning that this comic is absolutely NSFW.
One can say that the death of Kurt Cobain is overdone and gets coverage way too often, and they’re probably right. Is it a tragedy? Yes. Do we need it in every single format possible? Probably not. Seeing the life and death of Kurt Cobain in a graphic novel format is interesting, but just doesn’t have the same effect as some of the documentaries and writers who have covered it. It’s a hard thing to say as someone who is such a huge fan of both comics and music.
However, there are some enjoyable things about the story. Otero’s art for one is a perfect fit for this style of story. It works well with Cobain’s grunge music and grungy lifestyle. Leaving the story in black and white also adds to that effect. It’s also important to note that this was translated into English for a U.S. release. Thankfully, it seems to have translated over pretty well.
While those are upsides, the story was a bit difficult to get through. I was finding myself just losing interest in it and the lettering is very hard to read, especially in a digital format.
Verdict: Skip. Unless you are a huge Nirvana fan and you follow everything that is done or said about the band, this likely isn’t the comic for you. As I mentioned earlier, the story has been done repeatedly. While it’s a different format, I don’t think it adds any substance to the story.
