Dead Man Walking

“The now legendary story of Dead Man Walking has been heard and seen by millions. This updated, graphic presentation is yet another way for others, hopefully a new generation, to witness the inhumane treatment of those in our prisons. As I read it, I asked once again the question so many evade: If it is wrong to kill, why do we allow the State to kill in our name?”—John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Innocent Man and co-author of Framed “Sister Helen’s powerful story of the harm we create when we kill one another is an essential read not just for understanding the cruelty of capital punishment, but also the beauty of mercy, justice, and redemption.”—Bryan Stevenson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just Mercy“Three decades after the memoir and film adaptation, the graphic novel targets a fresh audience through a new medium… . Striking visuals and judicious editing renew [the] crusading Sister Prejean’s memoir and her experiences with two inmates on death row… . There is no flinching here from the darkness of these horrendous crimes, yet there are glimmers of redemptive light.”—Kirkus Reviews“Chronicling the sister’s emergence as one of the most well-known advocates against the death penalty, this mixed memoir and history invites readers to consider the death penalty not in the abstract but as an action, a policy, that impacts real people, in often complicated and unexpected ways. Illustrated in a realistic style, with limited use of color (to great effect) and a variety of complex, full-page spreads that seamlessly integrate letters, newspaper clippings, and recreations of historical images, the comic pages emphasize the humanity of those facing death, their families, and those they have harmed in a way prose alone never could.”—Booklist

Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, is known worldwide for sparking a dialogue on the death penalty. She uses storytelling to bring citizens close to the hard realities of government killings. Her book, Dead Man Walking, has been turned into a film, a play, and an opera.

Catherine Anyango Gr newald is an internationally exhibited artist and lecturer. She was awarded the Navigator Art on Paper Prize, the largest award for work on paper in the world. She taught at the Royal College of Art in London for ten years and is now a senior lecturer in illustration at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm.

Rose Vines is an award-winning writer, editor, and technology expert who has worked alongside Sister Helen Prejean at the Ministry Against the Death Penalty for more than two decades. She has also created a companion website for this book.