But just who is this Fifth member of the greatest rock and roll band of perhaps all-time? Is it drummer Pete Best, the band's first tempo keeper kicked out in favor of Ringo Star? Was it Eric Clapton, who played lead guitar on the White Album's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and was frequently asked to join by the quartet? Was it Yoko, who once she married John, was joined at the hip and known to sit in on sessions? Or was it Billy Preston, asked to play piano for the Let It Be sessions in order to help keep the peace amongst the band in the throes of breaking up?
While the answer has stymied fans for decades, the most definitive answer has always come from Paul. In the 70s, McCartney once said 'If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian.' The Brian in question was the late Brian Epstein. After reading this graphic novel about the unsung first manager of the Beatles, I am inclined to agree.
Without Epstein, the Beatles probably would be just another band playing gigs in Liverpool. They were good but they weren't at that next level that would make them legends. It was Brian who got them to that legendary status.
The new manager made the band be more clean cut, drop Best for Ringo and made John marry his girlfriend Cynthia whom he just got pregnant. Epstein was also behind getting the band on Ed Sullivan which kicked off the global phenomenon called Beatlemania! I think this also shortened the band's lifespan by about 5-10 years, in which the grueling pace caused riffs and exhaustion amongst the four friends and their eventual breakup in 1970.
Not only does this book focus on Epstein's role with the Fab Four, but it also chronicles the pain and struggles of a hurting man. Brian was gay and though the Beatles and his parents knew, it was kept secret. I didn't know this but until 1967, it was a crime in Great Britain to be homosexual. So, Epstein frequented Spain and the Big Apple, two more 'tolerant' areas during his holidays from the band in order to live his life a little more openly. But all of his hiding plus the frantic pace of being the manager of the biggest band in the world saw Brian taking tons of drugs, therapy, and alcohol all of which lead to an accidental overdose just one month before the criminal band of homosexuals in the UK was lifted.
I got this book in a Comic Bento box as a gift from my wife over the Christmas holidays last year. But this graphic novel has been available since November of 2013. At the time, Brian Epstein had yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and gay marriage was still illegal in about 38 states. A lot has changed in the past 3 years and I think this book had a lot to do with those changes.
Less than one year after the Fifth Beatle was published, Epstein finally got inducted in Cleveland. And just last year, the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is legal nationwide. Now, you might be thinking 'how did this book help gay marriage?' Well, in the back, legendary underground comix artist and writer, Howard Cruse wrote an afterword expounding Epstein's influence on his life. That page goes on to say that proceeds from this book went to the Freedom to Marry campaign, which was a fund for the gay marriage fight in the US Supreme Courts system. In 1966, Epstein inspired the world to know 'All You Need Is Love' and after he telecast that song worldwide on a Beatles simulcast, that challenge was took up by many, including Cruse.
I see this book as being the next non-superhero comic book blockbuster in theaters and currently writer Vivek J. Tiwary is working on a screenplay. I kinda hope the film is at least partially animated relying on the artwork of artist Andrew C. Robinson, who does a beautiful job making the Fab Five come to life. The only thing I was not a fan of was Kyle Baker's inclusion as the artist for a scene in the Philippines. I'm not sure why he was even used for this book. I love Baker, but his comical anecdote detracted from the rest of this beautiful book.
A must-read for Beatles fans whether you like graphic novels or not!
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
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