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Multiversity Keeps It Real: The Fifth Beatle

By | November 27th, 2013
Posted in Columns | % Comments

Written by Vivek J. Tiwary, drawn by Andrew C. Robinson, and released by Dark Horse, “The Fifth Beatle” is the story of the man who made the Beatles superstars. Here we get an up-close look at how Brian Epstein contributed to the biggest musical phenomenon of the 20th century; but it’s on the isolation, not the glamour, that this story hangs its hat.

“The Fifth Beatle” starts us off very close to the beginning of the all, with the Beatles performing nightly at The Cavern. It’s here that they catch Epstein’s eye and, quickly realizing how much potential they have, he sets about using all his resources to polish their image and refine their appeal. He negotiates them their first record deal, and from then on things progress at a breakneck pace. The Ed Sullivan Show is not far off.

Along the way, it’s Epstein’s isolation that really hits home; both Jewish and gay (and in an England where homosexuality is still considered a crime), he faces prejudice and rejection at every turn. He’s alone when negotiating in the Beatles’ name, and alone when the noise and excitement die down after a show. We often seen him in bed, making important phone calls and taking the pills that he’s told will quiet his libido. But as the Beatles become even more famous, things are clearly at a standstill for Epstein personally, with a disastrous romantic affair serving to isolate him even further.

One unusual aspect of the narrative is the way Beatles lyrics are worked in, turning up in the dialogue or in captions. Sometimes they’re lyrics from later in the Beatles’ career than the moment we’re witnessing, and it feels like the intention is to reinforce a sense of destiny. With Epstein’s help, the Beatles are on the path to making all the iconic songs of the latter half of their history; the ghosts of these songs remind us of the part of the Beatles’ career that Epstein will never see. It’s a serviceable device, but it sometimes comes across a little too on-the-nose; Epstein’s journey is tragic enough not to need much embellishment.

All of this said, those looking to get a side dish of Beatles history as they read might be disappointed: many of their defining moments are glossed over, or not discussed at all (Ringo’s addition to the group, for instance). Meanwhile, the Beatles themselves come across as highly stylized; speaking in riddles and often in unison, they’re carefree and playful to the point of seeming surreal. Epstein is clearly in their world but not of their world, and our focus rests on him as he attempts to wrangle their energy and enthusiasm.

It’s this stylized aspect of the writing that makes the book fall a little short in terms of non-fictional value. Above all, this is a narrative of Brian Epstein’s life; thoroughly researched, to be sure, but presented in a non-linear and emotional fashion. We’re getting Epstein’s story from within, not without, and it’s all the stronger a book for it.

Integral to the emotional impact of “The Fifth Beatle” is Andrew C. Robinson’s immersive and endlessly attractive art. Employing a mixed-media approach, Robinson comes up with a painterly world – one that’s versatile enough to portray rainy Liverpool with the same intensity as sunny Central Park.

Epstein’s portrayal is subtle; always calculating and negotiating, but vulnerable and fragile at the same time. He’s often framed so as to look at odds with his situation, either in terms of colour or composition; we understand that while he’s a brilliant strategist, he doesn’t fit in with the worlds he’s conquering.

And while likenesses are, of course, integral to a book like this, when it comes to the characters that populate Epstein’s experience, Robinson captures more than mere resemblance. Epstein is a little in awe of the Beatles themselves, and clearly repulsed by some of the figures he has to negotiate with; and whether it’s the luminous Beatles themselves, or Elvis’s demonically greedy manager, we get a sense of what Epstein is seeing in a character. That’s a tough balance to hit, but Robinson’s portrayals are confident, smoothly merging Epstein’s perspective with our own.

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JFK’s assassination also has its part in the story, and Robinson handles this sequence with a jaw-dropping attention to detail. Everything, right down to the individual people in the crowd and the colour cast of the famous film, has been replicated. And while certainly less jarring, a double-page spread laying out a star-studded party also presents an impressive attention to detail and likeness. It’s these kinds of moments that underscore the amount of research that went into this book as a whole, adding that much more heft to an already wrenching story.

We also get an intermission by Kyle Baker; done in the style a 1960’s comic strip, this chapter takes the story of the Beatles’ experience in the Philippines and runs with it, laying out a cartoony romp that underscores the mythical aspect of this disastrous visit. It’s a neat break from the dark tone of the rest of the book – while still having its own ironic edge – and the nod to the aesthetics and peculiarities of the 60s does not go unappreciated.

Capping it all off is a wealth of bonus material, from process pages to reproductions of memorabilia that the team used as part of their research. It’s almost overwhelming, getting across the scale of the book as an enterprise, with the accompanying captions and notes making interesting reading in their own right.

All told, this is a colourful and energetic tribute to a man who is often relegated to the B-side of musical history; and although it’s not without its peculiarities, these are also part of its charm. While the research here is solid through and through, this is a book you read for the legend at its core; to get a feeling for what – and who – it took to bring the Beatles to life.


//TAGS | Keep It Real

Michelle White

Michelle White is a writer, zinester, and aspiring Montrealer.

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