An upcoming ComiXology Originals graphic novel, Night at the Belfry, promises to tell a poignant tale about an aging man learning to face life changes, with just a dash of boxing action a la the Rocky franchise.
CBR can exclusively present a preview of the story, written and illustrated by Xavier Saxon. Night at the Belfry stars James Ransom, a 73-year-old retired postman and single father. Now living with his daughter Emily, James feels frustrated with his old age and dreams of a brief period during the early 1980s when he boxed recreationally at a local gym.
The preview shows James accosted by a mugger in the subway and dreaming of knocking the assailant out. After James returns home and meets with his daughter, he stares at himself in the mirror, flexes his weary muscles, and heads towards a nearby belfry, presumably to get back some of his old fighting spirit in a decision reminiscent of the one made by the aging title character in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa. As the story moves on, James will connect with a former trainer and attempt to use boxing to regain the control that he believes he's lost in life -- though whether this will allow him to regain the feeling of his youth remains to be seen.
The Inspiration Behind Night at the Belfry
"Night at the Belfry is my first book and I am super proud of it, but it is not where I would have expected myself to start off in the world of comics," Saxon said. "I don’t have much of an interest in boxing, I’m not a seventy-plus year-old retiree (yet), and my preferences in terms of fiction have always skewed more towards the fantastical, genre-based stuff."
Despite this preference for fantasy and science-fiction, Saxon ended up captivated by the visual idea of a boxing match in a church belltower, and the story flowed from there. "...I developed the story I became fascinated with the idea of applying undue importance to an, in retrospect, insignificant period of one’s own life," Saxon said. "Mostly, though, the book came from a place of frustration. I wanted to finish something. And now that I have, I hope what I've made will resonate with readers."
Night at the Belfry, written and illustrated by Saxon, is edited by Allison O'Toole and designed by Cindy Leong. The graphic novel is available on Oct. 18 for ComiXology Unlimited subscribers, who can read ComiXology Originals titles for free.
Source: ComiXology