Writer Lackman and artist Pinson have transformed Lani's life into a graphic biography. Vivid black-and-white images illustrate the hardships of the Polish Jewry of her birth. They boldly limn the world of 1920s Paris. They give us nightmarish and unforgettable faces. The whole book has the feel of the musical Cabaret, as if illustrated by R. Crumb, or as if Art Spiegelman's Maus were told by Mr. Natural.-- "Kirkus"

Lackman's elegiac narrative pairs beautifully with Pinson's heavily crosshatched drawings, which twist into grotesquery in scenes of bigotry and bloodshed. This tale of ambition, art, and deception sheds light on a fascinating figure and her era.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Mr. Pinson's detailed monochromatic illustrations pair well with Mr. Lackman's evocative text... Most of the renderings of Lani present a partial view or an obscured face--fitting for an enigma in both art and life.-- "Wall Street Journal"

Sometimes graphic biography works to give us an encapsulation of lives familiar to us. Sometimes it broadens our knowledge of its subjects. And sometimes it introduces us to a fascinating story of which we have no prior knowledge.-- "Broken Frontier"

The B/W images that cascade through "The Woman With Fifty Faces" are stunningly beautiful, deeply compassionate, and farcically grotesque, capturing the essence of Lani's life...The result is a masterful collaboration about identity and the power and limits of reinvention.-- "Midwest Book Review"

Jonathan Lackman and Zachary J. Pinson have investigated and illustrated an extraordinary slice of art history here, which I can't wait to discover.--Paul Gravett

Its craft is impeccable, especially illustrator Pinson's invocation of the grotesque when depicting horrors and his presentation of some of the styles in which Lani was immortalized.-- "AIPT Comics"

A clever artistic conceit is Lani's full face never being fully revealed except in the drawings of artists. It's in keeping with Zachary J. Pinson's offbeat approach. His characters are glorious exaggerations, each given a distinct visual identity, prime among them his lumpy Abramowicz, and there's no respecting celebrity.-- "Slings & Arrows Graphic Novel Guide"

One of the great art heist or schemes to become famous or fake celebrity that's come out over the years is put together in this beautiful graphic novel. This is an amazing story that would make a great Netflix documentary, but I think looks even better as a comic book and graphic novel.-- "Taylor Talks Comics"

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books

Pub date: 2025-07-22

Length: 232 pages