History ComicBook / TheGlassLooker

It's not a historical book in the ''strictest'' sense, but it's exhaustively researched and Mark Elwood [[ShownTheirWork Shows His Work]]. It's based very heavily on historical documents, which are cited at the end of each chapter. It takes all sources -- both friendly and hostile, mundane and fantastical -- at face value and weaves them together. Stories from neighbors about Joseph getting into trouble? True. Stories about angelic visitations? True.

** The prologue of Volume 1 is set in 1699, dealing with Captain William Kidd's pirate treasure.

* TheHerosJourney: We begin with a FarmBoy. Joseph's CallToAdventure comes in the form of Luman Walters and Sally Chase, who both introduce him to the world of the supernatural. There's a RefusalOfTheCall when Joseph returns his seer stone. He crosses the threshold when he retrieves his seer stone. He begins the Road of Trials when he does a bunch of treasure digs. He gets arrested, and his glass looker trial, his low point where he might give up. But he rises again, gets the plates, and returns home changed (intro a prophet).

* PirateBooty: The practice of treasure digging is premised on the idea that [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfPiracy Captain William Kidd's]] buried pirate treasure is in area.
* ReligionIsMagic: As a historical novel, the magic ''The Glass Looker'' is more in line with historical ideas of magic rather than the modern fantasy idea of "magic systems". Magical feats are often associated with religion -- miracles, divine gifts, etc.

* RitualMagic: As a historical novel, the magic ''The Glass Looker'' is more in line with historical ideas of magic rather than the modern fantasy idea of "magic systems". The pinnacle of ritual magic is a treasure dig, illustrated very evocatively in volume 1, chapter 2. [[GeometricMagic A circle is drawn]] and stakes placed. Luman Walters [[BloodMagic sacrifices a chicken]], [[LatinIsMagic speaks Latin]], and pulls out a toad. He insists on silence as they dig, to keep the magic bound.

It focuses heavily on the folk magic of New England in the early 1800, such as treasure digging and seer stones.

It's not a historical book in the strictest sense, but it's exhaustively researched and Mark Elwood [[ShownTheirWork Shows His Work]]. It's based very heavily on historical documents, which are cited at the end of each chapter. It takes all sources -- both friendly and hostile, mundane and fantastical -- at face value and weaves them together. Stories from neighbors about Joseph getting into trouble? True. Stories about angelic visitations? True.

It's not a historical book in the strictest sense, but it's exhaustively researched and Mark Elwood [[ShownTheirWork Shows His Work]]. It's based very heavily on historical documents, which are cited at the end of chapters. It takes all sources -- both friendly and hostile, mundane and fantastical -- at face value and weaves them together. Stories from neighbors about Joseph getting into trouble? True. Stories about angelic visitations? True.

* DistantPrologue: The prologue is set in 1699, dealing with Captain William Kidd's pirate treasure. The story proper begins in 1820.

-->''Sally:''' Not everyone has the gift. My brother Abel has looked many times but is unable to see.

* FarmBoy: An EnforcedTrope -- the historical record is completely unambiguous about Joseph Smith grew up on a farm in New England and went on to be famous.

'''''The Glass Looker''''' by Mark Elwood is a HistoricalFiction GraphicNovel about Joseph Smith (the founder of {{UsefulNotes/Mormonism}}) as a teen and young man, before Mormonism got going.

It's not a historical book in the strictest sense, but it's based very, very heavily on historical documents. It takes all sources -- both pro- and anti-Mormon -- at face value. Stories from neighbors about Joseph getting into trouble? True. Stories about angelic visitations? True.

'''''The Glass Looker''''' by Mark Elwood is a HistoricalFiction GraphicNovel about Joseph Smith (the founder of {{UsefulNotes/Mormonism}}) as a teen and young man.

'''''The Glass Looker''''' by Mark Elwood is a HistoricalFiction GraphicNovel about Joseph Smith (the founder of {{UsefulNotes/Mormonism}}) as a teen and young man. It focuses heavily on the folk magic of New England in the early 1800.

* LatinIsMagic: Luman Walters users Latin to work a magic spell during a treasure dig.

* SexyMentor: DownplayedTrope. At the time of introduction in 1820, Sally Chase is 20 and Joseph is 15 -- close enough in age to be a sort of peer, but old enough for the implied crush to have a PrecociousCrush edge to it.

* SexyMentor: DownplayedTrope. Sally Chase is a few years older than Joseph -- close enough in age to be a sort of peer, but old enough for the implied crush to have a PrecociousCrush edge to it.

-->''Luman Walters. The son of a rich man. Some say he had been educated for a priest... and turned out to be a devil. Other say he received a scientific education, became a doctor... was even sent to Paris. He came back an infidel, believing neither in man nor god.''
* SilenceYouFool: Luman Walters is angered when Joseph interrupts his treasure dig, which is supposed to be done in silence for magic reasons.

* TheHerosJourney: We begin with a FarmBoy. Joseph's CallToAdventure comes in the form of Luman Walters and Sally Chase, who both introduce him to the world of the supernatural. There's a RefusalOfTheCall when Joseph returns his seer stone. He crosses the threshold when he retrieves his seer stone. He begins the Road of Trials when he does a bunch of treasure digs. He gets arrested, and his glasslooker trial, his low point where he might give up. But he rises again, gets the plates, and returns home changed (intro a prophet).
* PirateBooty: The practice of treasure digging is premised on the idea that there's [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfPiracy William Kidd's]] buried pirate treasure in area.

* PirateBooty: The practice of treasure digging is premised on the idea that there's William Kidd's buried pirate treasure in area.

* PirateBooty: The practice of treasure digging is premised on the idea that there's buried pirate treasure in area.

'''''The Glass Looker''''' by Mark Elwood is a HistoricalFiction graphic novel about Joseph Smith (the founder of {{UsefulNotes/Mormonism}}) as a teen and young man. It focuses heavily on the folk magic of New England in the early 1800.

* TheHerosJourney: We begin with a FarmBoy. Joseph's CallToAdventure comes in the form of Luman Walters and Sally Chase, who both introduce him to the world of the supernatural. There's a RefusalOfTheCall when Joseph returns his seer stone. He crosses the threshold when he retrieves his seer stone. He begins the Road of Trials when he does a bunch of treasure digs. He gets arrested, and his glasslooker trial, his low point where he might give up. But he rises again, gets the plates, and returns home changed (intro a prophet).

'''''The Glass Looker''''' by Mark Elwood is a HistoricalFiction graphic novel about Joseph Smith (the founder of {{UsefulNotes/Mormonism}}) as a teen and young man.

It's not a historical book in the strictest sense, but it's based very, very heavily on historical documents.

'''''The Glass Looker''''' by Mark Elwood is a HistoricalFiction graphic novel about Joseph Smith, the founder of {{UsefulNotes/Mormonism}}, as a young man.

!! Tropes

'''''The Glass Looker''''' by Mark Elwood is a HistoricalFiction graphic novel about Joseph Smith, the founder of UsefulNotes/Mormonism, as a young man.