The Amazing Adventures of the Afterbirth of Jesus is a subversive tale by Biblical scholar and Quaker Peterson Toscano and artist Joey Hartmann-Dow. A slim volume, over twenty-nine pages it tells the story of Hagar, the placenta born alongside Jesus in the stable. Key moments in Jesus’ ministry unfold as we expect in the background while the reader is given glimpses of Hagar’s influence. Born sentient, once used, the afterbirth is ignored and rejected and she consciously names herself Hagar, after a fellow rejected woman of the Old Testament. She follows Jesus carefully and is desperate for acknowledgement and inclusion. It is through her attention-seeking pranks that Jesus’ ministry develops. She causes coins to go missing in the home of a widow, sheep to escape their pen, wedding wine to be spilt, blindness and leprosy to afflict those who flock to Jesus and ultimately, the death of Lazarus. However, cleaning up her mess is not enough and it is only through eventually welcoming her back into his life can Jesus complete his purpose on Earth.

Toscana is a regular at the UK-based Greenbelt Festival speaking on the hidden LGBTQ+ voices of the Bible and it was here that I heard him mention Afterbirth. How could a comics scholar miss an opportunity to pick up a copy? Toscano acknowledges that some may view the comic as inappropriate and it is certainly the case that the subtlety and thought could be missed by some and mistaken for mockery. However, for him it is a serious theological endeavour in keeping with his love of taking on previously unconsidered perspectives and shedding new light on Biblical narratives. Hagar is a sister to his other work on the canonical gender non-conforming people of the Bible that are frequently sidelined; going one step further by being a character creation that serves to shift perspective. It is nonetheless, written with love and faith. Toscano embraces the weird while standing firmly within the traditions of midrash and exegesis.

The comic is composed mainly of splash pages and large panels, at the most three to a page. Hartmann-Dow’s rough lines and earthy colours certainly convey the ‘meatiness’ Toscano wanted. I didn’t find it a comfortable style to read but it is most definitely in keeping with the narrative. According to Toscano, Afterbirth concerns itself with inclusion and the fringes, integration with divinity and aims to act (as sidelined characters often can) as a mirror for ourselves. The comic doesn’t fully realise this in the way his public talks do, nor for me can it transmit the warmth and passion with which he speaks. However, I recommend listening to Toscano speak on the story as a companion piece to the comic (Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/peterson-thomas-toscano/the-amazing-adventures-of-the-afterbirth-of-jesus). So much of what he has to say about the missing and overlooked voices of the Bible is important to hear. The Amazing Adventures of the Afterbirth of Jesus is a gateway to Toscano’s worldview and I’d like to see more comics from him and Hartmann-Dow that will grow to match his spoken storytelling gift.

http://www.meetinghouse.xyz/books-1/the-afterbirth-of-jesus