If you think graphic novels are for light-weight reading, this one will prove you wrong. It is a very DENSE biography of Hawking and covers some complex science in addition to details of Hawking's life.

The science in this book can be prohibitive to readers who aren't interested in physics. Fortunately, it's not really necessary to understand the scientific content to grasp the story. The science might scare younger readers, but if you're a teacher or parent talking about this book to students, assure them that they can understand the story without having to become a theoretical physicist or cosmologist themselves.

The art of this book feels a little less polished than most graphic novel memoirs or biographies. Sometimes there are large blocks of small text that are too clunky for the medium in which the story is presented. But overall the story is good and accessible. I wanted to know more about Hawking's illness, but the book presents that storyline rather briefly, to let the reader know that Hawking's illness didn't define him and shouldn't be the focus of the story. Hawking's ability was never diminished by his disability - and I think that's a very POWERFUL message.