Review: ‘The Bridgebuilder’s Creed’ Is As Beautiful As It Is Poignant

What do you do when the world changes around you and you’re not prepared? Yodel has spent his life building bridges. He uses his hands and heart to create these wondrous structures that literally bring people together. After losing his family and his fellow bridgebuilders, Yodel loses his career as some strange bugs show up, building a sturdy bridge in one day. He’s determined to find out what’s going on and if there’s more to these creatures than meets the eye.

On the surface, The Bridgebuilder’s Creed may look like Blockbuster fighting against Netflix, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This isn’t about an old man rallying against change and wishing for things to go back to the way they were. It’s about loss and heartbreak and how those things can change your life.

Creator Shawn Daley adds just the right amount of mystery to The Bridgebuilder’s Creed to hook you early on. You’re left to wonder what happened to the rest of the bridgebuilders and what other losses Yodel has suffered, not to mention the origin of these weird bugs. These creatures seem too good to be true, but everyone just kind of embraces them right out of the gate without questioning where they came from or what they may want. Yodel is the one person that gets suspicious about them.

Daley’s artwork is absolutely incredible. I’ve been a fan of his work for some time between books like Ogre and Samurai Grandpa. He really cuts loose here with a fully realized world that’s just far enough from our reality to be considered fantasy. It feels lived in and familiar from the very first page.

Yodel’s life is poignant and often heartbreaking, yet so very riveting. Sure, he can be stubborn at times, but you would be too if your whole life was upended one day. I love how Daley slowly drops in the pieces about Yodel’s backstory, building to a final, gut-wrenching revelation.

The Bridgebuilder’s Creed is a beautiful book from start to finish. It tells a touching story about one man’s journey to find himself in a world he no longer recognizes. While there are definitely some sad moments, this isn’t all doom and gloom. There’s hope in them.

Shawn Daley is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund the release of The Bridgebuider’s Creed launching on February 5^th, 2021.