Veterans’ Day
Happy (?) Veterans’ Day! I hope all our veterans are finding the peace and care and love they need today.
So as you remember your loved ones or hug your kids, try picking up some of these great war graphic novels:
Deogratias, A Tale of Rwanda written and illustrated by J.P. Stassen. Deogratias is a teenage boy living in Rwanda. Though he’s a Hutu, he loves two Tutsi sisters for their different charms. The people around him begin to raise their voices and arms in violence, Deogratias too begins to believe their chants, seeing himself as a dog laying in the street. He becomes drunk on rhetoric and influence eventually destroying himself and the things he loves.
Fallen Son: The Death Of Captain America Premiere HC by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by various artists. Sure Batman has neat gadgets and Superman can fly but Captain America was a soldier. In Fallen Son, those who were close to him mourn his death, moving through the stages of grief while trying to continue his mission to make all of America a safer place.
Light Brigade by Peter Tomasi and illustrated by Peter Snejbjerg uses World War II as a background of an even bigger fight, that between Heaven and Hell. A group of weary American soldiers encounter a group of Germans who are more than human. The brigade must race these fallen angels to a powerful sword, battling indestructible zombies and, at times, their own faith.
Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History written and illustrated by Art Spiegleman is a reminder that not all veteran’s of war choose to be there. It is often the innocent, the people who are being fought for or against that suffer the most. In his memoir recounting his Jewish father’s days in Nazi Germany, Spiegelman created a classic.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood written and illustrated by Marjane Satrapi. During the war between Iran and Iraq, Satrapi was a child. This is her memories and her coming of age, her liberation. She watches as her parents protest an oppressive regime. It highlights the importance of every day citizens to stand up for themselves and their government, if it is needed.
Shooting War by Anthony Lappe and illustrated by Dan Goldman. In the year 2011, a little known video blogger Jimmy Burns captures a terrorist bombing on tape. He quickly rises to fame when his video goes viral. He’s tapped by the Global News Network for the ongoing war in Iraq, covering the war for President McCain and the folks back home. Once there he discovers that his fame is worth a lot less than his skin and sanity.
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Comments
Since Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, to observe the end of The War to End All Wars — how can you omit Kurt Busiek’s incredible ARROWSMITH: SO SMART IN THEIR FINE UNIFORMS? Beautiful art, thoughtful examination of the war-is-hell and bildungsroman tropes, and, hey, DRAGONS!!!
Sadie, two recommendations for people looking for war-related graphic works:
Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughan is a stunning graphic novels inspired by real events. It tells the story of a group of lions who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo following the U.S. invasion of that city. Vaughan gives the lions voices, the work highlights the often ignored impact of war on other lifeforms. Heartbreaking but essntial.
Speaking of other lifeforms, Mark Powers’s Drafted comic book is about the literal drafting of the entire human race by an alien civilization to help fight an intergalactic war. With this sci-fi premise, the author and illustrators are having great fun exploring racial, cultural, gender and religious diversity on our planet. Jump in!
Lesley – I haven’t read Arrowsmith (or even heard of it really) but if it includes uniforms AND dragons? I’m there!
Reggie – excellent suggestion with Pride of Baghdad. I should probably completely rewrite the post with Pride at the top of the list in all capitals. I’ll have to check out Drafted as well? Are there any collected volumes?
Sadie–
The first six issues of Drafted have been released in collected volume number 1. Volume 2 is due out in December.
And. . . I have heard that the film rights have been sold for this title. So, lots more people may be hopping on the Drafted bandwagon.
“Persepolis” is such an interesting book, and it’s so valuable for getting beyond stereotyped portrayals of the Iranian people and the Muslim world. I mean, I was kind of surprised that Iranian kids were into western rock music!
I haven’t seen the film version yet, but I’ve heard great things about it, too.