Brutally explicit visuals add immediacy to a serviceable but not exceptional historical overview.
Graphic in both senses, a history of the War to End All Wars with a fictional overlay.
The narrative uses the experiences of British Tommy George Smith in the trenches to put a human face on the broader pictures of events in various theaters of the war. It opens with the almost-accidental assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, then goes on to tally land and sea battles, the exploits of T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) and other iconic figures. It covers technological advances, from poison gas to tanks, and distinctive events like the Christmas Truce. George’s bitter judgments of “the generals” who ordered millions of “[y]oung lives thrown away for no real reason” accompany scene after scene of sodden, muddy misery, bullets blasting into soldiers’ bodies and fields strewn with corpses. The war behind the lines and at home is rarely seen, and though other participants occasionally step in for a few panels, the point of view is so Anglocentric that the German and even Russian sides merit barely a glance. Most of the casualty figures and other statistics are buried in the text, and though backmatter includes notes on a Croix de Guerre–winning homing pigeon and other animal “heroes,” there is no index or bibliography.
Brutally explicit visuals add immediacy to a serviceable but not exceptional historical overview. (maps, sheet music) (Graphic fiction/nonfiction hybrid. 11-14)Pub Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-93-80741-85-7
Page Count: 116
Publisher: Campfire
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2014
Reasonably accurate—but the historical territory is already thoroughly surveyed elsewhere, and the unusual format doesn’t...
Lincoln’s life gets a graphic treatment, but the prose reads like a school report, and even the battle scenes look staged.
The book takes the form of an autobiographical lecture to his son Tad that highlights his intense opposition to slavery. Lincoln carries his story from early days (“On February 12, 1809, in Hardin County in Kentucky, I was born in a small, one-room log cabin”) to his departure for Ford’s Theatre. At this point, an omniscient narrator takes over to cover the assassination and the later ratification of the 13th Amendment. Though Helfand slips in short flights of eloquence from Lincoln’s oratory, his own writing runs to lines like “Nor could he accept that the future of his nation should be resigned to slavery and injustice” and “This new guy, Abraham, is going down.” The illustrator tries to add pace and energy by slanting and overlaying his squared-off panels and adding discreetly sized sound effects (slave catchers’ dogs: “Woof! Woof!”). Despite this, neither the occasional cleanly drawn battlefields nor the many scenes of men in suits exchanging political views are the stuff of compelling visuals.
Reasonably accurate—but the historical territory is already thoroughly surveyed elsewhere, and the unusual format doesn’t compensate for the routine content. (appendix) (Graphic nonfiction. 11-13)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-93-80741-21-5
Page Count: 108
Publisher: Campfire
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2012
“Why did she want to help? Why could she not turn a blind eye to those in need?” A searching and reverent treatment.
Mother Teresa shines brightly both figuratively and literally in this graphic portrait of her life and mission.
Mother Teresa glows in a spotless white sari against jumbles of dim, run-down streets and impressionistically rendered inhabitants. Her slight, erect image anchors both the stately art and Helfand’s solemn account of her devotion to helping others, from childhood on. Mixing commentary with (invented but characteristic) dialogue, the author chronicles her compassionate works and, occasionally, captures just a hint of her strong personality too: “How much medicine do you need to purchase today, Mother Teresa?” a pharmacist asks. “Purchase? I thought you might want to do something beautiful for God.” Closing with her continuing progress toward formal sainthood and a spread of additional anecdotes, this account will leave readers deeply affected and perhaps even inspired by her profound devotion to the poor, ill and needy in India and the world.
“Why did she want to help? Why could she not turn a blind eye to those in need?” A searching and reverent treatment. (bibliography, foldout poster) (Graphic biography. 11-14)Pub Date: June 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-93-80028-70-5
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Campfire
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
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