Every picture tells a story, but whose? In American war comics, the answer was once predictable: Sergeant Rock's perspective long sufficed. No longer. Today's military comics exhibit much greater diversity. A case in point is The 'Stan, one of the inaugural run of comic books published by Dead Reckoning, the new graphic novel imprint of the Naval Institute Press, which seeks ‘to make military themed comics a vibrant genre again and to introduce a whole new generation of graphic novel readers to the power of these stories.’” —Michigan War Studies Review “The stories in this book are an accurate depiction of U.S. Military intervention in Afghanistan…. Digesting history through an animated style of narration lightens the task of reading history, it adds color (literally) to learning through storytelling. These drawings will capture your imagination so much more than words alone. It leaves the reader with a broad perspective of America’s longest war in less than two hours of reading.” —Naval Historical Foundation “The American involvement in Afghanistan has been documented in many ways but this book, a collection of short stories, re-told by two journalists, Kevin Knodell and David Axe, is unusual in that they are in ‘comic strip’ form. There are 17 individual stories ... all interesting and brought to life by illustrator Blue Delliquanti. There are stories from US military personnel, Taliban fighters and Afghan National Army soldiers. It is an enjoyable book and offers a unique insight into the conflict and those involved in it.” —Gun Mart “Delliquanti’s cartoonish style is just detailed enough as not to overshadow the magnitude of the stories, giving unique expressions to faces while simplifying the imagery for any reader to understand. The result is accessible to military and human-interest readers who might be new to comics. Based on on-the-ground reporting by Knodell and Axe, this realistic view of an ongoing conflict, rendered in a casual yet powerful voice, not only acts as a necessary record of experiences and sacrifice but as a humble thanks to all those who have lived—or are still living—through them.” —Publisher's Weekly “Graphic journalism at its best!…. [The ‘Stan] is a fantastic read for those who like military stories, who want real military stories, [and] who care about what’s really going on in the world.” —Graphic Policy “An acceptable, if not breathtaking, product…. The ‘Stan represents a notable effort." —Naval War College Review “The 'Stan is a full-color, graphic novel anthology of true stories that took place during the first decade of U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan (America's longest war). The stories come from a diversity of perspectives, including those of Afghan and U.S. Army soldiers, as well as a Taliban ambassador and others. The 'Stan respects the extreme difficulties faced both by soldiers in American Afghanistan, and the civilians in a land torn apart by war. Highly recommended.” —The Midwest Book Review “The ‘Stan is a page-turning book for military enthusiasts and comic readers-alike. Sit back and relax and be taken into a powerfully charged ride filled with action, emotion, fear. This is more than a comic book, this is a visual and candid journey of life, fear, bravery, conflict.” —ComicScene UK “As a former war correspondent and author of a previous graphic novel about his experiences, Axe admits to mixed feelings over the possibility of America's troop removal…. Such profound ambivalence runs through these stories, presented in collaboration with journalist Knodell and artist Delliquanti, whose bold colors bring a vividness reminiscent of pop art to the murkiness of the conflict.... There are no larger truths to be found in this brief graphic narrative, and perhaps there will never be. These comics do not depict a faceless enemy, but they suggest compassion, bravery, and even heroism despite the absurdities of a war with no purpose and seemingly no end.” —Kirkus Reviews “Delliquanti preserved the interview format by showing some of the interviewees telling their stories out of uniform.” —Comicon.com “The ‘Stan is a graphic novel recounting a series of seventeen snapshot accounts of the war in Afghanistan. Each is told from the perspective of a different person, be they soldier or civilian, who lived and fought there in the last decade and a half…. The emotional weight and sharp perspective that each story is able to bring with such an economy of words and images are impressive…. When reading these stories, stories with which many of us are now familiar, there’s an interesting way in which the illustrations and graphic-novel format make them feel different, and, perhaps unexpectedly, more poignant. The degree of separation the illustrated representation of the people and places depicted affords the reader a new way to approach them, allowing a certain freedom from the associations and baggage that now accompany images and stories we now believe we understand. Much like Art Speigelman’s Maus was able to represent the Holocaust in a brand new way, free from the limitations borne by that event’s ubiquity, The ‘Stan allows you to genuinely absorb the humanity of the people in it, both of those fighting and of those simply trying to live. And it allows you to do so in ways you don’t expect and didn’t realize you needed. [We] strongly recommend The ‘Stan ... because we all need to find ways of re-imagining this very powerful thing to which our familiarity has hardened us.” —Manhattan Book Review "Based on on-the-ground reporting by Knodell and Axe, this realistic view of an ongoing conflict, rendered in a casual yet powerful voice, not only acts as a necessary record of experiences and sacrifice but as a humble thanks to all those who have lived¬¬—or are still living—through them."—Publishers Weekly “All 17 essays … are vibrant and compelling. They are not just stories of the ‘default’ idea of hardened men at war—choking down MREs and slinging language that would make your mother blush—but also stories of refugees and stories of civilian victims…. Each story will leave you with needed perspective, and importantly, empathy for the other.” —Collateral
11/01/2018
Made up of brief vignettes, this graphic novel tells the story of the war in Afghanistan from many perspectives. Journalists Axe and Knodell have collected 17 accounts of real people, including a Taliban ambassador to Pakistan held at Guantanamo Bay, several U.S. and Afghan military personnel, and an Afghan interpreter whose family became refugees because of threats that resulted from his work with the U.S. Marines. From the aftermath of September 11 to the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on returning soldiers, this volume gives a glimpse into the humanity of people on multiple sides of the conflict. Rather than focusing on the politics of big picture policies and casualty numbers, these powerful narratives explore the war's impact on individuals. Delliquanti's illustrations effectively convey the setting and the emotional resonance of each scene using clear lines and muted tones. VERDICT A unique work that will help teens understand some of the nuances behind the headlines.—Sarah Reid, Four County Library System, NY
2018-05-28
A series of journalistic vignettes from the war that threatens to last forever.As America's involvement in Afghanistan extends toward (and past?) two decades, the challenge of coming to terms with it grows tougher than ever. In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, some wondered whether it would ever inspire great literature, as the two world wars had, or whether we were too close to it to see it clearly. With Afghanistan, it is even harder to find meaning or significance while the U.S. remains entrenched, despite promises from presidents and candidates for a deadline on such involvement. As a former war correspondent and author of a previous graphic novel about his experiences (War Is Boring, 2010), Axe admits to mixed feelings over the possibility of America's troop removal. "In my selfishness, I feared losing my easy access—via the U.S. Military—to Afghanistan's most dangerous districts," he writes. "The war had defined my young adulthood. The closer it came to killing me, the deeper my connection with the conflict. For better or worse, the Afghanistan war had made me who I was and am. I treasured that." Such profound ambivalence runs through these stories, presented in collaboration with journalist Knodell and artist Delliquanti (O Human Star Volume Two, 2017), whose bold colors bring a vividness reminiscent of pop art to the murkiness of the conflict. Reportage and reflections from a variety of perspectives suggest that the American soldiers have no idea of what they're doing there or how best to fight an enemy that is indistinguishable by uniform. Those who live in Afghanistan fear the Americans and the Taliban alike while knowing that war will persist and nothing significant will change even if America withdraws its troops.There are no larger truths to be found in this brief graphic narrative, and perhaps there will never be. These comics do not depict a faceless enemy, but they suggest compassion, bravery, and even heroism despite the absurdities of a war with no purpose and seemingly no end.
