The 'Stan

July 2, 2018
This candid anthology collects stories told by American and Afghan soldiers that shine an honest light on a war that has spanned two decades. The colorful illustrated narratives, often showing the subjects looking straight “into the camera,” have the intimacy of documentary interviews, sharing the mental and emotional impacts of war that often go unreported. “Afghanistan has long known war. Afghanistan long will know war,” Axe writes in his preface. Stories like “Winter in Korengal” and “Left Behind” build empathetic human portraits, even as they render contrasting viewpoints about the kindness of Afghan civilians to the American soldiers and the repercussions of willingly aiding American troops. 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.

November 1, 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

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2018
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.

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