“The Civil War: The American Civil War – 1861-1865,” edited by Rachir Shah, 2007, EZ Comics, $6.95, softbound, 33 pages: This graphic tale begins with a brief summary of the U.S. Civil War, with a startlingly red depiction of Fort Sumter being bombed by the Confederate. It then moves to a seven-page history of the events leading to the war. This is an essential part of understanding the conflict, as it helps the student understand why it was fought. Even something as seemingly innocent – not to mention useful – as the cotton gin played a part in the background of both slavery and the Civil War, and this comic makes proper note of that fact.
Dialogue is added, which sometimes gives the reader insight into the people or the situation being explored. Robert E. Lee is shown during the moment he makes his decision to accept command of the Confederate Army. We see a fight erupting at an Alexandria hotel; the frustration of the Union Army over Gen. McClellan’s failure to act is depicted; and a pair of Union soldiers discuss the number of men they’ve lost, and the fact that Lee was taking command of the Southern forces.
The dialogue in no way overshadows the history, however. Instead, it simply enhances it. With concise, to-the-point sentences, the narrative takes the reader through every major incident in the war, from the freeing of the slaves to the difficulties of “Mud March”(an attack that was planned on the Confederates, and which was stopped by mud so deep that the horses and wagons sank), and the shooting of Gen. Jackson by his own troops.
The artwork is, overall, quite good. Depictions of historical figures look like their photographs, and even nameless characters have individual features and outfits.
The coloring looks to have been done with an airbrush and makes for smooth shading and some realistic skies. Unfortunately, it seems that transferring the artist’s images to book form somehow distorted some of the pictures, because a few look a bit stretched out of shape or flat.
Considering this is a book about a war, there’s surprisingly little bloodshed shown – soldiers die, but are mostly drawn without the gore one associates with battle.
Note: Despite the general lack of gore, there are a couple of disturbing scenes, one a hanging, the other a hanging and burning.
Lee’s take: Makes learning less of a chore.
J.J.’s take: Helps bring history to life.
LEE AND J.J. MACFADDEN are twins and voracious readers living in Bristol Tennessee. E-mail them at leeandjj.doubletake@yahoo.com.
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