Gettysburg : The Graphic History by Wayne Vansant Book Review

Wayne Vansant’s latest graphic history concentrates on the major military events leading up to and including the turning point of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg. As with his previous book Normandy, Vasant presents a detailed, balanced account accompanied by 400 vivid color illustrations in a 96 page graphic novel format.

The brutality of American fighting American in the downhill bayonet charge at Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, the Wheat Field, Peach Orchard and the infantry assault known as Pickett’s Charge at Cemetery Ridge on the final day of the battle on July 3, 1863 is told with a descriptive, historically accurate narrative with artwork that illustrates the grim reality of death on the battlefield.

Key figures such as Medal of Honor recipient Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain, Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee, Confederate General James Longstreet and victorious Union General George Meade are highlighted by accomplished writer and artist Vasant. Maps of key battle plans on both sides add to the interest and President Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address speech serves as a fitting conclusion.

This book will be of interest to anyone seeking a greater understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg and also serves as an excellent introduction for youngsters with its mix of historical text and graphic imagery. Vansant uses a scratchy ink line and sketchy style to convey action in an effective manner.

One is left with the impression that the outcome and history of the United States could have taken a different route had General Lee taken the advice of General Longstreet not to attack from Culp’s Hill on that fateful final day at Gettysburg.

Available March 2013 in softcover and as an e-book by Zenith Press. Thanks to Nichole Schiele at Quayside Publications.

Review copyright Paul Green 2013.

Pariah, Missouri Graphic Novel

1857. Pariah, Missouri is a riverboat boom-town and a haven for the unscrupulous. The charismatic Hy Buchanan works undercover as a foppish cheat, and creates a rag-tag team to ferret out evil, both the corruption of man and the supernatural. His first challenge is the arrival of a duo of thespians, whose intentions are not to entertain.

Pariah Missouri is a western with a supernatural twist that leans on mysticism and folk-magic.

“Our first story will be four 22-page issues. This Kickstarter campaign focuses on the production of the first two issues printed as one double-sized issue (~50 pages). Currently issue one is completed and we are in the middle of finishing issue two, which is on schedule for the end of December. After this campaign, the team is scheduled to complete issues three and four by spring of 2013 and begin additional story lines in Pariah. This is more than one story, this is the beginning of a rich world that is being created, and YOU get to be a part of it!” – Creator and writer Andres Salazar.

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects. Everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology that are brought to life through the direct support of others.

Free 20 page PREVIEW available by clicking on this link.

“Normandy : A Graphic History of D-Day” by Wayne Vansant Book Review

On Veteran’s Day I’m expanding beyond the normal genre limits of Weird Westerns to talk about a new graphic novel by writer and artist Wayne Vansant, who is best known to comic book fans for his five-year stint on Marvel’s The ‘Nam. His latest work is a 96 page full-color graphic novel depicting events covering the D-Day landings on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches and the Allied liberation of Europe.

Vansant has done an outstanding job detailing the major events of the Allied success in Normandy from June 6 to August 25, 1944. It is no glorified depiction but a realistic and historically accurate portrayal of the hardships faced by the American, British, Canadian, Polish and French in their battle against the Nazis.

 

Major battles included the capture of the French port of Cherbourg, the town of Saint-Lô and the city of Caen against the resistance of the fanatical and ruthless “Hitler Youth Division.” Following three months of warfare 50,000 German troops had been killed, 200,000 troops captured and Paris liberated. But it came at a great cost to the Allied forces and the local French towns, villages and inhabitants.

 

Vasant recalls the historic events with text accompanying each illustration rather than dialogue. There is no dramatizing of events but facts. His graphic style adopts a sketchy, dynamic line that adds to the subject matter. There are heroics but also tragedy and no single country is portrayed as being more heroic than another. It is a sober approach to be commended. This is a perfect introduction for youngsters to the historic events of Operation Overlord and a reminder of the sacrifices of the the World War II generation that ensured freedom for future generations.

  

Published by Zenith Press September 2012. Review copyright Paul Green 2012.

 

Escape To Gold Mountain : Graphic Novel Review

Escape To Gold Mountain by David H. T. Wong chronicles the history of the Wong family from 1835 to the present day and in the process presents a history of the struggles, injustices, prejudices and cruelty toward the Chinese in America and Canada. We all know about the Chinese railroad workers in the Old West but the part the governments of America and Canada played in exploiting the Chinese for labor and taxes yet granting them no rights is often ignored today.

Wong’s graphic novel is an introduction to complex issues ranging from subjugation, discrimination, the head tax that charged individuals up to $500 for entering America and the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act that forbid the Chinese to emigrate to America. Meanwhile the Chinese were victims of racial hatred resulting in death from lynchings and shootings and the burning down of Chinatown in Tacoma, Washington in 1885. The local populace accused the Chinese of “stealing our jobs” when the truth of the matter was they were working for the lowest possible wages. When the Chinese moved north to British Columbia they encountered familiar hostility from both the “red hairs” and government who imitated America’s earlier actions with the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 that barred the Chinese from entering Canada.

Despite numerous obstacles the Wong family perservered with the help of strong family bonds that offered emotional support in times of economic hardship. The search for “Gold Mountain” (North America) for Chinese immigrants was only achieved in spite of government intervention that blocked their efforts to succeed. It was only in the post-WWII years that they finally saw real political progreess being made.

David Wong has written and illustrated an excellent debut graphic novel. His simple artwork style is effective in conveying the plight of the Chinese immigrants and his text encourages further detailed study of complex issues. This isn’t a Weird Western but the real life horrors endured by the Chinese are nore frightening than any zombie or ghost terrorizing the Old West.

“Copyright Arsenal Pulp Press, 2012. Escape to Gold Mountain: A Graphic History of the Chinese in North America. Art and text by David H.T. Wong.” Publication:  November 2012.

Review copyright Paul Green 2012.

John Carter, Warlord of Mars : New Marvel adaptation

“John Carter, Warlord of Mars,” by Edgar Rice Burroughs is being adapted by Marvel Entertainment for a five-issue mini-series in September. Marvel will eventually release all ten novels in the graphic novel format. Marvel previously adapted the novel in a 10 issue mini-series published 1977-78.

Burrough’s original John Carter story, serialized as ’Under The Moons Of Mars” (1912) was rooted in a traditional Western theme.

“On March 3, 1866, Powell and I packed his provisions on two of our burros, and bidding me good-bye he mounted his horse, and started down the mountainside toward the valley, across which led the first stage of his journey.

The morning of Powell’s departure was, like nearly all Arizona mornings, clear and beautiful; I could see him and his little pack animals picking their way down the mountainside toward the valley, and all during the morning I would catch occasional glimpses of them as they topped a hog back or came out upon a level plateau. My last sight of Powell was about three in the afternoon as he entered the shadows of the range on the opposite side of the valley.

Some half hour later I happened to glance casually across the valley and was much surprised to note three little dots in about the same place I had last seen my friend and his two pack animals. I am not given to needless worrying, but the more I tried to convince myself that all was well with Powell, and that the dots I had seen on his trail were antelope or wild horses, the less I was able to assure myself.

Since we had entered the territory we had not seen a hostile Indian, and we had, therefore, become careless in the extreme, and were wont to ridicule the stories we had heard of the great numbers of these vicious marauders that were supposed to haunt the trails, taking their toll in lives and torture of every white party which fell into their merciless clutches.

Powell, I knew, was well armed and, further, an experienced Indian fighter; but I too had lived and fought for years among the Sioux in the North, and I knew that his chances were small against a party of cunning trailing Apaches. Finally I could endure the suspense no longer, and, arming myself with my two Colt revolvers and a carbine, I strapped two belts of cartridges about me and catching my saddle horse, started down the trail taken by Powell in the morning.”

Artwork copyright Marvel Entertainment/Associated Press 2011. All rights reserved.