The Good
If you like war stories set in Vietnam, then this is a book you will definitely want to pick up. Make no mistake, this is a mature title. From the language to the level of violence -- but it is really good. The story opens by giving the reader some background on the central protagonist's family, and the first few panels are told from the perspective of that character whilst on the battlefront, fighting in the war. The scene quickly shifts and brings the reader to the battlefront. The language is vulgar, but it's war-time talk; soldiers talking to one another; teasing. It's actually a great scene and it really helps suck you into the story.
I think what really impressed me about this issue is the pacing. The shifts came at the perfect time. Just when you start getting settled into a scene, it takes a major turn for the exciting. It's definitely a book that will keep you at the edge of your seat. One minute you read and think it's another war story, and the next you realize that it is much more mysterious and mystical than all of that.
The Bad
I am personally not into a lot of war stories but this one really impressed me. I really liked it a lot.
The Verdict
There is so much going on in this story that we don't know yet, and that's essentially what made the reading experience so interesting. The ending is indicative of the fact that there are things going on; underlying themes in this book that still need to be expounded upon. The art was also really, really good. As violent and gory as it was, I think artist Nelson Daniel did a great job depicting the eeriness, gore and suspense on the expressions of the characters in this story and throughout the story itself. Although the setting is 1969 in a war ridden territory, this is more of a superhero story; although we don't know hows quite yet. Very rarely do we see superhero books or books that feature special objects with mystical properties start out this way, so it will be interesting to see how the story moves forward and evolves.
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