Antarctic Press/ROK Comics 2019
Written by Matthew Spradlin
Illustrated by William Allan Reyes
Coloured by Archie Van Buren
Takahiro and Yabu are struggling to make it out of the Ramree swamp alive. A deadly crocodile awaits in front of them; the remaining Japanese troops (lead by their blood thirsty commanding officer) are behind them. The ghosts of Nanking have truly come to collect their due. And even if the two friends make it out, what awaits them on the other side?
I am such a huge fan of this book. These guys have taken a true event, scaled it down to fit into a comic book and successfully introduced the world to an event that they have more than likely never heard of before. That's really the kicker really here isn't it, these are what allied forces facing the Japanese in a place and time that the Western (okay more than likely just American) schools just don't teach. I think that what I see within these pages while having had liberties taken aptly demonstrates how it is possible that something like what happens here is considered supernatural in nature.
The way that this is being told is incredible. The story & plot development alongside the character development that we are seeing here is beyond what I could have hoped for. That we are able to see such characterisation and how we are able to really get to know these men on such a level really is extraordinary. They manage to really make the story what it is and strong and powerfully believable as it is, which considering the base in reality makes it doubly amazing. So with the way we see the pacing picking thing and moving them along like it does we get a right proper ebb & flow to the book.
That Matthew manages to make this fit into three issues is utterly amazing to witness. I would have thought it needed more than that to tell effectively. Of course what do I know about all this, I can't write a proper story to save my life. So that I am this impressed with what I am seeing from my point of view well let's just say that this really does stand head and shoulders above what we normally see. When I tell you that you should be finding these stories and these companies I do so for a reason because I am beyond a shadow of a doubt genuinely impressed with the level and quality of storytelling.
The interiors here are bloody marvellous to see. The way that we see the linework being utilised through it's varying weights to create this attention to detail is seriously amazing. That along with how we see the composition inside the panels is genius! The way that William manages to show us depth perception through foregrounds and backgrounds, body proportions and angles and perspective really is beyond what we should expect. Plus the colour work is amazing and how we see the light source utilised to create shading and shadows is superbly done. The hues and tones in the colour we see is beautiful and rendered perfectly. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show this a stellar eye for storytelling.
I firmly believe that you need to start reading books you normally wouldn't. Pick a book from a company you've never read before stop being a baby afraid to try something new. For starters order this trade, history aside this is one of the most well told and beautifully done series that is far too short and makes me with to see so much more from this creative team. Beautifully blended history into a story that could be as much fiction as reality, after all reality is stranger than fiction in the end.