Oh btw, Kipp, took me a week haha, but I got to sit down and read all your thoughts on Unknown Soldier.I totally agree with quite a few points of your points about the strengths of the book and had to chime in. This might just seem like some scattershot thoughts, I basically made a few bullpoints as I read through your stuff that I wanted to agree/expand upon haha, so bear with it:
- Fuck yes, this book was well researched. Not only Dysart's own research but his choice of collaborator's and so on, this book is incredibly accurate and that's the terrifying thing. A lot of fiction in comics uuuusually tends to be real issues and themes explored through totally ficticious surroundings and events. In, 90% of what you're seeing is reality. And it's horrible, and it's cruel, and you desperately want to see more because there's that horrible gnawing feeling in your stomach that sadly most of what your seeing is legit. And despite him being a total psychopath, you want Unknown Soldier to succeed as a result, because you want some sort of justice for these people.
- And again that basis in reality, is what allows the book not to settle into just that one punisher type of story, there's areas of the story where the unknown soldier can melt away entirely. He's your in, but the book doesn't need him because for once there's something much more compelling here than that core mystery, despite the fact it ends up being a really great facet of the tale.
Finally, I love how much the book is about identity. Moses' identity, the people around him, almost you the readers; while you read the book, YOU are the unknown soldier, imagining a world where you could just do something about the horrible things you're reading about and know are very very accurate to real life. But when you put the book back down, you realise you really can't. That most people even if they wanted to do something about those issues, basically can't. And that is horrible. I wrote a few days ago that I almost don't believe in horror comics, because the medium just doesn't really suit horror, creepiness sure, but not really horror. I recant, because this book is horror. To know the tragedy of Moses, of his wife, of those children, and the real life reality that people are living and dying like that every day and we aren't superheroes and we can't just run out the door and do something about it. It's unsettling and it's what makes this book sit in your gut and stay with you. Dysart manages to play it off nicely at the end though and give you some sort of smile to go out on, but even then, right on that last page....well, US made a difference, but was it the right one? Even that last panel is unsettling.
Unknown Soldier can't be the book for everyone, it doesn't scratch that itch when you just want to pick up a comic after a long day and see some punches thrown, but in some ways the book is the quintessential superhero book. Guy puts on mask, fights for justice and here's what happens, warts and all. It can't be the book for everyone, but everyone owes it to themselves to read it. A true eye opening, exciting, educational mind blowing piece of fiction if there ever was one in comics.
