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MWSA Review
FULL MAG: Veteran Stories Illustrated is an innovative blend of text and art in the style of classic Sgt Rock-style comic books, but raised to a level of accomplishment previously unseen. In nine stories told by the people who lived them, we read of military exploits from World War II to Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The stories are bridged by a rather mysterious Narrator who eases the transition between eras and introduces the succeeding stories.
In vividly rendered art, sometimes black and white, sometimes full color, FULL MAG's artists, letterers, and colorists reimagine the author's take in words and especially art to produce classic comic book-style panels bursting through their margins with colorful explosions, screaming soldiers, and roaring fighter jets—even those traditional sound effects (KA-BOOM!) as the bombs and IEDs go off.
As a retired Navy CPO, I was particularly drawn to “Seafloat,” the story of a Navy riverine boat crew in Vietnam. The artwork is superlative and drew me into the narrative, and it even included a photograph of the boat crewmen included in the story. As we say in the Navy, BZ—well done.
In that same story is a powerful, high-action rendering of F-4 Phantom II fighter-bombers pulling out of a bomb run after dropping napalm on enemy forces. You can almost smell the JP4 fumes from the howling engines and feel the concussion of the fiery explosions. This sort of kinetic engagement occurs throughout the magazine.
Though a graphic novel—a “comic book”—FULL MAG also addresses the very serious topics of PTSD and prospective veteran suicides in a story (“In a Baghdad Instant”) by a female vet. She discusses her struggles with PTSD and thoughts of self-destruction traced to a closed-head injury, and gives props to the VA for her treatment and eventual recovery.
FULL MAG is a terrific read, a terrific graphic novel, and a terrific tribute to the men and women of the armed forces. Strongly recommended.
Review by Daniel Charles Ross (April 2020)
Author's Synopsis
Full Mag: Veteran Stories Illustrated, Vol. 2 is a unique veteran history project in graphic novel form. Full Mag presents the stories of our veterans in their own words with illustrations in sequential graphic art. Every story presented is the result of an interview by our team or the written contribution of the veteran specifically for Full Mag. This volume includes first-person accounts from Operation Market Garden and the Waal river crossing, the Battle of Okinawa, the liberation of the Philippines, stories from Vietnam include "Phu Bai Intersect", "Plain of Reeds", and "Seafloat" and stories from OEF/OIF include "In a Baghdad Instant" and the conclusion of "Hidden Valor". These are stories that can only be told by those who experienced the events themselves. The team of artists include both established pros and emerging talent and several of the artists are veterans themselves. Full Mag provides a unique platform for veterans to tell their stories while simultaneously allowing artists to honor these warriors through the application of their skills as cultures have done since the dawn of mankind. This 84-page perfect bound, magazine sized, graphic novel volume is a publication unlike any other. Printed in the USA on 80# high quality paper.
ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-578-43002-7
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Artistic—Graphical Novel/Comic Book
Number of Pages: 84