Customer Reviews

Combat Zone: True Tales of GIs in Iraq

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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this because of the positive reviews and because it sounded like it might be pretty good. It's not. The drawings are well-done. Beyond that, this could easily have been written during the WWII Africa campaign with a few updates on weapons and jargon.

All the sterotypes are here. There's Duhon, the dumb but friendly Southerner, Kulzinski, the brawny Pole, Dean, the third-generation Army brat, Marco, the tough Texan, Gordon, the wet-behind-the-ears Lieutenant, and Brown, the token black. I'm pretty sure I've seen all these guys in a John Wayne movie or three. Oh, right, Wayne's there too, playing the cowboy sharpshooter.

The dialogue is wordy, freighted with needless backfill, and just plain corny. Here are a couple of example quotes:

Lt. Gordon: "I know we're still in shock over losing Sgt. Kramer. But we've got a job to do. Now I know I'm just a kid out of college, and that my joining the Army to try to make the world safer may seem a little goofy to you. But we all agree we have to succeed here."

Capt. Kirkwood: "There's a good chance one of those cavalry gun trucks could get ambushed and pinned down. If that happens, I want you to treat it like a downed helicopter, understand? We are not going to lose another one of those men. You drop everything until those soldiers are saved. That's what we do for other Americans who risk their lives with us."

One unintentionally funny scene has Gen. Swank deciding how to handle his current problem: he needs to assasinate some local Baathist leaders. He decides that the Air Force's "just drop a big bomb on them" solution is too messy; he opts instead to do it his way, the Army way. No one is stupid (or gutsy) enough to stand up and say that Swank's hare-brained Plan B--to use noisy Army helicopters firing Hellfire missiles as snipers--probably won't work. When the plan does indeed go awry, an underling is quick to point out that while the Air Force option would have gotten the job done, Swank still made the right decision.

This was a fresh surprise. A gritty, realistic take, so different from the "fantasy" themes I've grown sick of in comics. This is full of human beings and jokes and frustrating dilemmas and sadness and triumphs. No robots!

I've been waiting for the war on terror, which has changed our lives so much, to trickle down into the world of storytelling and entertainment. Have been surprised how little has appeared before now. So kudos to Marvel for taking a chance on something very different from today's usual comic book and graphic novel format.

This works. It's not like anything else out there. It put me in Iraq, on battlefields, with soldiers and mind-boggling problems. And tension! It made me see angles I had never expected.

The relaxed calm and humor of these fighters surprised me, but it rings true. And the "enemy" are given credit, and even some sympathy.

Many techy details are very cool and well researched. I thought I could find mistakes in the uniforms, weapons, etc. But I've read three times now, and found nothing yet except one dorky small set of night vision goggles. Details are excellent, believable, and by all appearances accurate.

Wish the faces were more distinct, however. There are about 8-10 guys you care about, and in places it is hard to tell some apart. Partly that's a function of everybody wearing the same uniforms, helmets, etc. But stronger and more consistent portraits would have helped.

Other than that, I loved it. I've got images stuck in my mind from the helicopter attack, bridge fight, some of the buddy lines.

This is a very unusual comic, one that stands out from pack like nothing else I can think of right now. I should probably shut up and keep this to myself, because this will be highly collectible.

First off, let me just say that as a proud parent of a Paratrooper who has been a part of this historic war so far,I am thrilled at the job that Karl Zinsmeister and the folks at Marvel have done to bring the 82nds story with actual accounts of what they went through, to life via this comic novel. I recalled as I read the stories, of what my soldier had said happened and this brought some life to those battles.
Those that are expecting a normal comic will be disappointed, this is not an "Archie" comic book full of laughs. It is a real account of what took place during the first part of Iraqi Freedom. Thank you Karl Z. and Marvel.
Job well done!!

One point the reviews of this comic seem to have missed, or avoided, is that the author Karl Zinsmeister is in fact Domestic Policy Advisor to one George W. Bush. Take it as you wish -- interesting factoid or evidence of bias. But it should be disclosed.

If you're looking for a grown up comic novel, one with real character development, believable dialogue, a positive take on humanity, sincere moral dilemmas, gradually accumulating tension, and lots of realistic details of combat, look no further. In case you are not a regular to contemporary "graphic novels" (as book-length comics are now called--a little pretentiously, in opinion) these are not common features of the genre. So I found this very refreshing, and quite interesting as a document that rings very true, at the same time that it runs counter to much of the conventional wisdom we hear on the news. The story builds gradually, with plenty of time for real human details to emerge in everyday dialogue, jokes, and intimate discussions between soldiers. And having the highly detailed artwork right there with the realistic daily soldier talk really formed a full picture in my mind. Strangely, I got a better sense here of what the actual work of an infantryman in Iraq is like today than in any of my non-fiction reading. Highly recommended.

I anxiously awaited the release of Combat Zone from the time it was announced as a mini-series from Marvel. Having enmeshed myself in historically based comics, I was eager to see how a true to life event would be treated. After waiting, and paying for the bound five part series, I was left with mixed feelings. Mr. Zinsmeister has attempted to collect his experiences from Boots on the Ground, but it was a bit flat. I found myself wanting something that the comic wasn't offering. It is too bad.
Was it worth the wait? Yes and no. From a teaching standpoint, it would draw people (especially younger readers) in, and could serve as a springboard for further discussion. For a comic that has a more emotional kick, I would suggest that one try to obtain a copy of Joe Sacco's vignette Complacency Kills, which was featured in the Guardian.

All of Karl's books are great and true to life, but this one was different as a comic. It still gives the real picture but in a different atmosphere. My husband, who was there when he wrote his first book on the 82nd, loved it even though he tends not to like documentaries on what he was a part of because they don't tell the truth.

Combat Zone is groundbreaking in the comic book industry today. After September 11th we were confronted with a plethora of polemics - comic books that sent a cynical message of appeasement, featuring a host of trite images hostile to the United States - including senior military officers portrayed as stupid belligerent bullies, government officials as evil masterminds, comic book iconic heroes spouting pacifist anti-war platitudes, and storylines slandering America's past and present. Some, published by major publishers, even went so far as to equate America's actions with those of Nazi Germany. In striking contrast to comic book tradition, we saw virtually no comic books supportive of the war effort or that portrayed our senior military in a positive light. I've personally addressed this issue in several articles.

Now, with Karl Zinsmeister's work, we see a comic that realistically portrays senior military officers and the soldiers serving on the ground. Zinsmeister explores their motivations for wanting to confront an evil adversary, their dedication, their dreams, their courage - and their willingness to endanger their own lives to minimize civilian casualties. In short, it presents these brave men and women are the true heroes they are.

This storyline does not glorify the war. However, it does give us a snapshot into the real experiences of soldiers on the ground, portrayed as real human beings, and not as comic book stick figures. The story is compelling because the characters are real.

The ring of truth in this comic book is truly refreshing today. The artwork is dynamic and powerful. For anyone who is into contemporary comic books, whether you agree or disagree with Zinsmeister's point of view, this is a must buy to add to your collection. And for those who aren't into comic books - read it anyway, and share it with others. It's a real page turner, engaging, a blast to read. Buy it and share it. You won't be disappointed.

Marvel deserves credit for bucking the trend in the industry, and in many of its past comics, by publishing Combat Zone: True Tales of GI's in Iraq.

Pundits expecting Combat Zone: True Tales of GIs in Iraq to be a right-wing smart bomb directed at the hearts and minds of conservative-leaning comics fans can rest easy, as whatever value it may have in that regard is severely undermined by the fact that its one of the most boring comics I've ever read. A dud, literally and figuratively.

Originally solicited last November as a five-issue mini-series, it inadvertently became Marvel's first original graphic novel in ages when it ran into multiple delays, a combination of rumored difficulties finding an artist for the "controversial" story and, presumably, low pre-orders. War comics are a tough sell in general, but coupled with the taint of right-wing propagandist, Karl Zinsmeister, editor-in-chief of The American Enterprise, it seems Combat Zone was DOA and Marvel is now simply cutting their losses with this release.

Supposedly depicting "real-life accounts" of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne during the opening days of the war in Iraq, Zinsmeister opts to change names and combine events "for a more condensed read," undermining the credibility of the "True Tales" aspect of the story. It's similar in intent to what the Army did with the initial story of Jessica Lynch's capture and rescue - dutifully regurgita..., I mean, reported by the embedded journalists covering the war - except he fails to deliver any of that ultimately discredited fable's emotional impact. Whereas Lynch's experience was a great story because of who she was and how she handled things, especially in helping the whole truth come out, there's not a single three-dimensional character in Zinsmeister's collection of cardboard ciphers for the reader to care about. As a result, the difficult decisions, heroic actions and tragic casualties all ring hollow, feeling too much like plot points in a low-budget, by-the-numbers Hollywood movie. "True Tales" or not, without an emotional center to ground things, he ends up with a disappointingly shallow effort that's a disservice to the men and women he's attempting to represent, seemingly much more focused on hammering home the point that America plays by the rules and the Iraqis don't, and showing off our technological superiority.

Dan Jurgens offers Zinsmeister little help on the visual side of things, seemingly phoning it in with little effort put towards distinctive, or even consistent, character designs, making the "Cast of Characters" roll call at the beginning of the story all but useless. His page layouts are relatively static, rarely varying his camera angles, especially in the many panels of clumsy exposition, though in his defense, Zinsmeister doesn't give him a lot to work with.

Whatever side of the ideological fence you may be on, there is some great story-telling potential in the concept, True Tales of GIs in Iraq. Unfortunately, whatever Zinsmeister's talents may be as a journalist, they do not translate into compelling sequential art. Taken at its word, the back cover's hyperbolic blurb - "Combat comics are taken to a whole new level!" - suggests Zinsmeister may be the first writer to achieve boring and unnecessary in the genre. If Marvel's intent behind this series was to show support for our troops, they'd have been better off making a donation equal to its production costs to a charitable organization like No Greater Love instead. Same goes for anyone considering dropping $19.95 for Combat Zone; put your money to better use.