Welcome to Northern Uganda. In 2002, it's a place where tourists are hacked to death with machetes, 12-year-olds with AK-47s wage war, and celebrities futilely try to get people to care. Moses Lwanga is a pacifist doctor caught at the center. But when his life is threatened, Moses suddenly realizes he knows how to kill all too well. What is this voice telling him the only way to fix what's wrong with the country is by slaughtering those responsible? What is Moses' connection to another past bandagewrapped warrior?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hard-hitting but very engaging...,
By
This review is from: Unknown Soldier Vol. 1: Haunted House (Paperback)
I've just finished reading the first two trades of Unknown Soldier and must say I'm still very conflicted about this comic. On one hand I'm really getting sick of comics (particularly superhero comics) trying to address the serious issues of the REAL world using realistic violence and situations borderlining on tragedy porn. Apparently watching our favorite superhero's get raped, disemboweled, emotionally tortured or have to deal with child massacres became entertaining at some point. However this new version of Unknown Soldier never pretends to be set anywhere but the real world. It's also very well written and researched by writer Joshua Dysart.
Unknown Soldier is set in 2002 Uganda. It's protagonist is Dr. Moses Lwanga and he and his wife are on a peace-keeping mission. Through circumstances Moses is attacked and discovers he has combat abilities (ala the Bourne Identity) and proceeds to wage a one-man war against the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) and it's leader Joseph Kony. Along the way he discovers more and more the complexities of the situations in Uganda (political or otherwise) and how it effects the people who live there showing that these problems existed long before the LRA came into being. Unknown Soldier may sound like a simple action-adventure story but it's actually very heavy handed. Every action Moses takes has an impact and not just on the LRA. He kills alot of his enemies but there are always reprocussions. Also just like real life, the LRA fights alot of it's battles with child soldiers. In this comic you will see children kill adults and other children; as well as be killed by others (including Moses himself). Normally this would be enough reason NOT to read this comic but never once did I feel it was trying to be exploitive. Even when it seems the action is starting to get too stylish there's always something to remind you of how very real this world is. Watching someone get killed (bad guy or anyone else) is anything but fun and this comic knows it. Along with good writing is fantastic art by Alberto Ponticelli. Unknown Soldier is drawn very compitantly (great use of colors too) and helps ground the subject in reality. Obviously Unknown Soldier isn't for everyone; in fact I'm still debating if it's even for me. The story's very realistic and grim (though the second volume offers it's characters some glimpse of hope). The story is also very intelligent and doesn't feel like it's exploiting it's real world subject matter for the sake of entertainment like so many other comics these days (i.e. Iron Man, Green Arrow, the Ultimates and just about anything Garth Ennis writes). It even encouraged me to learn more about Uganda and it's history. For that alone I think Unknown Soldier is at least worth a look.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unknown Soldier-Volume 1,
By
This review is from: Unknown Soldier Vol. 1: Haunted House (Paperback)
This is an excellent and gutsy series. I completely disagree with the reviewer who finds the volume didactic. This volume takes place in AFRICA, the world's most conflicting place, with lots of geo-political intrigue and cultural self-sabotage. This book is VERY smart in it's presentation. This book is powerful on so many levels, and it's juxtapositions of ideas such as brutality and love are incredible. A warning- this book (which is full of child soldiers) contains some very dark truths and really leaves the reader thinking deeply about morality, hope, and the state of the world around us. Some may see the images in this book as pointless violence- but those people completely miss the point- and the point is that this book (like all great works) is a metaphor, and everyone on this planet is responsible for Africa and what happens there. Just as we are all responsible for each other in every capacity. It is our violence that gives rise to violence, and it is our compassion that gives rise to compassion, regardless of borders, money, or lifestyle. Great GREAT book!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Interesting Comic about a man in Uganda,
By
This review is from: Unknown Soldier Vol. 1: Haunted House (Paperback)
I came into this book with high expectations as I've read great reviews and I am very interested in stories about Africa. The comic does not disappoint. It is sad, scary, exciting and different. The story starts with an idealist, practical Ugandan doctor trying to help people in Northern Uganda. He is a pacifist and he is loved by the people he helps. Tragedy changes him into a soldier. This sounds like a ridiculous comic book cliché, a tragedy transforms a person into a vigilante, however the comic uses it in a new way. At almost every issue we get the notion that violence might be making things worse. The villains are monsters, but it is not clear whether violence is the way to stop them or if there's a peaceful solution. I really like that the comic keeps questioning whether violence is the way (something which comics usually take as the default answer). The art is very well done. Ponticelli does a fantastic job of making the world feel real. It is the part of the book that makes things scary, as the visceral images bring in an extra layer of terror. A very interesting story that makes you think of tough questions about life. I can't wait to read the next volume.
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