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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"This is an immensely brave, intelligent and ruthless piece of work. You need to read it." -- Warren Ellis
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format: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!
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Jason Bean
Format: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.
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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
This was a bit of a surprise
I did not know that this was a re-imagining of an older DC character when I first read through this book but that point did not matter much as this trade collects the first 6... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Sibelius
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling; a random issue does not do it justice
Some books you know from a random issue; not this one. It takes reading a full arc to understand the beauty and horror of this series. Read more
Published on October 26, 2010 by Legal Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unknown Soldier Vol. 1: Haunted House by Joshua Dysart and Alberto...
To pigeonhole a book like Unknown Soldier as dark and violent from the outset would seem a normal reaction after reading the pieces of praise given by various websites, and the... Read more
Published on April 14, 2010 by Cai Yixin Jeremy
5.0 out of 5 stars
A mature good read
An excellent story. The drawings are good, but the content and accurate details of the story are what make the book excellent. Read more
Published on January 21, 2010 by F. Loucks
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good, mature Vertigo read
I'll start this out by saying I am a huge fan of what DC is doing with its Vertigo line of comics. They help fill a gap in market that Marvel and DC proper are missing. Read more
Published on October 9, 2009 by Jordan Wiedbusch
5.0 out of 5 stars
this series is excellent.
it's didactic but it has to be. context is very important here.
the characters are believable. the subject is compelling. the storytelling is well done. Read more
the characters are believable. the subject is compelling. the storytelling is well done. Read more
Published on September 20, 2009 by Ned D. Okra IV
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overly Didactic
Being a comics fan for many years, I'd read and enjoyed previous stories involving DC Comics' "Unknown Soldier," but did not pick up the new Vertigo version when it started... Read more
Published on September 5, 2009 by F. Averick
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