Written and Illustrated by Josh Neufeld
Published by Pantheon Graphic Library
I have to say, this is truly a remarkable piece of work.
The writer and artist Josh Neufeld does a hell of a job on this, and the documentary nature of this work is exemplary. This work was originally published as a web comic on the defunct online magazine called Smith.
It is a comic that explores what happened to six different individuals in New Orleans in the days before Hurricane Katrina.
It shows what happened during the storm. It also shows what happens after the storm and how the people in the center of it dealt with their new set of circumstances.
In a sense, it is very hard to review a book like this.
The real life events make it tough. But Neufeld is an ace biographer. He has illustrated American Splendor before this and his time on that comic have served him well on this one.
These stories are stories from real people. Neufeld got the profiles of his main characters from volunteering and blogging in the aftermath of the storm. The people in this book all have their quirks and Neufeld gives us a good look at all of them. The stories all have great impact as a result.
How do you make a decision about staying and evacuating?
I always wondered that myself. Yet, seeing these people being put through it, it was very relatable. That is because Neufeld makes all of the characters relatable. Their choices and their emotions are pretty much how any of us might react ins a similar event. And the events get more and more horrific as the graphic novel goes on and the impact is more deeply felt.
All of the characters decisions are influenced also by what the people around them are doing.
From politicians to police, we get to see them try to make informed decisions based on what is being said by the people around them. But we get to see that sometimes in these situations, that there is nothing you can do. Sometimes, the people in charge make decisions that can drastically affect your life. We get to see that happen a few times in the book and we get to see just how harrowing that can end up being for the characters.
One of the best and most baiting sequences, is when the Denise character witnesses a bunch of people taking over the Convention Center.
While these characters appear to be bad people from the looks of it, we find out that it is quite the opposite. They are actually trying to help people and it makes the sequence very moving and very sad. But it is memorable and it is something that I won’t soon forget. It is really that memorable I have to say.
Another character that I gravitated towards was Leo.
This is probably because his name is close to mine and he had a comic book collection that he lost in the event. By focusing on this, Neufeld made his story very relatable. These little human moments really are the best part of the book and really give the book incredible depth. It also shows humanity in a different way than I ever thought possible. It hits home in a way that I never would have expected it to.
Neufeld captures the nuance of it all in the most profound and mundane manner possible. The whole thing makes the reader feel like they are actually there, witnessing these incredibly crazy things happen. Yet, it is done in a very detailed and accessible way. It makes you feel like you are in the middle of the storm and aftermath with these characters. It makes us feel like we know the people involved. It makes us feel like it could very well be one of us. Because of that, this book is a dark triumph.
Josh Neufeld has created a book that everyone should read. It is a book that really goes for it and it makes the documentary style really work. I was floored by the end of it and sat thinking about for quite awhile. It is definitely a hard read for sure, but it is a masterpiece that will stick with me for a long time.
RATING: A
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