Marvano

The Forever War is about a soldier, drafted to fight in a war against an alien enemy. Since the war is being fought light years from earth, and since he is shipped out and returned to earth or other bases repeatedly and at relativistic speeds, his subjective time becomes seriously compressed relative to the passage of time on earth. With each return to earth or to a base, he is growingly out of touch with earth culture.

The metaphor is the VietNam War experience for US soldiers in the 60s and show more 70s, and the author, Joe Haldeman, was a VietNam Vet.

So far, so good, and interesting. And I did get into the book -- it was a fast, engaging read. But I don't think, beyond the mere fact of the VietNam metaphor, I am going to be thinking about this book a month from now. Haldeman's character is thin -- I don't feel like I knew him that well -- and, I suspect as a consequence, the disorientations he experiences just weren't that deep or detailed for me.

I understand there is a movie in the making. I'd see the movie, now that I've read the book. A good director might make something more of the book than my experience in reading it (the movie, for me at least, could actually be better than the book!).

The book won numerous awards for science fiction, so maybe others saw something I didn't. show less

It's almost exactly the same book as Starship Troopers, but still good. A rip-roaring read, plus bonus points for considering the effects of relativistic time dilation on interstellar war. Crikey.

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The Jewish Brigade #1 by Marvano is a European comic book taking place during World War II. Marvano is a comic book artist from Belgium.

Ari and Leslie, two soldiers in the Jewish Brigade, are riding on a jeep through Italy looking for survivors and hunting Nazis, dispensing justice on the spot. The two soldiers discover that the plight of the Jewish people was not over when the Nazis were soundly beaten, but have show more shifted inland. Europe was still dangerous to the Jews.

The Jewish Brigade #1 by Marvano is the first of a three part series taking place in 1945. The soldiers are part of an English brigade formed in 1944. The British thought that Jews had a right to fight the evils the Nazis have inflicted on them.

The story the author tells is harsh, even with the drawings and bright colors. The two protagonists despense justice with a bullet, the Jews might not be in death camps, but their survival is not guaranteed. A continent full of Russian forces who are danger to the local populace as any occupying force can be, and even to allied soldiers.

What makes the violence in the story so poignant is that most of it happens in the background. Using indirect clues through text and pictures, the author illustrates the horrors staying away from gory pictures which might cheapen the horror real people faced.

The comic strikes a fine balance between the wonderful art and the balance between prose and art is one of the best I’ve seen to date. This is a very interesting graphic novel about a period which is sometimes glossed over and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. show less

I thought I'd give this graphic novel and shot even though it's not my usual preferred form of reading. It was interesting and I learned a few things about what happened in the first years after WWII in Europe assuming the story was based on true events. I had trouble following some things and I didn't really love the artwork, but it could be because I'm not to used to reading these kinds of books.