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 celebrit...
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reviews
Aug 25, 2009
Chris
rated it: 
This is powerful, powerful graphic storytelling. The Unknown Soldier goes back to the 40s, originally, then was revived again in the 60s by DC Comics. It was the story of a soldier with his face hidden by bandages, fighting the good fight in WWII. Fast forward to 2009 and Joshua Dysart has taken this theme, reworked it, and made it one of the most compelling trades I've read.
The idea here is the Unknown Soldier is now a doctor who has returned to Uganda, where he was born, to try and More...
The idea here is the Unknown Soldier is now a doctor who has returned to Uganda, where he was born, to try and More...
Nov 03, 2010
Dennis
rated it: 
This updated take on the World War II era character is a compelling read that takes the reader to some very dark places. At its root, it is a story of violence and real world depravity, with an underpinning of social commentary. Set in Uganda in the early 2000's, writer Joshua Dysart pulls no punches as he utilizes the conflict of the region as the center point for a story detailing the unraveling of the mind of sleeper agent Dr. Lwanga Moses in Uganda on a mission of aid and mercy. Atrocity a
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Jan 11, 2012
Lynne
rated it:
I'm not sure "really liked it" characterizes my reaction to this graphic novel. Horrified by it, compelled by it, in awe of it...better. Reading some of the comments, I realize the "Unknown Soldier"is a comic book hero from (WWII?) that Joshua Dysart has updated and placed in the middle of civil war in Northern Uganda (2002). The main character seems to be the mutilated alter ego of a Ugandan American doctor, a volunteer at a clinic in Kampala. It is all very confusing (
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Sep 10, 2009
Sandy
rated it:
This was a pretty quick read (2 train commutes). Evidently, this is a "reimagining" of an earlier comic book series of the same name. In the same way Battlestar Galactica kept a prop or two (Vipers) for a shred of continuity, Unknown Soldier keeps the bandaged head from the original series set in World War II. But I have to believe the rest is different.
Lwanga Moses fled Amin's Uganda as a child, went to Harvard med and is now back in Uganda as a peaceful man of medicine, More...
Lwanga Moses fled Amin's Uganda as a child, went to Harvard med and is now back in Uganda as a peaceful man of medicine, More...
Dec 06, 2009
sweet pea
rated it: 
this is the kind of book that begs discussion. a highly intriguing, mysterious premise. lots of violence. a controversial take on a modern war. it's not easy to read, surely, with child soldiers, rape and violent rampaging. still, it's interesting, if fucked up. intriguing parallels between the protagonist and Alice Auma. i still don't know what i think about it. but it's one of the most daring forays into current events i've yet read.
Jun 25, 2011
Ben
rated it:
I couldn't tell at first whether this was going to be good or whether it was going to abuse real world events in the name of sensationalised violence and pumped up action. Thankfully it's the former. The violence is intense but purposeful, and there's a definite passion and depth of knowledge for the setting and story. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this one continues.
Apr 04, 2010
Gregory
rated it:
I believe this volume collects the first six or seven issues of this comic set in Uganda in 2002. If it's any indicator of the series as a whole, I'd say Unknown Solider is definitely one of the best regular comics on the shelves these days. It takes the vigilante concept and puts it in a pretty unexpected setting. Really amazing and highly recommended.
Mar 18, 2011
David
rated it:
Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli pull no punches in their story about a pacifist doctor caught in the midst of bloody tribal warfare in Uganada. This is a powerful, jarring story with visceral - but never gratuitous - visuals. Characters are well developed and underlying subplots are explored just enough to support, but never overshadow, the main story.
Apr 19, 2010
Jess
rated it:
Let the booing and rotten tomato-throwing start: I'm no fan of graphic novels. Uncool and untrendy, I know. But I made an exception for this one (and its sibling), because they take place in a country I care about, telling a story too few of us know about war, violence, child soldiers, love, and nationalism.
Jun 29, 2011
Peter
rated it:
This graphic novel series follows a peace activist doctor into 2002 Uganda. One part examination of the geopolitical mess of child soldiers, corrupt dictators, and abusive rebels/government that was Uganda at the time. The other, a bloody meditation on justified violence. A truly heart rending story.
Dec 28, 2009
Caleb
rated it:
The subject matter--genocidal war in Uganda--and it's dealt with quite frankly, so this isn't always an easy book to read, but it is a well done book.
Kinda/sorta review here:
http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot....
Kinda/sorta review here:
http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot....
Dec 16, 2011
Kenny
rated it:
I picked this trade up at a Barnes & Noble and next thing I knew 2 hours had passed and I'd read the whole thing while standing right there in the graphic novels aisle. It's just that compelling.
Jul 31, 2010
Christopher
rated it:
I've been dying to read this after an NYTimes review late last year. Dysart is compelling writer, and his first-hand experience in Uganda jumps off the page and informs everything in this gripping graphic novel.
Joshusa Dysart's work is powerful, compelling and makes you think. I was a brief friend of a former (and late) Newsweek Africa Bureau Chief and he sent me transcript interviews of child soldiers, and Unknown Soldier reaches into the reality of the shattered lives of Uganda's chi More...
Joshusa Dysart's work is powerful, compelling and makes you think. I was a brief friend of a former (and late) Newsweek Africa Bureau Chief and he sent me transcript interviews of child soldiers, and Unknown Soldier reaches into the reality of the shattered lives of Uganda's chi More...
Oct 13, 2009
Brian
rated it:
I thought it was a good idea, but I didn't really get all of the back story. I thought it took too long to get going, at least through the first collection.
Apr 12, 2010
Marc
rated it:
To listen to my review go to V for Vertigo, Episode: 57 at http://vforvertigo.blogspot.com or on iTunes.
Dec 20, 2010
Danielle
rated it:
Wow. Pretty amazing history lesson within a beautiful comic. I hope there will be more.
Sep 26, 2010
Sonic
rated it:
Amazing hard-hitting horror story, with most of the horror of the real-life kind in Uganda. Recommended!
Dec 04, 2011
Mary
rated it:
This one's a little intense and disturbing, but Voya said 11up so I read it. Plus, with the way the atrocities in Uganda are largely ignored by mass media and the fact that kids that age are more likely to read a comic book than watch the news, it's probably a good fit. It's a tough read, but well-researched and has some great characters. This book shouldn't contain anything they shouldn't already be learning in their World History classes anyway.
Oct 21, 2011
BMK
rated it:
Some pretty heavy, hardcore stuff going on in this one. Really well done.
Nov 02, 2010
Ellee
rated it: 
Deals with conflict in Africa: the use of child soldiers, genocide/mass murders, centuries of colonialism, and peace efforts. Very heavy material that the author/artist doesn't make light of. Good storytelling, but not "enjoyable." It's just not that kind of story or subject matter. I don't know if I will read others in the series or not. High quality work, though.
Nov 26, 2010
Mike
rated it:
Believable, painful to watch and rewarding to all pessimists and fans of revenge fantasies. Vividly told and drawn, makes most books feel saccharine by comparison.
Jul 07, 2009
Love it when a book tricks me into educating myself about a particular region I'd barely noticed before.
