Book Review: “Terminal Lance: The White Donkey – A Powerful Graphic Novel on Military Life, War, and PTSD”

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A STORY THAT LINGERS LIKE A GHOST

There is a peculiar weight to Terminal Lance: The White Donkey, one that settles deep, lingering long after the final page. But this is not the weight of war as we often see it—the grand spectacle of battle, the hero’s journey, the triumphant return.

This is something quieter, something more insidious. The kind of weight that seeps into the marrow and stays there, unseen by those who have never carried it.

Maximilian Uriarte does not tell a war story in the traditional sense. Through the disillusioned eyes of Abe, a young Marine navigating the monotony of military life, The White Donkey unfolds not as a tale of heroism, but as an exploration of the gap between expectation and reality—the relentless push into war and the even more uncertain road home.

Abe’s Disillusionment with the Marine Corps – The graphic novel consistently highlights the disconnect between Abe’s expectations of military service and the reality he faces. Instead of heroism, he finds boredom, meaningless tasks, and a lack of purpose, reinforcing the weight of military life that is neither grand nor cinematic.

The White Donkey as a Surreal Metaphor – Throughout the story, the titular donkey appears as a recurring symbol of Abe’s internal struggles—his confusion, detachment, and search for meaning. The donkey’s presence is never fully explained, embodying the insidious weight of war that lingers long after the battlefield is left behind.

Abe’s Return Home and Emotional Collapse – When Abe comes back from Iraq, he finds himself unable to connect with friends and family, illustrating the gap between expectation and reality. The world expects him to move forward, yet he remains stuck, adrift in an existence that no longer feels like his own.

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the art of emptiness

Uriarte’s artistic choices mirror the emotional detachment of his protagonist. The panels are stark, unembellished, and often sparse. Conversations are clipped, silences are heavy, and yet, there is a haunting poetry in that restraint.

The simplicity of the visual style forces the reader to sit with the story’s emotions, unfiltered and raw. Every line drawn, every word spoken, carries more than what is seen or said. In its quietness, The White Donkey demands a different kind of attention—one that lingers in the mind long after the book is closed.

This is not a graphic novel that shouts; it is one that echoes.

Sparse Panel Composition & Minimalist Dialogue: Uriarte frequently uses large, empty backgrounds and distant framing to emphasize Abe’s emotional detachment, such as the recurring shots of him staring blankly at his surroundings, lost in thought. Conversations between characters are often clipped or reduced to terse exchanges, reinforcing Abe’s sense of isolation and disconnection from both his fellow Marines and civilian life.

The White Donkey as a Silent Symbol: The donkey itself is an unspoken visual metaphor throughout the novel, appearing without explanation or context. Its presence lingers in key moments of Abe’s journey, such as when he encounters it in Iraq, yet no one acknowledges its significance. This haunting, surreal imagery speaks volumes without a single word, embodying themes of existential confusion and emotional numbness.

Muted Emotional Climaxes & Heavy Silences: In one of the novel’s most devastating scenes, Abe returns home after his deployment only to find himself utterly disconnected from his old life. Instead of a dramatic breakdown, Uriarte conveys this moment through silence—panels of Abe sitting alone in his bedroom, his face devoid of expression, the weight of his unspoken emotions pressing against the empty space around him.

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The white donkey: a symbol of a specter

War stories often dwell in extremes—adrenaline and violence, brotherhood and sacrifice—but The White Donkey exists in the liminal spaces between. The donkey itself, a surreal and recurring presence, represents everything Abe cannot articulate: his confusion, his fear, his disconnection.

The donkey is both a guide and a ghost, an anchor to something Abe cannot escape. It embodies the unspoken, the weight of war that does not disappear when the deployment ends.

Uriarte offers no easy explanations for the donkey, nor does he tie its meaning into a neat resolution. Like war itself, its presence is enigmatic, unsettling, and deeply personal to those who have experienced its reality.

Abe's Hallucinatory Encounter with the White Donkey – During his deployment in Iraq, Abe encounters the donkey in surreal, almost dreamlike sequences. These moments highlight his growing disconnection from reality, emphasizing how war has blurred the lines between his inner fears and the world around him. The donkey, silent and unmoving, embodies the unspoken weight of war that Abe struggles to process.

The White Donkey Appearing in Civilian Life – After Abe returns home, the donkey appears again—not in a warzone, but in his everyday life, haunting him like a ghost. This underscores how war does not end just because a soldier leaves the battlefield; its presence lingers in unexpected ways, symbolizing the unshakable trauma Abe carries with him.

Abe's Breakdown at the End – In one of the novel’s most devastating moments, Abe suffers a breakdown, culminating in a confrontation with the donkey. Here, the donkey serves as both a guide and a specter, representing the internal war that refuses to be left behind. Uriarte does not offer a resolution—Abe is not "cured" but is forced to confront the fact that his trauma has no simple answer, much like the donkey itself.

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the fight that never ends

One of The White Donkey’s most poignant truths is the impossibility of standing still in a world that demands motion. War is movement—deployments, patrols, orders barked and executed without hesitation. And yet, paradoxically, home is also motion—a forward march into a civilian life that no longer fits.

Abe’s return is not marked by relief, but by an absence of purpose. The structured world of the Marines, the only thing that made sense, is gone. The war exists only in his mind now, and no one understands that the fight isn’t over just because he’s home.

This is where The White Donkey delivers its most painful truth:
Moving past war isn’t about leaving it behind—it’s about learning how to carry it differently.

The Disillusionment of Deployment – Throughout The White Donkey, Abe romanticizes the idea of war, believing it will give him purpose. However, once deployed, he finds himself trapped in the monotonous reality of military life—long, uneventful patrols, senseless orders, and a deepening disconnect from any grander purpose. This stark contrast between expectation and reality reinforces the theme that war is constant motion, but not always in the direction one hopes.

The Jarring Return to Civilian Life – When Abe comes home, he is met not with relief but with a disorienting sense of detachment. Scenes of him wandering through his old life—standing aimlessly at a gas station, sitting in front of the television while his family carries on as if nothing has changed—highlight the emptiness of his return. The motion of the world continues, but he remains emotionally and psychologically stagnant, unable to reconcile his past with his present.

The White Donkey as a Symbol of Unresolved Trauma – The surreal presence of the white donkey throughout the novel serves as a haunting metaphor for Abe’s internal struggle. It appears at moments of deep existential questioning, symbolizing the weight he cannot articulate. Even after leaving the battlefield, the donkey follows him, underscoring the painful truth that war is not something left behind, but something carried forward in ways that civilians can never fully understand.

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Source from www.Terminallance.com

war without glorification

There is no romanticism in Terminal Lance: The White Donkey. No sweeping declarations of patriotism, no blind condemnation of war, no Hollywood arc of redemption. Instead, Uriarte delivers an unflinching look at the fractures war leaves behind, the weight of expectation, and the quiet, often impossible work of learning how to exist beyond the battlefield.

Like the donkey itself, the story lingers—unspoken but understood, silent yet insistent. It does not ask for answers, only recognition. And perhaps, in that recognition, the first step toward something like healing.

The Disillusionment of War – Abe enlists in the Marine Corps expecting meaning and purpose, but instead, he finds only monotony and emotional detachment, highlighting the stark contrast between expectation and reality in military life. His disillusionment is not met with patriotic resolve but with an unsettling emptiness, reinforcing The White Donkey’s refusal to romanticize war.

The White Donkey as a Visual Metaphor – The surreal presence of the donkey serves as a symbol of trauma, loss, and confusion, following Abe through his deployment and beyond. It is neither an omen nor a guide—it simply exists, much like the war’s lingering presence in his life. This aligns with the novel’s unflinching depiction of PTSD, where trauma is not a moment of revelation but a constant shadow.

The Isolation of Coming Home – When Abe returns to civilian life, his alienation is palpable. Friends and family expect him to be the same, yet he feels disconnected, hollow, and unable to articulate his pain. The novel does not provide a resolution—there is no triumphant reintegration, only the stark reality of learning to live with the fractures left behind by war.

📢 Discussion: What Did The White Donkey Mean to You?

Have you read Terminal Lance: The White Donkey? What moments resonated with you the most? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

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