Wednesday, November 5, 2008

PHESP Review: Shooting War


This was a great read. An impressive and entertaining graphic novel published by Grand Central Publishing in 2006. Shooting War, written by Anthony Lappe and illustrated by Dan Goldman, began as a serialized web comic on http://www.smithmag.net in 2006. The 11 bi-weekly chapters were very popular and as media interest grew the web comic was nominated for an Eisner Award. 

Shooting War is set in 2011 amidst the global war on terror, which rages on in fury and is completely out of control. America is in recession, the president is a nut job, and suicide bombers have just bombed a Starbucks in Brooklyn, NYC. Jimmy Barns, a radical video blogger, happens to catch the bombings on tape and his dramatic footage is publicized and broadcasted on news channels all over the world. American media giants Global News hires Jimmy as a war correspondent and ships him off to Iraq where Jimmy's problems seem to multiple very quickly as he strives to report on the truth behind conflict.   




Lappe and Goldman describe the web comic as a sort of beta version of the 192 page hardcover graphic novel. The two creators talk on their website of having to remaster every panel from the online version, reworking the story line and political context. 

If you want an interesting take on the war on terror seen through the eyes of a radical media savvy blogger in a crazy world gone to poo, then check out Shooting War. 

We gave it:
Story line 3/5
Graphics 3/5
Concept 5/5
Entertainment 4/5  

Check out the clip below for a taste of the web comic or for more info go to http://www.shootingwar.com