Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Above the Trenches

I have read and reviewed every graphic novel in this series (go see), and this one is a sequel of sorts to Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood in that it also is about World War I. However, this one does not look at the broad scope of the war but at a specific area, namely the origins of aerial combat. 

It is crazy to think that people took their lives into their own hands in early airplanes and even crazier than not even ten years after man-powered flight was invented that someone thought to use these vehicles for war. At first, they were used to scout troop movements and plan assaults, then they were used to drop bombs, and finally someone had the bright idea to strap guns onto them. 

At the time, just flying an airplane was somewhat a daredevil enterprise, with lots of risk involved and little in the way of safety equipment. This book follows a small group of brave (or foolhardy, depending on your viewpoint) young Americans who enlisted in the French Foreign Legion in order to take part in a war that the USA had not yet entered. Their intention was to become pilots and help fight in the skies, and this book chronicles the long, bumpy road many of them took in order to become soldiers. Spoiler: As people who engage in highly dangerous situations they also frequently smoke and drink. Also, most of them die or get killed over the course of the war.

What is excellent about this book is how it puts a human face on the war. There are many stark, pronounced personalities among the pilots, and it is very easy to get to know and root for them. Also, as with all the other volumes in this series, there are plenty of details that make the past come to life. Among the various topics also at hand are the intricacies of dog-fighting, string of technical innovations, military developments, and a code of honor among all pilots. 

It is amazing to me that this book not only encompasses so much information but also communicates it clearly while also making for a compelling, human story. And I have not even mentioned how many visual references must have gone into depicting the intricate uniforms, planes, and people involved in the war. From the lack of reviews I have found online, not many people review the twelfth entry in a series, but I feel it bears repeating just how marvelous and exceptional this book and the entire series are. The art is phenomenal, the stories moving, and the facts fascinating. NHHT continues to be the gold standard for nonfiction graphic novels.

Author Nathan Hale (not related to the Revolutionary War spy) is a highly accomplished graphic novelist, so much so that I named one of my annual favorites list categories after him. Aside from his great success with this series, he has also published the fictional graphic novels The Mighty Bite,  One Trick Pony and Apocalypse Taco. He has also drawn a few others, including Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack.

Above the Trenches was published by Amulet Books, and they offer more information about it here.

Raid of No Return

If you have read my blog for a while you may have noticed that I think Nathan Hale is brilliant. He makes fantastic, informative, and inventive comics, and his series Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales is the best historical series in the graphic novel business. I even liked his non-historical work like One Trick Pony. What amazes me about his work is how consistently excellent it is, and Raid of No Return is no exception.

The plot of the book is set during World War II. In the events following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, there was an extremely covert, risky, and dangerous mission set in place to bomb the Japanese mainland. This book recounts that mission with lots of details about the individual pilots, their crews, and the various outcomes of each bombing run. But additionally, and most impressively to me, it also delved deeply into the Japanese planning of the bombing and gave insight into their side of the military conflict.

This book is full of action and suspense, with multiple plot threads running simultaneously. It is difficult to have so many different stories and to make the reader feel invested in each one, but Hale does exactly that, making the stories both historically detailed as well as personally affecting. Raid of No Return is chock full of compelling, true-life stories that will keep you on the end of your seat and is a worthy addition to an extraordinarily well-crafted series of books.

The reviews I read about this book were all aptly full of praise. Lori Henderson wrote that it "does a great job of illuminating historical events in an entertaining and sometimes sobering way. It’s a great addition to library shelves." Tanya Turek called it "a powerful story that is suspenseful, emotional and almost unbelievable."

Raid of No Return was published by Amulet Books, and they offer more info about it here.

Science Comics: Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared

This latest volume in the Science Comics series focuses on the invention of flying machines. Now, I know the Wright Brothers are extremely well known; they are featured on the backs of two states' quarters even. Reading this book, I learned that there was LOTS I did not know about the duo, including the fact that they had a sister named Katharine. She played a huge role in spreading the news about her brothers' work and also advertising and marketing their work to potential investors, and in this book she is the narrator who puts a very personal and human touch on the proceedings.

Not only is she a good choice because she has a magnetic personality, she was also a schoolteacher so she is a handy figure for explaining the science aspects of the story. There are a good number of passages where the science of flight is spelled out via exposition. And to be honest, I felt that some of these passages were a bit dense to read, but I appreciated the creators trying to break down some pretty difficult science.

Still, there is much to recommend this book. I felt that the artwork was vibrant and expressive, and it revels in depicting the various flying machines of the day. The story humanizes the achievements of some grand historical figures and also puts their work into historical context. Additionally, the book and endnotes cover a number of the notable pioneers/inventors/scientists of the day. Flying Machines might have hit a couple of spots of turbulence, but it is still a very good book.

This book is a collaboration between writer Alison Wilgus and artist Molly Brooks. Wilgus is a cartoonist and animator who worked on the Codename: Kids Next Door cartoon and Avatar: The Last Airbender comic books. Brooks is also known for her series Sanity & Tallulah. Both creators write about their work on Flying Machines in this blog post.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that it, like the others in the series, "combines the best of everything: fascinating stories, entertaining education, and talented creators who know how to make good comics." Kirkus Reviews called it "An accessible and engaging introduction to the Wright brothers and how they ushered in the age of flight."

Science Comics: Flying Machines: How the Wright Brothers Soared was published by First Second, and they have a preview and much more information about it here.

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.