Above the Dreamless Dead (First Second) Review

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Above the Dreamless Dead

First Second

Oct 31, 2014 Issue #51 - September/October 2014 - alt-J By Zach Hollwedel

Twenty-eight poems from a select few of World War I’s “trench poets” are beautifully interpreted in black and white by 24 cartoonists and comic book artists in this artsy collection edited by Chris Duffy. Known for putting into words the horrors and devastation of war, the trench poets were soldiers and other civilians affected by the carnage. Some survived the war; many did not.

Duffy’s collection is understandably somber and, if afforded the veneration the content deserves, a moving tribute to a war now a century in the past. The artists’ interpretations range from cartoonish to realistic, yet regardless of the style, the poets’ words are always at the forefront. Often short, the poems speak haunting volumes about life—and death—in the Great War. The collection is divided into three categories: The Call to War, In the Trenches, and Aftermath. Each rings with devastating silence, as one considers the immediate and long-lasting implications of war, not just then, but now and always. (www.firstsecondbooks.com)

Author rating: 8/10

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