Unknown Soldier, Vol. 4: Beautiful World

Unknown Soldier

by Joshua Dysart, Aleberto Ponticelli (Illustrator), Rick Veitch (Illustrator)

The final volume of the critically acclaimed series written by Joshua Dysart that reinvented the classic DC war hero. In the hands of the men who created his fractured psyche, the Unknown Soldier is ready to assume his role as a super soldier in service of a shadowy government agency. There’s just one condition: He must bring back CIA agent in exile Jack Lee Howl. This collection also includes the story “Kalashnikov,” tracing the history of the AK-47 from Cold War Soviet Union to an unknown soldier deep in the African bush, illustrated by SWAMP THING artist Rick Veitch.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, War, Fiction, Politics, Africa, Thriller

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2011

About the author

I write comic books, graphic novels and novels. I'm a three time Eisner nominee, two time Glyph award winner, New York Times bestseller, a recipient of The Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year award, and have been in competition twice at Angoulême.

I've worked on Hellboy, Swamp Thing, & Conan the Barbarian; I co-wrote a graphic novel with Neil Young; I helped restart Valiant Entertainment; and I've done on-the-ground research in Uganda (2007), Iraq (2014), & South Sudan (2016), writting graphic novels about war and famine in those regions.

Goodnight Paradise came out in 2018 with long time co-creator Alberto Ponticelli and is a murder mystery set in the houseless population of Venice Beach, Ca.

My first novel (novella - it's only 100 pages) has dropped. It combines my love of slasher horror, Agatha Christie fair-play mysteries, construction sites, and bugs. It's called BROOD X. Buy it wherever trash genre books are sold!

Reviews

[Nnedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loooooove this series. i loved the ending. it looked things in the eye. it was real and unflinching. it showed the light, the dark, the dark within the light and the light within the dark and the grey. and it hurt. it was memorable. good good good writing. my only quibble is with a certain turn the plot took. i don't really want to get into it here. the plot probably HAD to take this certain turn, i guess, but it bugged me. i'm purposely being vague because there are certain discussions that are more worth addressing than having, if that makes sense.

regardless, this remains one of THE best comics i've ever read, if not THE best. i'm sorry to see it go...but nothing lasts forever and i like that Unknown Soldier feels complete and never forced. this comic did Uganda and the greater Africa proud.

**Enthusiastic applause**
**Standing ovation**

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily one of the best graphic novels I've read. Granted, a gritty, realistic series that tackles serious political/social issues is definitely something that was always going to appeal to me, but Beautiful World ends this series in a way that few comics can match. It was great to finally get the background on who Moses Lwanga was and how he became The Unknown Soldier. I don't want to spoil the ending, but it is the perfect tone for this book and for real life. Completely satisfying and very moving. The art was always wonderful in this book as well. This series gets my highest recommendation. It is a shame that more people (including myself) didn't read Unknown Soldier as it was coming out. I think we may have gotten even more Unknown Soldier if that was the case.

[Zedsdead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: unabashed gushing ahead.

A terrific conclusion to the Unknown Soldier series. Volume 4 covers a lot of ground, beginning with a thoughtful history about the proliferation of AK assault rifles in Africa. Then, at long last, we get to the origin story of Dr. Moses Lwanga, the Unknown Soldier--and it works. Finally, Lwanga tracks down the monstrous Joseph Kony, the head of the Lord's Resistance Army. It's a beautiful ending, the right ending, to an excellent series. So many great series are undone by weak conclusions. Not this time.

Everything about this series was so intelligently done. Easy 5 stars. I'll be looking for more Joshua Dysart titles.

[Aidan]

Though you can sort of feel how the cancellation sped up the pacing for the end here, it still ties everything up nicely and is appropriately morally murky and satisfying in how there’s little to no victory.

I liked the connections to the previous Unknown Soldier, and the AK-47 issue was very educational although the writing there was probably my least favorite in giving the gun this overly poetic voice.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was particularly pleased with this series, especially because it focuses on a delicate political and cultural situation- the war in Uganda, which has migrated now to the Congo and the Sudan. Where children are forced to be soldiers as a matter of daily fact, and whole peoples are marched about from camp to camp to seek refuge from the attacks from any and all sides, with little help from any government. All in the name of various religous groups (christianity in the case of Uganda and the Congo, though Islam is making a push in the Sudan now, that is not discussed in these volumes, which focus on Uganda)... it's mind-boggling how this is a very real, horrible situation, yet this graphic novel is a little bit.. 'super hero' about the way the main character pursues the plot and his ultimate goal of ending the wars... Very nicely done- but the violence might put some folks off, so be forwarned.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great conclusion to this series, on which I had doubts when reading vol.1.

The murdering violence disturbed me at first but with time it gets digested in the chaos of bloody ethnic rivalries, malnutrition, child indoctrination, rape, corruption and the list goes on that plagued Uganda for years.

Dysart rather cleverly links Moses to the original unknown soldier in a context of modern warfare and blurs his purpose: if to do a seemingly good thing, killing Joseph Kony, your death toll tends to match his, is it still a good thing? Is violence the only means to an end, that end being peace?

Sobering, emotionally difficult, politically challenging, a very good series typical of the Vertigo heyday. Too bad I just couldn't make myself like any of the artists involved but the great Dave Johnson on covers.

[Joey Heflich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuck the landing, despite coming down early. If that AK-47 story was what we might have seen more of if this series went for 60 issues, damn. Joseph Kony should not have outlived this book.

[Sonic · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing "ending" to one of the absolute very best recent series.

[Friz Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

what an incredible journey. especially for only four volumes. cerebral, wrenching, emotional, raw, VIOLENT, passionate and intelligent storytelling. from start to finish i was hooked, and also i feel like i've learned something. at least developed another interest of history and found a new author/artist to follow. the author's note at the end was the cherry on top. Vertigo comics all day son.

[Jedhua · Rating 3 out of 5]

ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}

STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>

[John J Milton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit rushed but ok

[Timo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This run of Unknown Soldier ends with a really high note, especially the piece about AK-47, which was one of the best things I have ever read.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

[26/01/25] 6,5/10

[Daryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a slight drop in quality in volumes 2 & 3, the final volume of Vertigo's Unknown Soldier rebounds and closes out with a bang (yeah, literally). Alberto Ponticelli's art is beautiful & stunning throughout (even the fill-in by Rick Veitch, who I can take or leave, is good). And the story - wow. We get a connection to DC's original Unknown Soldier (from WWII), and a complete re-imagining of Moses Lwanga and what he's been doing since this series started -- and it all makes sense. The ending was wonderful -- tragic and appropriate. It's amazing this series lasted as long as it did; it's great, but so unlike anything else in comics at the time. I'd highly recommend this entire series.

[Alex Sarll]

Another Vertigo series reaches its premature end; ones I borrow often seem to make four volumes (iZombie and American Virgin being two more examples), where those I buy are lucky to manage three (Greek Street, Crossing Midnight - poor Saucer Country only managed two). But what other Western medium would devote this much time to something where all the lead characters are African? We talk about the golden age of TV, but I can't see even HBO going two seasons with something quite this dark and alien to US viewers.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's unfortunate that such a brutal, honest, and moving series had to end so abruptly. This final volume carries the weight of the previous three, but has to put it down for a few chapters to devote time to exposition and backstory explanation. While I wish that hadn't happened, I understand the need to wrap the story up with cancellation looming, and can forgive a little hiccup in a story as important as this.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful Vertigo series ended way too soon. I don't really remember what happened in the first couple of books, although I do remember being a bit uncomfortable reading a war book set in Uganda written by a white American that covered child soldiers, savage warlords and lots of other things about Africa that I really don't know much about.

The first chapter starts with a history of the AK-47 and then it goes on to tell the final story of Moses Lwanga. I was sad to him go so soon.

[Hakan Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing how they were able to put together this sensitive story. I put off reading this last volume because the picture on the cover made me afraid of how it would all end. After finishing it it just feels like the best ending the could of had made. It's always great to come away from a piece of fiction with a more broad view of the world.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tanda final del personaje reinventado por Dysart, quien baja el telón a la serie con gran coherencia y un mirada hacia el conflicto africano que - honestidad mediante - no alecciona ni moraliza. Gran acierto al establecer conexiones con la encarnación clásica, echándose en falta una resolución algo menos apurada en una de las mejores series bélicas que he leído.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suitably soul-crushing ending to a very interesting comic book "experiment" (ie. providing such a horrifically stark story on how war is conducted in places like Uganda and the surrounding lands, using an almost pulpy, bandaged, badass action hero as a lens).

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic conclusion to a great series. You find out the truth behind Dr. Moses Lwanga and his fight in Uganda and there's a nice callback to the original Unknown Soldier character. The writing and art in this series were both top notch and it really shouldn't be missed.

[Matthew Hundley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth is revealed about the Unknown Soldier. Wars past are connected with wars present. The hopes of the past are entwined with the pains of the present. The hopes of the present with the pains of the past. Suitable closures round out this final edition of Joshua Dysart's collection.

[Roberto Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far, a great closure for a great series that explored the world of despair that war brings to everyone around it. This was never a trip of glorified action, and the battle of hope vs despair is resolved the way it had to. Whether we liked or not. And that is good.

[Saul Olivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cool but kinda messed up because something happends that disapointed me in the book wich make me give it three stars i would like if it was longer then it actually is it was too short.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the individual chapters don't quite work, but overall a fittingly beautiful end to the story of the new Unknown Soldier.

[Shane Prendiville · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series must have been cancelled because the ending terribly rushed in number 4. Really disappointing.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was about what was expected. The storyline left few options.

A nice job of tying to the original 'Unknown Soldier' story.

Overall, fitting conclusion to a great 4 book series.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant ending!