SPX 2004 A Sequential Arts War Journal

by Greg Bennett

Genres: Anthologies, Graphic Novels

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is good, but not great. Put together as the 2004 benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund by folks at the Small Press Expo, it suffers from the same problem as a lot of well-meaning anthologies...inconsistent quality. It's hard for an editor to turn down a generous creator whose work is only so-so. In some cases, the work is unusual and clever, in other cases it consists of some variation on the theme "War is bad." Several cliches abound, but a few of them are taken to delightful extremes. For instance, the old chestnut about cockroaches surviving World War III to become the next civilization is taken a step further, to their extinction after World War VI, and what comes after them. One war is simply a game being played by two kids, and another is part of the Crusades. Most are more modern, and it is these modern war stories that sometimes have a sameness to them. Still, it is an interesting anti-war anthology, and worth reading.