All Quiet on the Western Front

by Wayne Vansant (adapter), Erich Maria Remarque

The estate of Erich Maria Remarque sanctioned this adaptation of the author's 1928 novel of the same name a tale of WWI trench warfare retold here by cartoonist Wayne Vansant(Knights of the Skull) a Vietnam veteran.

Genres: Graphic Novels, War, Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Germany, Adult

176 pages, Paperback

Published June 12, 2019

About the author

I was born and raised near Atlanta, GA, and served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. I graduated from the Atlanta College of Art in 1975 and have had many jobs, including being a salesman, security guard, milk delivery man, and the Director of Security for a large art museum.

I began my writing and illustration career in 1986 with Marvel Comics' "Savage Tales" and "The 'Nam." Since then I have written and/or illustrated many books and comics on historical/military subjects such as Battle Group Peiper, Days of Darkness, Antietam: The Fiery Trial (commissioned by the National Park Service), Blockade: The Civil War at Sea, The War in Korea, The Hammer and the Anvil (profiling Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass), Normandy (profiling D-Day and the entire Normandy Campaign), Gettysburg (profiling the Battle of Gettysburg), and many others.

I am currently working on graphic histories of the Battle of the Bulge, Manfred von Richthofen, aka the Red Baron, and and am finishing up my Russian Front trilogy entitled Katusha: Girl Soldier of the Patriotic War, which is currently available as an eBook on Comics Plus, a leading comics book app.

Reviews

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel remake of the classic All Quiet on the Western Front and it packs as much punch as the original.

Paul Bäumer and his classmates are encouraged to join the German army in WWI by an enthusiastic professor. What they find is not the heroic battlefields of the classical texts they've studied, but one nightmare after another.

"We plunge again into the horror, powerless, madly savage, and raging; we will kill, for they are still our mortal enemies, their rifles and bombs are aimed against us, and if we don't destroy them they will destroy us." pg 68

As his friends slowly die and he takes an uncomfortable leave home, Paul comes to realize that there will be no end to this war for him.

"He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the western front." pg 170

This book is an interpretation of war that was banned and burned in Erich Maria Remarque's home country of Germany. To go to war, it seems that the world has to sanitize it and completely demonize the other side, otherwise, we would never do it.

All Quiet on the Western Front refuses to look away from the humanity on both sides of the conflict. It is tough to read, and kicks you in the feels. But, in my mind, that's what makes it so great.

Though it is fictional, it is the story of a generation of young men who were shipped off to war and never came home again. And, if by some miracle they did, they're forever haunted by the sound of a train car because it reminded them of the sound of falling bombs. When they picked up a book that they used to love, it didn't ignite their souls in the same way, because they'd seen the worst that life can offer. War kills more than the ones who end up dead on the battlefield.

This graphic novel version of All Quiet on the Western Front should appeal to reluctant readers. Though it is about a very serious and triggering topic, the artwork is done tastefully. I read the original All Quiet on the Western Front as a seventh grader, age 13. I think this book would be appropriate for children of that age and up.

I received a free advance reader copy of this book from the publisher. This quotations I cited in this review may vary in the final printed version.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dour and depressing adaptation of the classic dour and depressing novel. It's about a young German soldier on the front lines in World War I. He's now realized the realities of war after 20 of his classmates all volunteered.

I do find it interesting that U.S. Naval Institute is publishing World War I adaptations from the German perspective.

Received a review copy from the Naval Institute Press and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, let's note the irony of a graphic novel adaptation of an anti-war novel about German ground forces published by the U.S. Naval Institute.

It's been decades since I've read the classic novel, but it speaks to its power how many of the scenes I easily recalled as I read through Vansant's workmanlike adaptation. I recommend reading the novel over this, but if you cannot, this will give you at least the flavor of the original work.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who are unfamiliar with this classic novel, it is set in World War I, on the German side of the fighting. The same gas and bombs and trenches that the French and British fought in, are just as brutal as the German side.

The story is told from the point of view of a young man whose who class joined up to fight for the Kaiser, and despite being wounded, he keeps getting sent back to fight again and again.





He follows his friends, and tells stories about them, such as how hard basic training was, and how you could be killed in an instant, or how some get shell shock, and run out into No Man's Land.

This is a brutal retelling of the classic, and no holds are bared.

But, it is a good way to get classic literature into the hands of those who prefer graphic novels.

Be warned, though, this is depressing as all get out.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Madara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading fragments of All Quiet on the Western Front when I was in high school, I still have it on my "to read" shelf (I'll get to it eventually) so picking up a graphic novel as a quick read before bed seemed like a good idea (don't read this before bed. Please... Don't). I can't tell how much of the actual book was kept in the graphic novel adaptation but I can tell that all the bloody parts were kept. The art itself works with the source material (even if some panels seemed unfinished or less detailed).

Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy these classic books adapted into graphic novel form. The original story is honored in a respectful abridgment and the artwork is nuanced and moving. This book is brilliant and devastating. It speaks to the truth about war and its effects on the men and women who must fight in it. The book is told from the perspective of a German soldier in WWI, but its application is universal to soldiers in any war from any country. And this adaption is spot on. It makes a book that many might avoid into something more accessible for a new and younger audience.

[Dash · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something surreal in reading of a tragedy created by a man's ego in comic book form. The funny parts were funny and the poignant, sad parts, the gory bloody parts were pretty insistent.
I always enjoy fiction and movies from the world wars because you can see the lessons right there, the lessons that politicians all over the world continue to ignore today.

It's one of the paradoxical mysteries of life.

Now to watch the movie.

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this graphic novel adaptation of the classic All Quiet on the Western Front. The artwork was great, and the story line stayed true to the original. Nice way to re-learn the classics.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'All Quiet on the Western Front' by Erich Maria Remarque with adaptation and art by Wayne Vansant is an adaptation of the famous novel that was sanctioned by the Remarque family.

This story is about World War I and told from a soldier on the German side. Paul Bäumer is filled with dreams of glory by his professor. He and his friends join up and head to the front lines. What Paul finds is hardly the glorious battle he thought, and as he slowly loses those around him, he sees the true horrors of war.

I found this to be a solid adaptation of the book. The art conveying people at times is a bit confusing, as characters can tend to look alike, but the color palette with it's grim colors is fitting for the story.

I was happy to review this title from Dead Reckoning, a new imprint from Naval Institute Press, and I look forward to other titles from this publisher. Thank you also to NetGalley for the chance to read this.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having never read the original text (and recognizing that I likely won't) sometimes the graphic novel adaptations can be the next best thing- and in this case- when I don't have anything to compare it to, it gives me fresh eyes to evaluate the artwork as well as the story without any pretense.

It worked, it's a portrait of war, pain, anguish. And, again, war. What would a reader expect? It's bleak but necessary. There was some creativity in delivering certain scenes and the content but hard to swallow nonetheless.

[Frank Scherrman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good graphic adaptation. The original was one of the two books that drove me to becoming a history teacher. I truly believe that everyone should read All Quiet on the Western Front. Read the original, and then this one.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Quiet on The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque http://realini.blogspot.com/2016/08/a... the 2022 adaptation of the classic was nominated for the most important BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Oscars, winner of multiple prestigious awards and the idea for this note

10 out of 10





All Quiet on The Western Front is not just a ‘classic magnum opus’, it should also a quintessential part of the education of teenagers – younger children would probably be overwhelmed by the violence and monstrosity exposed, albeit this is often too much for adults, I had to see the latest adaptation in installments, all at the same time would be too horrible, no matter how much of the ‘real thing’, images of war in Ukraine we have now on the daily news – so that they learn what war means



There is a wonderful book by mesmerizing Ian Morris, War What Is It Good For http://realini.blogspot.com/2015/08/w... that looks at the history of warfare and comes to some astounding conclusions…he is also the celebrated author of Why The West Rules For Now http://realini.blogspot.com/2017/10/w... two fabulous works that will transform the view of the world of the reader, unless he is a bigoted, conspiracy theory enthusiast

Reading War What Is It Good For and Why The West Rules For Now we understand much better the history and perhaps to some extent the present of humanity, while being amused in the process -“Reg: All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us? PFJ Member: Brought peace? Reg: Oh, peace? SHUT UP!” this was a dialogue from Monty Python’s Life of Brian http://realini.blogspot.com/2017/03/m... that makes a good point



The Romans waged war on much of the world as they knew it, when barbarians and others did not attack them, but we could argue using the comedy lines above that, once they conquered new territories, the old, among the first major ‘imperialists’ brought sanitation, medicine, education, public order, irrigation, the famous roads, fresh water system, the baths, and yes, eventually peace, and Ian Morris makes some strong arguments in favor of the theory that wars have brought some good…

Besides, he is demonstrates that with time, the conflicts would diminish, we would have less and less wars and a more stable peace, a theory embraced also by one of the most distinguished luminaries of the present, Yuval Harari, author of Homo Deus – A Brief History of Tomorrow http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/h... and two other major books, Homo Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind, and 21 Lessons For The Twenty First Century



Indeed, in the last century we have had two cataclysmic, horrendous World Wars, but statistics showed that overall, with the end of these two awful, planetary conflicts, the world has seen a wonderful advent of peace, Europe looked set to enjoy a bright present and future, with humans becoming almost Gods, as predicted in Homo Deus, where we see a luminous perspective, people living more and more, to the point where they may reach immortality, Artificial Intelligence will drive cars, and we will have Kant and Schumacher taking care of that, the perfect efficiency and unlimited knowledge of the machines will improve almost any aspect of the lives of those generations, except they will have to choose their careers carefully, few areas will be spared, archeologists will still be in demand…as humans, not AI

Alas, there came the war in Ukraine, we should say the latest, for the brief conflict in 2014 was mostly ignored, since Russia used its ‘little green men’, after denying it has anybody there, to snatch the Crimea from its ‘brothers’ and then, almost one year ago, they have launched a brutal, massive, monstrous attack on a country that had done nothing to deserve this, they just have land that Putin wants.



At the health club where I have returned after a long absence, caused by the pandemic and then prolonged due to mistrust of their managerial skills (for instance, in 2019 I had told them about the massive quantities of soap that they throw down the drain, since they have one soap dispenser that is broken, and all they put it, comes out almost instantly and then is washed to the sewage in a repellent way…they had not fixed it, and furthermore, when I insisted and said OK, you do not have the plumber or some god damn reason for all this, but at the very least, stop putting soap in that damaged recipient, because it is all down the toilet, nothing doing, I return in December 2022 and keep telling them the same story, and what do you think they do, they close the outdoor Jacuzzi on making savings grounds, but all the time, perhaps for an uninterrupted period of Three Fucking years, they have thrown a ton of soap down the pipes, and what a lough, they call themselves World Class, as in that is what they offer and have, unbeaten management, services…Jesus, Mary and Joseph) we were talking war.

Some were just saying about the fact that Putin may have tried to spare the enemy, for he could use such force…well, he did pound the innocent civilians massively, the only thing that he has not used, but used as blackmail – and it works, they have repeated yesterday the leit motif, that the Americans and others will not send fighting jets, worried that it could escalate, and climb up to what, well, nuclear clashes would be the only thing left and then a head on between the nuclear armed countries and the end of it all –



We should have learned from All Quiet on The Western Front, history and what we could still see from clashes that take place in realms of the world, from Somalia to Myanmar, Congo to Libya and Syria, but the problem the world has is that tyrants and lunatics seem to make their way to the top, Putin in Russia, his fan, Trump in America, and the Chinese will attack Taiwan, it is just a question of when, not if, and seeing as their military, economic power is increasing and they will take the first place soon, with the rotten system they have (we had had commies here for decades, care of the Soviets and the old Putins) the world needs to worry I took part in the Revolution that toppled Ceausescu, this is The Newsweek article that proves it http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r... and this is how I look at the world http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u...

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel adaptation of the anti-war classic WWI novel by Remarque is an effective reminder that war is not glorious.

Nineteen year old Paul Bäumer and three of his friends from the university are guilted into enlisting in the war by their professor. Together, they go through training, fight courageously in battle, and experience all of the horrors of warfare. Bäumer experiences loss of some of these friends, grieving along with his fellow soldiers. When he is given leave to visit family, he realizes that he no longer belongs in this world of peace. He returns to the front and fighting as a result.

Vansant has done a spectacular job of retaining the highlights of Remarque's work, while showing the graphic horrors experienced by front-line soldiers during the first modern war of science. Told from the viewpoint of a young German man who has to grow up too fast, his range of emotions are palpable - the terror, fear, hunger, uncertainty, grief. The text is evenly mixed between storytelling in frame captions and word bubble conversations. Passages can be very dramatic (ex. when talking about all of the risks of death they experience daily at the front), pointed (ex. when Bäumer finds Himmelstoss cowering in the trenches pretending to be wounded), and often ironic (ex. when the young 20-year-old jaded friends call themselves "old folk").

Along the same lines, Vansant does not pull any punches with the graphics. Readers see a headless corpse walking with the soldier's blown-off head flying; men burning from flame-thrower fire; Bäumer climbing into a dislodged casket with a corpse for safety; and every war wound imaginable is shown in graphic detail. The full-page illustration of a tank coming through the bomb craters of No Man's Land heading for the trenches of the Germans is striking, as it shows the fear the Germans felt for this weapon of destruction. The full-color illustrations vary in quality of detail, however this technique fits in with war - they are both messy.

Due to the graphic violence, this is for mature teens and adults. Highly Recommended.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A graphic novel adaptation of the classic that tells of the experiences of a German soldier during WWI.

There’s something about bringing the horrors of war to life in visual form that makes it that much more poignant and powerful. This isn’t a fun graphic novel; that isn’t the point. It is an eye-opening reminder that war isn’t exciting or glorious, it is horrible, awful, disgusting, and results in broken men emotionally and physically. It is sad, and heart-rending. And if this book can help encourage people to campaign for peaceful solutions to conflicts, well, then it is an important read. But it is most definitely not for everyone. I will only recommend this very carefully. Some may prefer to watch the movie 1917 as it gets across the same points without some of the sexual innuendo (though the movie is also much, MUCH more intense, so certain readers who can’t handle the movie may prefer the book). This also may be a good read to help people understand a teensy bit of what has brought someone to the point of suffering from PTSD. Be careful who you hand it to, though, it could easily scar more than help. Hopefully, those who do read this graphic novel will be inspired for peace.

Notes on content [based on the ARC]: About 10-15 minor swear words. There are two instances where sexual activity is implied but it happens under a blanket or in a dark room and isn’t shown. (One is a married couple, the other isn’t.) There are several butt scenes (one set hazing an officer, one set swimming and the guys meet some women while the guys are naked, and another set when soldiers get the runs). Very realistic and graphic war violence shown on page including blood, guts, severed limbs, etc., etc. The death count is also super high, as is accurate for WWI. Smoking and drinking alcohol are engaged in as was the custom of the time period.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Corinne Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

All Quiet on the Western Front is a WWI story. A Great War story, told from the point of view of a teenaged German soldier. A story of death and horrific destruction, a story of young boys who never have a chance to become even young men. A story of what war steals from you, the holes that its nonsensical violence will rip in your soul that cannot be mended rightly. A story of what it means to be comrades in arms, about what time in the trenches together can do to bond two people. It is, from beginning to end, a story about the kind of death that makes one question everything about life.

Upsetting? Yes. So very upsetting. It is GRAPHIC, as you can imagine, and not for the faint of heart. For myself, I'm actually glad I chose to get into the heart of this novel in this form instead of reading the actual novel. It's so much to process, so painful to think of these boys who left their mothers to fight in a war, without any other life experience to shore them up. The illustrator does a really solid job of giving you a sense of how sometimes these soldiers are like old men and sometime they are just boys. The text flows well and even though I have never learned anything about this book before, I followed it easily and was moved, so moved, by the tragedy of it all.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful adaptation of the classic novel.

It's been many years since I read the original book All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (who was himself a veteran of World War I). This graphic novel captures the spirit of the source material nicely.

It is the story of a group of idealistic students who, at the urging of a teacher, join the war time army with romanticized notions of honor and valor. They soon discover the harsh truth that war is a kind of hell that will begin to change them until they hardly recognize who they were or even who they've become.

This is a good introduction to a classic work but it is dark stuff. The kind of trench war fought in WW I was physically brutal and psychologically devastating so while this version doesn't exploit it there is also no softening or sugar coating.

***Thanks NetGalley, Dead Reckoning Comics, and artist Wayne Vansant for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Amber (ambernreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novelization of the original novel by Remarque did a wonderful job of showing the story visually. It didn’t stray from the original text at all, and whilst we loose some of the poetic nature of the original text—the visuals truly make up for it. We see the images of war: the injuries, sorrow, pain, and the bits of humanity felt so strongly it makes you wonder what it’s all for. Wayne Vasant’s comic art style pairs well with war (or in this case anti-war) pieces.

Overall this was an adaption worthy of a read; while the original text is more detailed, poetic, and personal—for those who retain information better visually or are simply looking for a way to remember what war truly looks like this is a great option.



I was given a copy of this title from Dead Reckoning/Naval Institute Press via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowing nothing of the original, I found this quite bitty, and episodic, with certainly at first not enough in the way of flow. The artwork is well directed but as expected lets the reader really struggle to tell one grunt from another, too. That said, however, there is something about the design – featureless bright blue sky notwithstanding – that manages to convey the horror, blood and guts of trench warfare without being sensationalist about it. Which I believe to be in keeping with the Remarque – so this has to count as a successful adaptation. It hasn't encouraged me to turn to the prose original, however – far from it. Three and a half stars for a story that does manage to grow in impact, and slowly prove why it became so famous.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this graphic adaptation of the classic novel of the same name. I don't know if it follows the novel exactly, because I haven't read it......but after reading this, I do intend to! Vansant does very nice artwork, even if quite graphic itself....an honest portrayal of those WWI scenes of war & that time period. I will be looking forward to reading more of Vansant's work. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about history, youth or adult.
I received an e-copy of this graphic novel from the publisher Dead Reckoning, via NetGalley.....in exchange for my offering to read it & post my own fair/honest review.

[Craig Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the oppportunity to read and review this book. How do you make one of the classic novels of the 20th century better? By making it into a beautifully scripted graphic novel. The original does a good job describing the horrors of war but to some readers the complete visualization is difficult. This graphic novel helps put everything in perspective. The reader cannot help but give sympathy to the young German soldiers that populate this book.

[Katie Haasch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I read the graphic novel version of All Quiet on the Western Front I’m still moved by the horrors of war. WWI was the first war of such magnitude and war tactics that killed thousands and divided father. Son. Brothers. Friend. The horrors these soldiers faced on the battlefield. Watching their friends and brothers is arms die.

I plan on reading the novel form someday.

[Jill Gerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning adaptation. The sequential art enhances the story and makes the harrowing WWI experience come alive. Highly, recommend for the 11th to 12th grade and college Humanities classroom. Looking forward to reading more from this new imprint, Dead Reckoning.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great adaptation and what an undertaking to bring this big story to such a human level. The artwork was cinematic, the story gripping. With the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI just upon us, I was curious about the subject, and this provided a good introduction. Putting the novel on my TBR.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A viscerally affective graphic novel adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's work. Vansant pulls no punches in his vivid depictions of the brutalities and horrors of war.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved this story and it was great to read it in a graphic novel form. I think this is a very important book for people to read about WWI. I also loved the art in it.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I promised myself I’d read a classic every now and again and this little graphic novel showed up at the right time. I’m so intrigued that I may pick up the actual novel.

[Mickey Bits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent intro to the novel for reluctant readers. It utilizes actual text from the book.

[Blane · Rating 5 out of 5]

In-f*cking-tense.

[LG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story sticks to the original book.