It’s a house divided in this week’s “So You Want To Read Comics”.  This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic or genre, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic or genre.  This week it’s all about The American Civil War.

After decades of tensions brewing between northern states and southern states, particularly over the issue of slavery, The American Civil War officially began in 1861.  What would follow would be the bloodiest conflict ever for The United States. Over a million people would go on to be either killed or wounded during the war.  The conflict lasted only four years with The Union, or “the North” coming out as the victor, but the aftermath can still be felt in ideology, society, and pop culture, among other things. Books depicting dramatic retellings of battles, romanticized versions of soldiers and generals, and the virtues of both southern and northern society became popular in the years after the The Civil War, like Gone With The Wind for example. The time period has endured in public consciousness and continues to be a well-utilized time period for movies, TV shows, and documentaries.

So those with an interest in The American Civil War itself or the movies, books, and shows that utilize its setting or events, here are a couple of comic books that might interest you.

BATTLE LINES: A GRAPHIC HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR

Writer: Jonathan Fetter-Vorm and Ari Kelman
Artist: Jonathan Fetter-Vorm
Publisher: Hill and Wang

For those who prefer their Civil War content to fall more to the educational side of things, like Ken Burns’: Civil War, this is the graphic novel for you.  This is essentially a collection of infographics and visual representations of both the actual events of the Civil War but also the concepts that led to it and arose after it.  What’s particularly nice about how this book handles the subject matter is its completeness.  The use of a visual medium like a graphic novel allows it to convey a lot of information without the need for blocks and blocks of text.  This also allows for it to avoid any sort of impartiality due to not including some piece of information or event.  With the focus being on education as opposed to only entertain, the art is predictably clear and inoffensive.  Don’t expect any wild flourishes or embellishments, the art is crisp and is there to convey the information and not be a distraction.  This book does have both a physical version and a digital version which is nice because it allows for zooming on some of the images that have smaller type.

DMZ

Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Riccardo Burchielli
Publisher: DC Comics

Okay, admittedly, this is a strange recommendation, but stick with me.  When talking about the Civil War, a lot of focus is put on the battles and other military action, which is fair.  But, some of the most compelling stories are the ones belonging to those left at home trying to get by as the nation pulled itself apart.  In DMZ, the 2nd American Civil War has happened and the fighting has reached a standstill transforming New York City into a no man’s land cutoff from both sides.  The story follows a reporter named Matty as he navigates through Manhattan learning how people are getting by, the dangers that are present, and the myriad of feelings people have about the ongoing conflict.  Partway through the series, the focus moves away from Matty and starts to show vignettes of other character’s lives and mindsets, which like the actual Civil War are often complex and deeply personal.  DMZ has finished as a series and can be read in its entirety via 22 volumes.

What did you think of these recommendations? Do you have some of your own?  Let us know in the comments section below.

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