The Non-Combatant War

DMZ. Vol. 5, The hidden war by Brian Wood, writer ; Riccardo Burchielli, Danijel Zezelj, Nathan Fox, artists. Published in New York, NY by DC Comics, c2008.

The hidden war of the title is the the one going on with the civilians, rather than the soldiers - an American civil war being waged on the island of Manhattan. We meet creative people, professionals and activists and the stories weave seamlessly together to give the ultimate message that what we're left with is a battle against war in their city. The drawing is immediate and sometimes violent, the colours rich and evocative. The best of the DMZ series.

Nonfiction Graphic Novel about Palestine

Palestine by Joe Sacco. Published in Seattle, WA by Fantagraphic Books, 2001.

Originally published in two volumes in 1993, this book documents the interviews (over 100)he did with Palestinians and Jews and experiences of his time in Gaza Strip and the West Bank, December 1991 and January 1992. He brings his characters alive on the page in vivid black and white. The stories are dark, about death and destruction, loss, pain. At times it's uncomfortable reading, but if you want some perspectives on the situation in Israel and the occupied territories, then this is a gripping read. Sacco is a master and innovator of the nonfiction graphic novel, bringing together survival stories from people living with war in their everyday lives.