When two tribes go to war
THE OTHER SIDE by James Aaron; illustrations Cameron Stewart; Vertigo, pp144, ISBN 1401213502
Most descriptions of war, be they oral, visual, or written, are usually only presented from one battle camp. Some of the most famous war films about Vietnam, such as Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, and Born on the Fourth of July present only the point of view of the beleaguered American forces. The Vietnam War, to this day, is still a sore point for most Americans and it is extremely rare to come across any account of the war from the side of the Vietcong written by an American author.
The Other Side, although written by American newcomer Jason Aaron, does not just focus on the American perspective of the conflict. The plot of the first issue of this mini-series (the Trade Paperback collects the entire series of The Other Side in one edition) alternates between its two protagonists, Bill Everette, a recently drafted conscript into the Marine Corps, and Vo Binh Dai, a willing recruit into the People's Army of Vietnam.
The text deals no judgment on the protagonists and does not choose sides. The portrayal of both protagonists is equal and the reader is allowed to get an intimate glimpse into their psyches, and witness their thoughts on the impending battles that they will soon be thrown into.
Bill Everette's journey begins at Boot Camp with the stereotypical foul-mouthed, hard-hitting, drill sergeant. Everette is not a willing recruit and does not want to be sent to a far off land populated by an enemy which he has been told is cold-blooded and shows no mercy. His world is populated by delirious visions of decimated corpses, all killed in the jungles of Vietnam; all yearning to turn him into a corpse. His rifle begins to speak to him, goading him to commit suicide. He is consumed by his fear of death and views Vietnam as hell on earth.
Alternatively, Vo Binh Dai is a willing recruit in his country's Army and his only fear is the possibility of failure; of not being able to fulfil his duty. He does not want to let down his family, his ancestors and his country. He looks around at the landscape of his once beautiful country and sees only a graveyard populated by the corpses killed by the Americans. Vo Binh Dai is also plagued by visions of phantoms but they are the ghosts of comrades that he is unable to help.
Both sides are continuously fed propaganda and soon the tales of the enemy become distorted and unreal. The Americans are thought to be merciless blood-hungry enslavers. Each of their soldiers is ruthless and committed to destruction and terror. The Vietcong are also bloodthirsty and have no respect for any form of human life. They are barbarians and uncivilised and only want to spread the rot of communism throughout the world.
After reading the propaganda while concurrently seeing how the protagonists act in reality and their reasons for entering the war, the reader is made aware of how strong the power of suggestion can be and what effect it can have on a person's mind. Both sides are continually fed stories of the inhumanity of the enemy but they are anything but inhuman monsters. Rather, they are full of conflicting emotions, fears and doubts.
Cameron Stewart's artwork is atmospheric and executed with precision. The visceral artwork depicting the corpses and phantoms is frightening and creates a feeling of discomfort which is perfectly in line with that experienced by the protagonists. The detailed artwork compliments the unbiased writing style. The drill instructors on both sides are drawn as red eyed, pale faced creatures resembling vampires. The American recruits are skinny, scared-looking teenagers. The palette used for the Vietcong is composed mainly of dull greens and browns, colours which complement their quiet nature.
The Other Side is a rare creation, a story about the Vietnam War which bestows humanity to both sides of the conflict. It offers a unique glimpse into the Vietnam conflict through a tense war story and superb artwork.
• Mr Vella is a comic book enthusiast and dreams about the day when all people everywhere will turn into pixellated representations on his computer screen.
• A review copy of this title was supplied by Malta Comics, www.maltacomics.com
The Other Side, although written by American newcomer Jason Aaron, does not just focus on the American perspective of the conflict. The plot of the first issue of this mini-series (the Trade Paperback collects the entire series of The Other Side in one edition) alternates between its two protagonists, Bill Everette, a recently drafted conscript into the Marine Corps, and Vo Binh Dai, a willing recruit into the People's Army of Vietnam.
The text deals no judgment on the protagonists and does not choose sides. The portrayal of both protagonists is equal and the reader is allowed to get an intimate glimpse into their psyches, and witness their thoughts on the impending battles that they will soon be thrown into.
Bill Everette's journey begins at Boot Camp with the stereotypical foul-mouthed, hard-hitting, drill sergeant. Everette is not a willing recruit and does not want to be sent to a far off land populated by an enemy which he has been told is cold-blooded and shows no mercy. His world is populated by delirious visions of decimated corpses, all killed in the jungles of Vietnam; all yearning to turn him into a corpse. His rifle begins to speak to him, goading him to commit suicide. He is consumed by his fear of death and views Vietnam as hell on earth.
Alternatively, Vo Binh Dai is a willing recruit in his country's Army and his only fear is the possibility of failure; of not being able to fulfil his duty. He does not want to let down his family, his ancestors and his country. He looks around at the landscape of his once beautiful country and sees only a graveyard populated by the corpses killed by the Americans. Vo Binh Dai is also plagued by visions of phantoms but they are the ghosts of comrades that he is unable to help.
Both sides are continuously fed propaganda and soon the tales of the enemy become distorted and unreal. The Americans are thought to be merciless blood-hungry enslavers. Each of their soldiers is ruthless and committed to destruction and terror. The Vietcong are also bloodthirsty and have no respect for any form of human life. They are barbarians and uncivilised and only want to spread the rot of communism throughout the world.
After reading the propaganda while concurrently seeing how the protagonists act in reality and their reasons for entering the war, the reader is made aware of how strong the power of suggestion can be and what effect it can have on a person's mind. Both sides are continually fed stories of the inhumanity of the enemy but they are anything but inhuman monsters. Rather, they are full of conflicting emotions, fears and doubts.
Cameron Stewart's artwork is atmospheric and executed with precision. The visceral artwork depicting the corpses and phantoms is frightening and creates a feeling of discomfort which is perfectly in line with that experienced by the protagonists. The detailed artwork compliments the unbiased writing style. The drill instructors on both sides are drawn as red eyed, pale faced creatures resembling vampires. The American recruits are skinny, scared-looking teenagers. The palette used for the Vietcong is composed mainly of dull greens and browns, colours which complement their quiet nature.
The Other Side is a rare creation, a story about the Vietnam War which bestows humanity to both sides of the conflict. It offers a unique glimpse into the Vietnam conflict through a tense war story and superb artwork.
• Mr Vella is a comic book enthusiast and dreams about the day when all people everywhere will turn into pixellated representations on his computer screen.
• A review copy of this title was supplied by Malta Comics, www.maltacomics.com