Dead Reckoning, the new graphic novel imprint of the Naval Institute Press, has published Wayne Vansant’s adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel All Quiet On The Western Front. Authorized by the Remarque Estate and New York University Press, Vansant’s adaptation has been earning praise from critics leading up to its release.
Dead Reckoning’s website describes the graphic novel adaptation, writing:
This graphic novel recreates the classic story in vivid detail through meticulous research. The accurate depictions of uniforms, weapons, trenches, and death brings the horrors of the Western Front to life in a bold new way.
The advantage of the graphic form is that some of the scenes are actually better told visually. Physical viewpoint can shift, as the reader can look down on a shell-torn field of battle, or see the rats stampede through a bunkhouse setting. That is the real strength of this version, and Vansant did an excellent job of making use of that. The slow parts, though, are very slow in this form. This is not a story of battles, it’s a story of a slow, grinding war.
There is quite a bit of graphic violence in the book, but that is to be expected. This isn’t a Classics Illustrated version of the story, it’s a very adult, brutal retelling. There’s bravery and cowardice, hope and fear, life and death all through the story.
Review Fix: Why does this topic matter to you?
Vansant: All history matters. So much is being lost to us, and it is important to remember. Re- marque’s book was a very important element in the 1920s that helped veterans deal with their memories of the war. All Quiet show that these men were real people, not black-and-white cut outs.
Review Fix: How do you want to affect people that already care about it?
Vansant: I want them to see the detail that was impossible to convey in the text of the novel. I tried to pick the right faces for the different characters. I have had some difference of opinions with friends on exactly when the story took place. Many who have not read the novel for a long time think the book bounces around through the war randomly. I believe the narrative begins in the late spring of 1917 and continues to the end of the war.