“A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge” by Josh Neufeld

For intent and concept, I give this an “A”. For execution, a “C”. “A.D.” is a story of Katrina as told through the eyes of five individuals/couples/families who experienced it. As a concept, it’s smart. We see this huge and horrific event from different perspectives – rich and poor, black and white. Since this was a disaster that highlighted those on the margin, I found it interesting to read about the spectrum of impacts. The weaker elements of the book, however, frustrated me. The color choices in this graphic novel are sometimes poor. For the opening bird’s eye view of the city (clever idea), the roads are indistinguishable from the water. I believe a clear delineation would have made more impact on readers who don’t understand the presence of water around New Orleans. The interwoven stories often start and stop abruptly, meaning that I had to re-read some panels to keep track of where things were heading. My biggest complaint was that the factual information is simply wrong. Misrepresenting the number of lives lost, for instance, is not acceptable five years after the tragedy. The timelines are also somewhat off, as the levy break that caused the flooding happened after the actual storm (compared to the story in the book, which seems to indicate the flood taking place at the height of the storm). Here’s the thing – this book takes the events “as told” by those it affected. It’s pretty much understood that those who live through a traumatic event remember it through the filter of powerful emotions. Which means that the feelings of the event are clear, even intensify over time, but the details … not so much. The strength of the book is the emotional tone. The image of the storm like a mushroom cloud over the Superdome is not so much fact as the “sense” of the event. Especially well-done is the story of the comic book writer who mentally pictures his lost belongings swirling around like waves of depression. The water metaphor alone is layered and powerful. Illustrated by Neufeld (a favorite of Harvey Pekar), the facial expressions are perfect and the backgrounds adequate. Based on a webzine, this book is definitely not for younger teens, as the language is clearly aimed at adults. If you want to get a number of perspectives on this event, read the book. If you are looking for something more meaty, try one of the excellent documentaries on the topic.