This is a phenomenal comic - "The New Face of War: Dysart on 'Unknown Soldier.'"

The new Unknown Soldier comic from DC Comics Vertigo line is out-freaking-standing. And I usually don't care much for war comics. The writer gives a hell of an interview over at Newsarama on the series.

He also keeps a hell of an interesting blog on the background of the war in Uganda here -Behind the Scenes: "Unknown Soldier"

And it wouldn't be me if I didn't note/point out the fact that the war in Uganda is another mindless, cruel and bloody clusterfuck brought to you by the healing powers of religion.

Newsarama.com : The New Face of War: Dysart on Unknown Soldier:

"NRAMA: ...this new Unknown Soldier hears advice and complex military tactical information.. but he's just a doctor. The big question is 'where is this information coming from?'. What's behind the secret?

JD: To me that’s not really the big question. I mean we are all a lie to some degree. So Moses turned out to be a really big lie, oh well. Why or how he’s a lie is just a matter of plot mechanics. For me, what causes the voice isn’t the big question. The big question is how much of Moses’ actions are made by personal choice and how much are coming from an unknown source? Where is free will in all of this and where is socialization, or programming or even pre-determinism? That’s what’s interesting to me.

NRAMA: An interesting turn for this book is the fact that from the outset, the identity of the Unknown Soldier is known to us. If he's known, what is the unknown here?

JD: The title doesn’t necessarily suggest that the “unknown” will be kept from the reader. It’s more about what the characters themselves do not know. The voice in Moses is an unknown soldier to him. Moses, in turn, becomes an unknown soldier to the Acholi people. Kony is an unknown soldier to the world. And this war is an unknown war. So there are lots of unknowns here. On top of it all, there’s also the notion of the Unknown Soldier that was put forth in the 1950’s Finnish novel of the same title, meaning the unknown plight of the common soldier during the timeless act of war. I think that’s part of our play on the title as well.

NRAMA: This title has a big history in comics, although your incarnation is new. How does this book tie in with the previous Unknown Soldier stories?

JD: That’s a surprise for the readers to find out. Although the astute among you have probably already got a pretty strong lock on it at this point.

NRAMA: One issue I saw brought up early on was the role of religion – specifically Christianity. Will religion play a bigger role as the series progresses?

JD: Christianity is a huge thing in Uganda and a defining aspect of this war. The British conquered with the bible before they conquered with the gun. Christianity is so pervasive that many American evangelicals and faith healers tour there often and fill whole soccer stadiums. Most of them charging, what to a Ugandan can be a great deal of money, to - I feel - prey on their belief.

NRAMA: In the Vertigo column "On The Edge", you describe yourself as an off-again on-again pacifist. Where does that thin line between the two lie for you, and how does it relate to this book?

JD: Truth is, I’m not a pacifist. I don’t identify myself as that any more. I was once. And I do still see violence as the absolute last resort. I, for instance, do not agree with Moses’ actions in this book. The use of violence calls for great care as it virtually always causes more problems then it solves. Kill a man and you make an enemy of his whole family. Kill a people and you make an enemy of the world. So, not even speaking morally, just pragmatically, violence should only be used as an absolute final means of problem solving. The question is, who decides when all the other avenues of negotiation and problem solving have been fully exhausted? That question is mankind’s perpetual struggle. And that’s a lot of what I hope this book is about."