THE SACRIFICE

Bruce Mutard- Allen & Unwin- NZ$39.95 Au$35

I was a great consumer of comics as a child, especially the English weeklies like Beano, Eagle & Valiant, and of course The Phantom and Scrooge McDuck.

In spite of this I have never really got "into" graphic novels so it was with some reluctance that I picked up and began reading The Sacrifice. Initially I thought it might be a half hour read but in fact I quickly became engrossed and was surprised to find that in fact it took me almost three hours.

Graphic novels in s strange sort of way require more effort than a standard novel. There is not a lot of text so the reader has to study the pictures to pick up the fine details of the story.

Melbourne-based author/illustrator Mutard took 10 months and eight drafts to write his script while the 2500 illustrations, all hand drawn with ink on paper, took over two years of continuous work.

The story is set in Melbourne in the war years 1939-1942 and explores the themes of war and pacifism, strongly held ideals, masculinity, national identity, family and love as the protagonist Robert Wells struggles with his inner conflict as to whether or not he should enlist in the army.

We are told The Sacrifice is Book One in The Robert Wells Trilogy. I look forward to parts two and three.