Reviews of graphic novels and comic book collections every Tuesday and Thursday.


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When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs
Growing up in the late 70s and early 80s, nothing scared me more than nuclear war. Fear of the bomb was constantly with me and I found myself daydreaming about what I would do if I survived a nuclear blast. Of course that was silly as the chances of my surviving would be slim, especially since I lived near a major city that was almost certainly high on the Russians hit list.

But for the retired couple in When the Wind Blows (1982, Schocken Books, Amazon listing) living out in a rural area of England, perhaps they would be on the outlying areas of a blast. Unfortunately for them, they have put their faith in their government which Raymond Briggs shows is entirely misplaced.

Through a serious of malapropisms, Jim tells his wife that a war might be coming and that they need to take action to shelter themselves. His proper wife, remembering WWII, is sure that they'll be fine. Despite reading the papers, Jim has no concept of what a war would be like. They are both living in the past. To the modern reader, their discussions are quite funny.

Although only 38 pages, the book is crammed with panels and words by Briggs. There are upwards of a dozen panels on most pages and each is mostly taken up by word balloons as you get the impression that these two characters can't stop talking. When they do, it is because Briggs has broken up the book with eerie two-page spreads showing nuclear submarines, airplane formations, or a simple empty page depicting the bomb exploding.

By the end when the couple starts to succumb to radiation poisoning, any humor that existed is forgotten and the horror truly sets in for the reader.

When the Wind Blows 4 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 8:00 AM