I'm not really a sentimental sort of person. Normally I cringe at heavy handed drama that wrings emotion out of tragic circumstances. Of course, this is somewhat different. There is not an American alive who wasn't affected by the events of September 11th, 2001. Most likely each of us will remember exactly what we were doing when we first heard the news. It was a tragic moment that will undoubtedly leave searing impressions for most of us.
Marvel was quick to rush out its' first tribute book. Heroes got quick media attention and was a difficult book to find around Christmas time. It was a noble effort, although the rushed manner in which it was put together showed. Mostly it was pinups of firemen and other people who sacrificed their life that day. Moment Of Silence followed with even weaker results. Then a group of independent publishers release 911, a collection of essays on the tragedy by alternative comic creators. It was largely uneven, but well intentioned. Finally, the long awaited DC and Dark Horse tribute books arrive. Rather than rush out a quick project, both companies took a little more time and lavished a great deal of work on the project. I have to admit to approaching this book with a bit of trepidation. I thought to myself, "Do we really need to read comic stories about that day? For that matter, do we care about more pinups of firemen?"
9-11 is separated into two volumes. The first is mostly made up of independent creators and is much bolder in its approach. The second is made up of DC creators and is a bit more commercial, as would be expected. There are so many diverse creators involved that it reads like a who's who of the comic industry. The first story in Volume One sets a famous World War One poem, "In Flanders Field", to images of that tragic day. Interestingly done, but it doesn't blow me away. Next we get a pinup of a fireman by Eric Powell, a prayer by Jon Muth, an odd story about a man who walked a tight rope across the Trade Center Towers by David Chelsea and then a couple more shorts. I am getting more interested, but again, I'm not knocked out. Then I get to "Sacrifice" by Paul Chadwick. "Sacrifice" simply relates the details (mostly known, a few speculated) of the passengers of Flight 93. By now everyone knows these details already. I certainly did. I knew every aspect of the story from countless news reports. And yet, reading this story moved me in a way that no news story has. It pounded home the power of comics as a storytelling medium. From that point on, I was hooked.
The first volume is the one that casual shoppers might put back on the shelf. It is filled with alternative cartoonists and the work is of a more personal nature than the second volume. Interestingly enough, many of the tales here are not specifically about September 11th. Instead, a number of the stories focus on recollections of New York, or wartime or some other aspect that has an important perephial meaning to the artist. This is good, as 192 pages of nothing but the Trade Center Towers on fire would be too relentless to take. The result is all the more striking. Frank Millers two page contribution is a waste of paper, but Trina Robbins, John Ostrander and many others deliver excellent work.
The second book of the two sports an Alex Ross cover and will be the one that everyone grabs first. It is divided into six sections: Nightmares, Heroes, Recollections, Unity, Dreams and Reflections. There is a six page Astro City tale by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson that conveys its' point flawlessly without ever mentioning September 11th. "Wake Up", b Joe Kelly and Scott Kolins is somewhat predictable, and yet still delivers a punch. While the DC volume has the more commercial approach, it also occasionally suffers from the more heavy handed as well.
Both books have their occasional weak spots, but even the misses still carry an emotional punch of some sort. In each case, the artist lays bear his or her fears and hopes and shares with us the images that linger with them. Each creator is offering us his or her own personal reaction to that day. Sometimes that takes the form of anger, sometimes irony. Sometimes it is a detached view of isolation melting away. You won't enjoy every piece here. But you will find yourself reading and reflecting on each piece. It is a testament to how powerful comics can be. If you can read through both volumes without being sincerely moved, then you simply aren't human.
All images on this page (except for the Marvel covers on the link)
are copyright 2001 DC Comics