Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought To Expose The Holocaust To America TPB Review
Summary: Sometimes a big difference can be made by only a handful of people.
4.7
Histories Heroes
The overall events of World War 2 are well known to most people. Most people are aware of the horrors that occurred and the importance of the allied forces putting an end to those horrors. What is less known is just what was required to bring news of the terrible atrocities to the people in power who could do something about it and in some cases what was required to finally get them to actually put into action ways to end the tragedy.
Writing
By telling four different stories about their respective whistleblowers we not only get a greater sense of just what these people went through to get the message across but just how many obstacles were put in their way. There are a mix of environments, bureaucratic sleuthing, journalistic reporting, first hand accounts that all made compelling cases and yet had to be dogged to get their messages across effectively. There are points where the writing make it quite frustrating because you can practically feel the frustration and sense of helplessness as attempts to expose the Holocaust are basically shut down. Fortunately there are also moments of relief… examples of human decency and “doing the right thing” whether it was technically the “approved” thing of the time.
Artwork
The panels are generally nice and clean with somewhat muted tones throughout. In a way I think keeping the artwork on the minimal side, not being awash with bright colours or fine detail helps to keep the focus on the stories themselves. The images certainly compliment the writing and at times are chillingly (but appropriately) evocative, but they don’t require you to stare at them for extended periods picking up all the little elements, they keep your focus on the key components and let you continue the journey of the story. It is also perhaps better to have erred on the less detailed/naturalistic images for the sake of the subject matter. Being too detailed and graphic may well have been more than some readers could handle.
Final Thoughts?
It is always important to remind people of how easy it is for those in power to turn a blind eye and how important it is that there are people who are willing to risk themselves to make sure people in power are held accountable. Though not strictly focusing on journalism, these stories do point out the critical importance of journalists and those who make an effort to not let heinous acts go unheard of, to make sure the general public has a right to know what is happening and therefor a right to make their own minds up. Fortunately these people did (eventually) get the message across and managed to create change that helped save many lives… who knows what the world would be like if they had not succeeded.
If you are interested in learning about some of the lesser known stories about the Holocaust or have a general interest in history I recommend grabbing a copy!
Gallery
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Rafael Medoff
Artist: Dean Motter
Cover Artist: Dean Motter
Genre: Non-Fiction
Format: 120pgs, FC, TPB
Release Date: 28th February, 2024
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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