Polite Dissent

Demo #7, “One Shot, Don’t Miss“, has been one of my favorite issues of the series. The protagonist is John Hatfield, a young man who has joined the Army to support his wife and child and to earn money for college. However, when he arrives in Iraq he finds that he cannot bring himself to shoot at the enemy. He considers it murder and refuses to take part in it. In short order, he is discharged from the military and home with his wife and child. Shocked by his choice, his wife is extremely upset with him and concerned for their future. Hatfield may have left the Army, but his life seems little better at home.

The stark black and white art by Becky Cloonan is very beautiful and extremely powerful. Her use of shadows is masterful and the style fits the grim story perfectly.

Writer Brian Wood is using this issue as a forum to speak out both against the Iraq war and against the recruiting tactics used by the armed forces. Whatever points aren’t conveyed in the comic itself are clearly spelled out in his commentary in the back. I have no problems with comic books being political and taking sides on issues. I also have no problems with Wood’s positions. His live journal entries clearly show his commitment to these views and I commend that. While I may not necessarily agree with him, I do not find his views unreasonable or dishonest.

However, I am concerned about some misinformation that is conveyed in the comic. According to the story, Hatfield had to borrow money from his father-in-law in order to pay to enroll in the G.I. Bill. This is a misleading depiction of the situation. The Montgomery G.I. Bill does have a $1200 “buy in”, but it’s not a lump sum that needs to be paid up front as the story and Wood’s column suggests. Instead it is a $100 deduction from monthly pay for the first year in the military. That’s not to say that that there aren’t downsides to the G.I. Bill, there are (the deposit is non-refundable, for starters), but it’s not the financial hardship Wood implies.

Wood also posts a flier on his website (reproduced here so I don’t steal his bandwidth). The flier makes some interesting points, but I am suspicious of many of its statistics. I’m sure they are real numbers, but are presented in a very one-sided misleading manner. This is not to say that their points may not be valid, it’s just that they are spun so hard (and not sourced) that it’s hard to tell. I agree with some of the points and I disagree with some, but I dislike political spin and I loathe the misrepresentation of statistics.

The art and writing on Demo #7 are excellent. The series has often been thought-provoking in a personal way, but now it takes on a political aspect as well. While I may not agree with the conclusions writer Brian Wood reaches, I agree that these are important issues to discuss. As for the art of Becky Cloonan, this is simply her best issue yet.

Disclaimer:
Let me make my biases clear and upfront. I served in the military for four years as a member of the Air Force Medical Corps. I am proud of serving and proud of what I accomplished in my time in the military. While there were some parts I was not fond of (gas mask training, for instance), overall I enjoyed my military experience. While I was deployed to the Middle East for an extended period of time, I did not experience combat (and I’m glad I did not). However, I fully understood that my role in the military included the possibility of combat.

I do not feel the military is perfect or could not be changed for the better. An ideal military would provide equal opportunites and education to all interested and determined individuals.

UPDATE (3 Sept 04): Be sure to read Brian Wood’s replies in the comments section.