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A review by daveparry67
24 Panels by Alan Moore, Al Ewing, Kieron Gillen
4.0
I bought this after I went to a day’s workshop with the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service, describing their work & how they were set up in the wake of the fire. It was a powerful & inspiring day & the proceeds from this publication go to the work of all organisations addressing the needs of people involved & affected by the psychological consequences of the fire. It’s a companion volume to ’24 Stories of Hope for Survivors of the Grenfell Tower Fire’, edited by Kathy Burke, which I’m reading & enjoying in between other books this year.
This consists of a series of graphic stories, each using no more than 24 panels, echoing the 24 storeys of the Grenfell Tower (& possibly, I wondered, the panels of disastrous, flammable cladding on the building). Some directly reference the fire, the response of the authorities & the experiences of the individuals & community affected; others describe different traumatic & troubling events, the effects of which parallel those of the fire. Some seem to strand alone & all portray one or combinations of the themes of solidarity, persistence, hope, community, frustration, anger, pain, positivity & unity. Some try to explain, others condemn, others just sit with the pain.
I’ve not read a graphic novel or comic like this before; it’s instantly accessible, colourful, striking, shocking, sobering, hopeful & insightful. The styles are varied, some quite stark & monotone, others rich & colourful; some of the images are terrifying, macabre & frightening, others are soft, innocent & soothing. Some are sequential comic book narratives, others are single or interconnected images; there’s even a very clever ‘choose your own story comic’ which leads you through different options about starting in a new job!
There’s validation, condemnation, humour & innovation here; it feels young, modern, relevant & respectful. I read it quite quickly once I started it & I can see myself dipping into it again many times in order to experience its full benefit & impact. Utterly unique in my year’s reading so far, I might consider getting a copy of the graphic novel that was in the Booker Prize longlist (‘Sabrina’ by Nick Drnaso) on the strength of this. Well worth getting a copy (if only to support the cause) & rewards open-minded consideration.
This consists of a series of graphic stories, each using no more than 24 panels, echoing the 24 storeys of the Grenfell Tower (& possibly, I wondered, the panels of disastrous, flammable cladding on the building). Some directly reference the fire, the response of the authorities & the experiences of the individuals & community affected; others describe different traumatic & troubling events, the effects of which parallel those of the fire. Some seem to strand alone & all portray one or combinations of the themes of solidarity, persistence, hope, community, frustration, anger, pain, positivity & unity. Some try to explain, others condemn, others just sit with the pain.
I’ve not read a graphic novel or comic like this before; it’s instantly accessible, colourful, striking, shocking, sobering, hopeful & insightful. The styles are varied, some quite stark & monotone, others rich & colourful; some of the images are terrifying, macabre & frightening, others are soft, innocent & soothing. Some are sequential comic book narratives, others are single or interconnected images; there’s even a very clever ‘choose your own story comic’ which leads you through different options about starting in a new job!
There’s validation, condemnation, humour & innovation here; it feels young, modern, relevant & respectful. I read it quite quickly once I started it & I can see myself dipping into it again many times in order to experience its full benefit & impact. Utterly unique in my year’s reading so far, I might consider getting a copy of the graphic novel that was in the Booker Prize longlist (‘Sabrina’ by Nick Drnaso) on the strength of this. Well worth getting a copy (if only to support the cause) & rewards open-minded consideration.