Jacques Tardi grew up hearing about his father’s life as a soldier during World War II, particularly his years spent as a prisoner of war behind German lines. As Jacques rose to fame and prowess as a cartoonist, he realized he had a unique opportunity to turn his father’s tale into an illustrated biography. Utilizing meticulous journals prepared by his father, he ultimately crafted the story into three linked graphic novels, which have now been compiled into one complete box set.
Buy The Complete I, René Tardi, P.O.W. hard coverThe first book dives into René’s very brief time on the front lines of the war, especially his memories of being a tank driver. One of the most harrowing scenes in the entire series is Rene’s recollection of the time he drove his tank over a group of German soldiers, leaving a mass of ground meat in his wake. By the midpoint of the book, he’s captured and in a P.O.W. camp, where he would spend the rest of the war, nearly five years of his young life. Jacques details the inhumane conditions of the camp, including summary executions, disease outbreaks, and poor nutrition that led to massive weight loss.
The second book begins with René’s exit from camp, seemingly a joyous occasion but one that led to an even more dire adventure. Rene’s camp members, led by his German captors, are forced to evacuate the camp by foot to stay ahead of approaching Russian forces. Even though the war was winding down, the Germans were still pretending to be in charge, a foolish quest to stay one step ahead of liberating forces. Hunger is once again a major factor here, but Rene’s dreams of getting home and reuniting with his wife provide ample incentive to keep him moving.
The final book charts René’s halting attempts to integrate back into French civilization. He begrudgingly decides to re-enlist, only to return to Germany to assist with their reconstruction efforts. Here, young Jacques becomes a part of the story, as the child travels with his father and struggles with growing up in the foreign land of his father’s enemy, with the isolation inspiring him to take up his lifelong profession of cartooning as a hobby.
Jacques colors his reliably loose, expressive linework almost entirely with monochrome ink washes, essentially giving the books the feel of old wartime newsreels. He only integrates significant bursts of color in the final volume, generally related to his own childhood perceptions of things that interested him, as if his young eyes are viewing the gray postwar world in a new light. His page layouts stick mostly to three horizontal panels per page, furthering the cinematic feel with what amounts to a series of widescreen stills. Text is a bit on the busy side, with huge word balloons relaying René’s journal entries as if Jacques couldn’t bear to cut his father’s story short.
René was left completely disillusioned by his time as a soldier, viewing his government as cowardly and regretting his years wasted on the war. Jacques isn’t interested in portraying his father as a hero or drumming up any patriotic fanfare; he’s focused on the folly of war and the lifetime of detrimental effects inflicted upon the young soldiers chewed up and spit out by the war machine. It’s clear that both Tardis were on the same page regarding their views on the war, although Jacques waited two decades after his receipt of Rene’s journals to get around to creating the books. While René wasn’t alive to see the final results, his insightful perspective will live on in book form forever.
If you have the previously released individual volumes, there’s nothing new here except the sturdy slipcase. As before, each book includes a hearty selection of additional reference materials ranging from photos, René’s own illustrations as included in his journals, and informative essays. The oversized hardcover books are nearly 10” x 13” with heavy matte paper, exquisite showcases for Tardi’s masterful artwork.
