There are some subjects that are discussed in media that are hard to cover in comics. I have heard heated discussions about rape and mental illness being used in comics to tell a story. While most times those subjects are used to tell the story, it's rare that they serve as anything more than shock value. Often times, a character suffers in one story, only to be completely fine in the next story. This isn't even getting into the trope of mainstream characters dying in comics, only to comeback.
It has been ingrained in us that comics are meant for children. Yes, we have been going further and further from that stigma (the popularity of comics like Saga and the Alan Moore classic Watchman serving as proof), it's even more difficult for a comic that seems realistic to be published. Comics are an escape from reality. Why would we want to delve deeper in that reality from which we're reading to escape? Well, I have an answer, and it hasn't been easy putting it into words. Thankfully, I can thank Maximillian Uriarte for helping me find those words.
A little background on myself first off, as to give you all perspective. I am a comic creator, specifically of the webcomic, Blank. I do write horror, and yes, I will admit that it can be graphic. In a few instances, it's been graphic enough that I don't look forward to writing it. However, I do push on for one big reason: I suffer from PTSD and depression.
The common belief, made even more popular by media, is that only veterans have PTSD. This is very much false, as survivors of abuse, rape, and various other traumatic events can develop symptoms. In my case, yes, I have PTSD and I am a veteran, but my PTSD did not exactly come from the military. I still have nightmares and intrusive thoughts, but those are very difficult to put into words. Therefore, I write Blank almost as a therapeutic exercise. Why is this important for a review about The White Donkey: Terminal Lance? Because, this comic does an excellent job of discussing PTSD without condemning nor excusing the sufferers actions.
The White Donkey follows Abe, a young man who joins the Marines and promptly is deployed to Iraq with his friend, Garcia. The trials and tribulations of the deployment slowly get to Abe. They range from having to shoot someone for the first time to the paranoia that your loved ones don't care about you. At one point, Abe even falls into the classic trap of fearing his girlfriend is cheating on him (which does happen in reality sadly). After an improvised explosive devise hits his convoy, Abe experiences a traumatizing loss that sets him down the road to an all too real decision by the end of the comic.
As I read the comic, I found myself wondering if this was a true story, and not fictional as the author states multiple times. Abe's reactions to events, including lying on a post deployment mental health exam, are so close to what I have seen and heard other vets doing, that I wondered if it was a biography. Seeing as the author is a former Marine, that may be true, but in a general sense. However, Abe's reactions to his family, girlfriend, and even strangers could also serve as eye opening examples to people who have loved ones dealing with these issues.
He becomes hostile to others, hallucinates, alienates himself, and even becomes suicidal. Despite this, though, the author does an amazing job at both making Abe sympathetic, yet not excusing his actions. He made his own choice not to get help when he knew he needed it, and he has done questionable things as a result. But, as we have witnessed the events that Abe did, we begin to understand that he may not have felt like he was in control. He was the product of a system that corrupted him, but it stops short of not blaming Abe at all.
Also holding true to the military experience his how Abe is treated by his fellow Marines. He's teased, bullied, and yet still seen as a brother. The Marines are portrayed as a dysfunctional family, which, while I was Army, I can see as startling realistic. This make the last half of the comic even more tragic, as we realize that Abe is not the only one affected. His fellow Marines are, but his family and friends have to deal with the aftermath of what war did to him.
A pivotal part of the comic has Abe in a bar with a friend. He mentions he is home from deployment, and is asked if he killed anyone. This triggers Abe into a long term mental assault, and lashing out at the bar patrons. The artwork brilliantly focuses on Abe's facial tics as this is happening, and in portions of this chapter slows down the story by becoming a flip book. We see page after page of Abe slowly running to the bathroom to throw up, one image per page. The opposite page only has a silhouette of a white donkey walking. The same White Donkey that seemingly followed Abe through every traumatic event. After he finishes vomiting, he looks in the mirror and the words "HAVE YOU KILLED ANYONE?" are scrawled in the mirror. His face is covered in labels such as "hero" and "marine," but also "lost" and killer."
The White Donkey is truly a comic I have never experienced before in my life; it's one I can fully relate to. It's a sobering look at what war, deployment, and military PTSD can do to a person, but also what they can do to those indirectly involved with those topics. I highly suggest The White Donkey for anyone dealing with these issues, both veteran and loved ones.
5 out of 5
