COMIC BOOKS: The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation

Dean Poling, The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.
·2 min read
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Sep. 11—Two years ago following the investigation into the Trump-Russia connection, someone asked if I would like to borrow a copy of the Mueller Report, I only partially joked, "I'm waiting for the comic book adaptation."

Which was finally released later that year as "The Mueller Report Illustrated."

But several years ago, the 9/11 Commission Report was published in book form. People purchased it as they are purchasing the Mueller Report. I read a copy of the 9/11 Report like many other Americans.

I also read "The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation" by Sid Jacobson, the man who created Richie Rich, and legendary comics artist Ernie Colon.

Yes, there was a comic book adaptation of the 9/11 Report. There was nothing disrespectful about it. Jacobson and Colon took a serious look at a serious subject.

From the history of Al-Qaeda's rise to the history of terrorism in America to the training of terrorists in flying but not landing planes to the awful events of Sept. 11, 2001, the details of the 9/11 Report lent themselves to adaptation in comics form.

Though when reading the original report in text book form, the thought would have never crossed my mind to adapt it into a graphic novel.

Jacobson and Colon created a tremendously readable version of the 9/11 Report as a comic book. There were graphic interpretations for data and loads of information boiled down to a hundred-some pages of masterful comic book storytelling.

"The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation" even received a promotional blurb from comic book legend Stan Lee: "It will surely set the standard for all future works of contemporary history, graphic or otherwise, and should be required reading in every home, school and library."

It was and remains a milestone in graphic storytelling both in terms of displaying what the comic book form is capable of achieving and better understanding the history of an era.

Still worth finding a copy these many years later. Or pulling from the shelf and reconsidering again.