It is November 1, 1974, an old man stands with his granddaughter at the Ganzenpoort, the locks in Nieuwpoort. It is a veteran of the First World War. He looks back at the time he fought. The story begins with three soldiers, one French, one Belgian and one English. They decide to see each other again at the locks in 1924. On the basis of the old man the stories of the three soldiers are told.
Both the scenario and the drawings are from Ivan Petrus Adriaenssens. I have to say that the story has stirred me in such a way that I got a lump in my throat reading it. I rarely read such a good graphic novel. All the horrors of the war are discussed. Adriaenssens knows how to project himself into the characters. The story is based on true events, perhaps this is why I find this album so intriguing. The main characters really existed. This comic, or maybe I should call it a graphic novel, indicates that it's important not to forget the war victims. We must never forget the horrors of this war, so that it will never happen again.
The drawings are quite realistic and especially the buildings and surroundings are sublime. The characters are sometimes drawn in a sketchy way. The faces are sometimes drawn naively. The coloring also deserves a mention. The scenes are usually black and white or black / ocular. Color is only used for gunfire and explosions. This makes the impact of the story bigger. Brilliantly done.
I think this is a great album and I highly recommend it.
