The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation

It’s not every day that government types team up with comics artists. This graphic novel, an adaptation of the highly publicized and oft-cited report of the 9/11 commission, offers an argument that such alliances should perhaps be more frequent. In a foreword, the commission’s chair and co-chair cite the desire to get this information to as large an audience as possible as the motivation behind this surprising work.
The work is every bit as grim as one would expect, and it certainly has the tone and detail of the typical report by a congressional commission. What’s likely to catch readers off guard is the efficacy of the graphic format in conveying the tenor and immediacy of the commission’s findings. The illustrated timeline of events that somber morning is nothing short of chilling. If only all commission reports could be made so engaging.