Of all the comic books published about basic training in the Israeli army, this is far and beyond the most vivid, comprehensive, and gripping. OK, granted, there’s probably not much competition — but Miriam Libicki, whose excellent comic jobnik! we raved about and who guest-blogged for us, has just released the long-awaited (and semi-long-delayed) new issue — and to say it’s worth the wait is a gratuitous understatement.
The issue debuted at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, and the cover pays homage to everyone’s favorite French children’s book without an elephant in it. It’s a great jumping-on point for new readers, as Libicki describes it: “It’s a practically self-contained story, being a flashback to the 2.5-week standard female basic training I did upon enlistment in the summer of 2000. See the least kickass soldier in comics fire a gun! See more people jammed in every panel that I ever tried before!”
Miriam Libicki is one of the most interesting people writing about Israel today, portraying the country at both its best and worst with a keenly observational eye that includes every detail but evades judgment.
But don’t take our word for it. Go grab a copy yourself, or check out the new collected edition of jobnik!‘s first six issues.
