I’m somewhat less enamored with certain aspects of Veasna’s skills as an illustrator, although, when one considers the art in general, it’s still the case that there’s far more good than there is bad. Historical fealty is important here, even crucial, but the sheer scope of the slaughter that went on is so staggering that it can be tough to keep track of who was who when we start learning about characters we’ve met, largely in passing, ending up dead, or at least rumored to be so. Year of the Rabbit can also, in absolute fairness, be a bit of a confusing story. cautionary tale that likely couldn’t come at a more appropriate time given the radical authoritarian leanings of prominent world leaders in Brazil, the Philippines, the UK and, most infamously, right here in the US. Year of the Rabbit is as much a vital moral lesson as it is a superb historical graphic narrative. Footnotes and the explanatory prefaces to each chapter also contribute to the book's accessibility, ensuring it's possible to follow without the use of supplemental reference aids. The loosely stylized, broadly realistic and schematic bande dessinée art makes the book easily accessible to readers, even if the content itself is harrowing. Dialogue is sparse (words, after all, could be used against you) and the small panels lend themselves well to an even more effective visual storytelling.

The book's almost 400 pages are necessary to do justice to this horrific tale anything shorter would have done the narrative a terrible disservice. The graphic novel takes full advantage of.visual techniques to offer a glimpse into the paranoia and panoptical fear invoked by daily life under the Khmer Rouge.

a stunning and comprehensive graphic novel.

Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna