What Unites Us: The Graphic Novel by Dan Rather, Elliot Kirschner, Tim Foley
What Unites Us is a timely polemic from the veteran journalist. Dan Rather is as always highly eloquent and these graphic essays do a superb job of articulating his arguments about the values that he believes binds the citizens of the United States together. Often using moments from his life and career to demonstrate the point that he is making the essays touch on democracy, equality, and the environment. Rather is blunt about the challenges facing America and is clear about the fact that he does not have all the answers.
The novel often harkens back to a past imperfect with both a sweet sentimentality and a willingness to reassess often scathingly at the way things were.
Foley’s palette uses a mixture of blues and reds. He mixes these hues innovatively to punctuate a particular image or to evoke iconic moments like Obama’s hope posters. Which I think is apt as hope for a better future is something that permeates through much of Rather’s writing. He is keen on demonstrating how much progress has been made and that we should see this as an example of the progress we can make in the future. Foley does some clever stuff here, there is a lot of text in the book but it never overshadows the gorgeous illustrations.
The images that really remained with me were the sections about Martin Luther King and his criticism and praise of journalism’s role in the Iraq war.
Having not read the prose it’s difficult for me to gauge how faithful this adaptation is. However, on its own merits, this is a graphic novel well worth reading regardless of where you stand politically. Folley breathes new life into Ratner’s words which is a splendid achievement.
Thanks the Netgalley for the ARC.