Unknown Soldier #25

Written by Joshua Dysart
Art by Alberto Ponticelli

This amazing series ends just as you would imagine it would have to (even if you don't notice how much the cover foreshadows events in the book), as Moses finally confronts Joseph Kony at his LRA camp.

That the ending is easily predictable is not really a problem; this has been such a unique title and experiment for Vertigo, that it must be very gratifying for all involved that they lasted two years.  I can't think of another thoughtful, well-researched North American comic that was set in Africa and dealt with important issues like civil war, poverty, American interference in the affairs of other countries, and more.

Dysart has, from the beginning of this title, given us a socially relevant and sensitive portrayal of Uganda that has defied the usual tropes of fiction set in Africa, but written by an American.  He really wanted his readers to understand the country at the turn of the 21st century, but also to tell a fantastic story.  I would say that he, and Ponticelli, succeeded wonderfully.

I like that this comic ended by checking in on many of the long-term supporting figures in the book, and let us know what they ended up doing with their lives.  I do wish Dysart had included Paul, the boy that Moses had rescued from the LRA some time ago, as he was a character I grew to care about.

I cannot recommend this title enough.  I hope it does well enough in trade format that more mainstream publishers feel comfortable telling the stories of other parts of the world, and that Dysart gets another title soon.