It’s Vietnam and a young man with no direction is shipped off to serve his country.  Guerillas, written and art by Brahm Revel, is an interesting tale of a young private’s experience in the jungles of Vietnam and his encounter with an experimental platoon of simian soldiers.  It’s a trippy look at war.

Private John Francis Clayton is on his first tour of duty in Vietnam, facing death at every turn in the middle of a war he doesn’t understand. Clayton is just trying to stay alive when he encounters an elite platoon of…. simian soldiers?!? This squad of chain-smoking chimps is the most dangerous fighting force in the jungle… but whose side are they on?

This trade paperback collects the first story arc of the series.  It’s definitely an interesting read and for those interested in “war” comics it’s very much worth it.  There’s many layers here and you can take the platoon of chimps who have a nasty smoking habit many ways.  Is Revel talking about the worth of a soldier?  Is this a look at the soldiers role and chain of command?

No matter how deeply you read into it, the series is very entertaining.  The art is fantastic and the black and white works really well.  This is a series I think would be hurt if it were in color.

If you’re looking for something unique, entertaining, and gets you to think, Guerillas is definitely what you’re looking for.

Plot: This is a thinking man’s comic for adults that can also be taken as a straight forward action comic.  Revel gives us both levels with great banter and perfect plotting.  The story’s acid like spiral into weirdness fits the Vietnam era perfectly.  Well done.  Rating: 8.5

Art: I think Revel’s art is top notch and the fact he does double duty is impressive.  The black and white is the right fit for the story.  There’s tons of detail here, but at no time does it overwhelm.  A great balance and I’d love to see this art style and story as an animated series.  Rating: 8.5

Overall: Guerillas was a comic book I picked up the first issue for but lost track of.  Circling back, I’m sad I missed out on the series in it’s monthly form.  It’s a fascinating series with some beautiful art.  An entertaining comic that makes you think and to me that’s a buy.  Overall rating: 8.5

Recommendation: Buy

Page count: 152 pages    Price: $14.99    Release Date: 10/13/2010

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with an advance copy of this issue for FREE for review.