9.11.2006

We Have Some Planes...

There is a feature on Slate right now that's quite spectacular - a graphic adaptation of the 9/11 Report that is perfect for illiterates like myself who never took the time to read the original document.*

After the 9/11 Report was published, I remember Barnes and Noble had it featured and stacked all over the place, like a John Grisham book. It got great reviews, was well written, and sold a lot of copies. But it was still a shitload of writing, and at the time I didn't feel like finding out more about the tragedy. It was already hard enough to deal with it everywhere else.

This illustrated take is a great way to take in some of the amazing details the 9/11 Commission amassed in their three year investigation. I don't feel like it's cheating, because this version adds a lot of movement and narrative. It's its own entity, while still paying great respect to the source material. It's not a re-imagining, or a new take; it's just presented in a different format by some very talented artists. I should also note that it's for sale on Amazon.com, even though you can read it online for free. You gotta love that.

Here are some of the panels:


*Spellcheck corrected 'illetirates' when I proofed this post.