Chernobyl: The Fall of Atomgrad x Matyáš Namai (DRC)

112 pages.

Expected publication date: May 7, 2024 (Palazzo Editions)

Graphic novel/non-fiction.

This is a moving and very beautifully drawn record of Chernobyl and the people who were affected by the accident. By now I’ve read and watched many accounts; the event remains bewildering, and this graphic novel does not record any new facts that will make it less so for you. In fact, this account is fragmentary, but the powerful visuals do tremendous work.

Necessarily, because of the medium, some detail is of course lost, so a suggested companion read is Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham, although the two cover much of the same ground. Still, there’s something about a graphic novel that brings immediacy to the subject matter; per the proverb, a picture is worth a thousand words. This graphic novel certainly is. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Palazzo Editions and to NetGalley for early access.

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