Graphic Novel Review: Sara by Garth Ennis and Steve Epting

Posted on December 29, 2022 at 6:44 am by Gene Ambaum

Sara by Garth Ennis (writer) and Steve Epting (artist). TKO Studios, 2018. Frankly I’m not sure what the ISBN is as my copy didn’t have one, but I’m going with 9781732748538. 147pp. Contains #1-6.

The book follows a group of Soviet female snipers in the winter on the Eastern Front during WWII. At the center of it all is Sara, a loner motivated by revenge and the group’s deadliest shot. She lurks in trees as Nazi troops walk under her hiding spots. She and the other troops barely notice as prisoners are brutally interrogated in their camp. Of particular interest to all is a high ranking target, a Nazi Colonel new to the area.

Both Ennis and Epting have great talent for creating moments of epic, character driven violence, and this graphic novel certainly has some of that. It’s also offers a great sense of time and place, and many quiet moments (before all hell breaks loose again). Worth noting: Elizabeth Breitweiser’s colors tie everything together beautifully, and I particularly like the way she adds blood to the snow.

I’m making the questionable call to give this to my young nephew, who loves reading graphic novels about war (and only graphic novels about war). I want him to read at least a few books that have strong female characters, and this one shows that violence is far from the fun and games approach of most action movies.