SIX DAYS / AUTHOR: ROBERT VENDITTI / PUBLISHER: DC COMICS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
June 6th, 1944, witnessed one of history’s greatest military operations. Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, a prelude to liberating Europe from the tyranny and oppression of the Nazi regime. Operation Overlord has been the focus of many authors and films, notably Saving Private Ryan and The Longest Day, but with such a wide sweeping event it’s easy to overlook other things that happened during D-Day which were no less important. The Battle of Graignes is one such event that DC / Vertigo’s Six Days focuses on.
In the early hours of June 6th, 182 US paratroopers were dropped far from their objective, deep behind German lines, in the marshes south of Carentan, near the village of Graignes. Allied Command ordered the soldiers to remain at Graignes and prepare for the inevitable German assault. This is the story of those soldiers, and the villagers who decided to make a stand against their oppressors.
Six Days writer Robert Venditti has created an accurate (at least as far as records of the event will allow) and explicitly personal story, as his great uncle, Thomas J. Travers, fought and died at Graignes. Much of the story is seen through Travers’ eyes. In one particularly poignant moment, Travers dances with a little girl who happens to remind him of his niece. Being twice as tall as the girl, he places her feet upon his boots before waltzing around the village square. It’s this moment above all others that truly typifies a soldier’s situation during that time. Most were barely adults themselves, far from home, and terrified that each day might be their last, but despite this their humanity shone through in moments of normality. Vendetti’s militaristic terminology adds authenticity to the dialogue, with discussions of where to place mortar positions and the best places for fields of weapon fire.
Andrea Mutti’s artwork is a thing of beauty. He has mentioned that he has visited the location, and this is clearly evident as the village feels alive in each panel that it’s depicted, almost like it’s a character itself. The battle sequences are chaotically frenetic, creating a sense of disorientation.
Six Days is not a story glorifying war, nor is it condemned – it tells the story of an important event that has been overlooked. Of ordinary people, be they French villagers or soldiers fresh from basic training, finding the courage to face the inevitable against overwhelming odds. If there’s a criticism to be levelled then it is that such an engaging story was over far too soon.
