D-Day: Storming Fortress Europe

This first in the Under Fire series takes readers to the front lines of the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, but despite significant investment toward historical fidelity, the retelling is so overwhelmed by detail that the narrative gets lost. Chronicling the actions of British and American soldiers as they face the Nazi forces at sea, in the air, and on land, pages overflow with historical detail and some impressive compositions of landscapes, planes, and other military vehicles. The narration jumps from battle to dramatic battle, diving into short vignettes featuring both soldiers and civilians, then moving rapidly and relentlessly to the next point of action. Copious research bolsters the undertaking, but the script falls flat and the drawings are stilted; the figures of the soldiers and other participants lack personality, with troops depicted as assemblages of talking heads with similarly rendered faces in period-accurate military gear. Even familiar power-players such as Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler are reduced to mannequins. While military history buffs will give due respect to the creators’ exactitude, this effort doesn’t have the human-interest hook to keep general readers engaged. (Jan.)