Dreaming Eagles

This graphic novel tells a fictionalized version of the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black World War II fighter battalion. The all-white creative team includes writer Ennis (Preacher), and artist Coleby (2000 AD). The story begins in the 1960s when Reggie Atkinson’s son, Lee, gets involved in a fight over Lee’s views on the burgeoning civil rights movement. Reggie tells Lee about his time as a fighter pilot, and the story cuts between Reggie and Lee on the porch and dogfighting WWII action. Several real-life characters and events pop up, courtesy of Ennis’s interviews with veterans. This is well-researched with clear respect for its subjects, but the framing device cuts into the momentum of the action, the dialogue is wooden, and the story fizzles. The conclusion, that the soldiers returned to racism in the country they fought for, is well-trodden ground, although war buffs will enjoy the rich details. (Oct.)