Some comic books that are called "graphic novels" are actually "comics journalism" or "comics documentaries." They are closer to news and documentary programs, such as Frontline and 60 Minutes, than they are to a graphic novel like Maus or Watchmen. As such, readers’ interest in these comics documentaries may depend less on the quality of the work than on interest in the subject matter.

A.D.: New Orleans after the Deluge, the new graphic novel from Josh Neufeld, is an example of comics journalism/documentary, and an individual reader’s interest will largely be determined by how much he cares about post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

As the Gulf Coast of the United States moves into the teeth of the hurricane season (August-September), releasing A.Don August 18 might seem like a good idea to Pantheon Books from a marketing standpoint. This is the time of year when hurricanes will contend with Iraq, Afghanistan, and Michael Jackson’s specter to be the lead on the evening news programs.

The genesis of what would become A.D. started when cartoonist Josh Neufeld began blogging about his experiences as a Red Cross volunteer after Hurricane Katrina. Larry Smith, editor of SMITH magazine, approached Neufeld about collaborating.

Neufeld sought out individuals in New Orleans, and began creating comics based on these people’s Hurricane Katrina experiences (which appeared online at http://www.smithmag.net/afterthedeluge/). The book that resulted from those Web comics is many things.

It is a story about seven people from New Orleans who survived Hurricane Katrina. It is an oral history of the storm and its aftermath on the city and its people. Perhaps most of all, in an age of digital social networking, it is example of journalism of the common people for the common people.

Here, the news, whether it is in the form of on-the-scene reporting or feature writing, is told by the actual participants. The people are the reporters, and Neufeld is more of an editor-in-chief or news director gathering the pertinent bits together in a coherent narrative for the viewer.

However, such immediacy to a recent “big news story” may also be A.D.’s undoing as a book with broad appeal.

For someone like me, who is close to the event because I have relatives and friends who were affected by Hurricane Katrina, A.D. is a powerful reminder of a devastating recent event. However, the structure of this story--which involves constant scene-shifting from one of the seven lead characters to the next--makes it less like a graphic narrative and more like a newspaper article that takes the reader from one participant to the next.

I am partial to this book because I know people like the ones who are depicted here—Denise, the sixth-generation New Orleanian; or Leo & Michelle, the 20-somethings who grew up in the city. Readers who only know Hurricane Katrina as a big news event will hopefully find themselves connecting with the characters in this book by imagining themselves struggling to live post-Katrina. Perhaps, they will recognize people like Abbas, the convenience store owner, and Darnell, his fishing buddy, because they will sympathize with each man’s determination to keep his word to the other.

A.D.: New Orleans after the Deluge is powerful. For people who have some kind of intimate connection to the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina, this is a must-have book--even for those who don’t read comic books.

Everyone else will discover that comic books can tell stories that matter--because this comic book tells a story that should matter to all Americans.

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