the common room
KELLY ROMAN
novelist
’92 The year: 2035. The world’s economy has shifted. Where great nations once stood, others have festered, bolstering their forces not on the traditional battlefields, but through the cutthroat world of investment banking. Stockbrokers wield shotguns instead of ledgers, lethal unmanned drones replace footmen, and the psychological mayhem of Wall Street has been whipped into a frothy red cyclone. This is the world of Kelly Roman’s ’92 The Art of War, and it is a sight to behold. If the name sounds familiar, it should. That’s because Mr. Roman’s first major graphic novel is a loyal modern re-branding of Sun Tzu’s original 5th century BCE Art of War text. In this version, instead of hearing directly from the tactician Sun Tzu, readers are introduced to the teachings through the aptly named protagonist, Kelly Roman. Through his precise style and calculated pace, Mr. Roman treats this novel as a journal, recounting his alter ego’s experiences training under the financial juggernaut. Each page brandishes stunning watercolor and ink illustrations, hand-crafted by co-creator Michael DeWeese. The stark contrasts of blacks, whites, and explosive reds maintain a steady balance while simultaneously satiating a reader’s pallet for variety. This is a novel that takes visual and narrative cues from the most elite in the craft, and utilizes them seamlessly, creating a distinct personality entirely unique to itself. While rife with high-concept sci-fi ideas, The Art of War manages to keep one of its many feet firmly planted in the reality of today’s fiscal environment. “I sensed a growing national anxiety about China’s hegemonic rise, and I wanted to transform the ancient text into something that explored this anxiety,” writes
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Fall 2012