I was asked if I’d like to read Chernobyl: The Fall of Atomgrad I think probably because I’d been on a bit of a graphic novel reading spree recently and jumped at the chance.

Collecting information from the period, including interviews and statements this graphic novel explores the disaster at the Chernobyl reactors in 1986.

The blending of information and the interviews works really well and flows easily throughout the book, giving an immediacy that could have possibly been missing in a straight information or interview format.

Following the development on the reactors through to the inevitable conclusion, and it’s made very clear that this was inevitable under the cronyism and culture of the late Soviet era, was terrifying, all the more so as I remember vividly the warnings of the radioactive cloud at the time.

Combine this method of writing and exploring the incident with a very cool palette and homage to Soviet style propaganda posters and constructivist art gives the book a really distinct style and feel.

I had meant to keep this to read closer to the publication date in April but I couldn’t resist reading it twice last night as soon as I opened it.

Great example of graphic novel presentation but also an extremely informative work.