In a time of despair and tragedy, two soldiers struggle to keep hope alive in a city that has been destroyed by war. In 1937, Second Sino-Japanese War brought the armies of the China and Japan bringing death and destruction to all those caught in the path. By December, the Imperial Japanese Army had taken over Shangai and had laid siege to the Chinese capital city of Nanjing. Civilians and soldiers fled the area, hoping to escape from the invading Japanese army, but not everyone was able to leave in time. Nanjing: The Burning City tells the story of the lives that were forever changed and the defiance that survived.
The unnamed captain and his subordinate Lu, are part of the scattered soldiers left behind the fallen city of Nanjing. The captain is driven to escape the city at any cost, willing to protect himself and Lu for unnecessary risk and burdens. The younger and compassionate Lu struggles to be compassionate to the survival of others but has not understood the consequences of being merciful in a moment of chaos. As Nanjing is taken over by the Japanese, every step the captain and Lu takes exposes them to danger.
Nanjing: The Burning City was originally released in 2015, earning critical praise and awards for Ethan Young. The Nanjing Massacre was a horrific event that was inhumane and controversial. Ethan Young wrote and illustrated a powerful story that explores one of the many untold perspectives in the catastrophe. The captain and Lu creep through a ruined city, battling enemy soldiers, making sacrifices and dreaming of a better tomorrow. Nanjing: The Burning City is a great novel for readers that enjoy historical fiction and suspenseful action, and should not be missed out for mature comic readers.
