Many think that the ancient Chinese text known as The Art of War is a guide for leading men into battle. But in reality, the 5th century BC work is a treatise of how generals can win over their foes without any bloodshed whenever possible.
Sun Tzu was a brilliant strategist whose mere mention of his name inspired fear in the hearts of his enemies. Sun Tzu learned that from this intimidating reputation, he could sometimes lead his troops to victory without firing a single shot or raising of a sword. As a result Sun Tzu transcribed his philosophy on warfare onto a number of long bamboo slats.
For over 2000 years, Sun Tzu,'s words were the primary guide of military tactics for the armies of the Chinese emperors. Over this period of time, The Art of War was divided into 13 chapters. After a Jesuit priest first translated The Art of War into a Romance language in the late 1700s, other scholars began to reorganize Sun Tzu's texts into thematic categories. Though the Chapter names vary by translator, the contents remain relatively untouched.
The Marine Corps, West Point, numerous companies across the United States and Japan, professional sports coaches, even the KGB have used Sun Tzu's philosophy as required reading. Captain Picard in a season one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation expresses relief that Starfleet still teaches The Art of War to its cadets. Yes, the works of Sun Tzu will live on in the 24th century!
The legacy of The Art of War and its influence on world history is undeniable. However scholars still can't agree if Sun Tzu even existed. For one thing, the name of Sun Tzu is an honorific. It means ' Master Sun'. The man known as Sun Tzu was born Sun Wu. A 2nd century record of the dynasties of China up to that point, identifies a text of military strategies written by a Sun Wu. It's believed that this is the author of The Art of War and that the title of Sun Tzu wasn't bestowed upon him until a millennium later.
Around 2010, indy publisher Writers of the Round Table created the imprint SmarterComics which began with publishing a series of graphic novels based on popular business bestsellers. The Art of War was part of the first wave.
In the graphic novel, Cullen Bunn pits Sun Tzu's narrative with everyday situations. Some are practical, like rival businesses attempting to woo a wealthy financier. Some have military applications, such as a platoon leader making strategic choices in hopes of avoiding an armed conflict. Through these scenarios, artist Shane Clester occasionally places Sun Tzu into the mix. He's often depicted as the advisor whose wisdom inspires the main character of each scene into action; including the one starring the mafia don!
Unfortunately, the idea of business themed graphic novels wasn't a huge seller. A 2011 feature on the CBS News might have helped the company garner a little additional interest. SmarterComics' last post on social media was in April, 2013 on Facebook for a book called Future Favors the Bold about becoming an over achiever. Though the page remains active, no further postings or works have been forthcoming. The last publication from Writers of the Round Table Inc. appears to be a 2013 children's graphic novel called The Crusaders. In 2015, graphic novels from SmarterComics appeared in Ollie's Discount Stores nationwide. It's from a central North Carolina locale that this copy of The Art of War was purchased.
Completing this review completes Task #38 (Published in Black and White) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.
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