Dreams of war

It may have been ultimately thwarted in its quest for Oscar glory, but that doesn't stop Waltz with Bashir being one of 2008's best films. Given that graphic novels were a major influence on director Ari Folman in this startling animated documentary (which retraces his military experiences during Israel's 1982 conflict with Lebanon), it's eminently fitting for Waltz with Bashir to come full circle in this equally gripping Comics version. Artist David Polonsky crafts intimate yet strangely dreamlike imagery that allows Folman's story to thrive in its own right, aside from its cinematic counterpart. For fans of Joe Sacco's political comics, this easily ranks alongside those as a searing example of wartime testimony.