On September 6th, just a few days before the 10th anniversary of 9/11, IDW Publishing will release Code Word: Geronimo, an 88-page graphic novel that depicts the raid by Seal Team 6 on Al-Quaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  The full color hardcover graphic novel will carry a cover price of $14.99.

 

Code Word: Geronimo is written by Captain Dale Dye (USMC, Retired) and Julia Dewey Dye, Phd. (Military History, Anthropology).  Captain Dye is best known for his work as a military advisor on more than 70 major Hollywood films including Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, and Band of Brothers.  Artists Gerry Kissell and Amin Amat are illustrating this exercise in graphic novel journalism that is being published a few scant months after the actual incident occurred.

 

According to a story by Matt Moore in the Associated Press, Code Word: Geronimo will totally non-political in its approach and was drawn without gratuitous violence or gore.  The artists told the AP: “This is a story about an historic mission, not a blood fest with blood and guts everywhere.  What we draw will be realistic, but no more than one would expect from a true life combat story.”

 

The members of Seal Team 6 are not identified by name, and though much of the equipment depicted is what was actually used, Captain Dye noted: “Due to entirely appropriate security concerns, there is some creative license in our script.  I know some things that I can’t say.  You don’t want to tell the other guys what your secrets for hitting homers are.”  

 

IDW will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the book to the American Veterans Center.  A movie based on the Abbottabad raid is currently in development with Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) attached to direct.