Palestine

Summary

Palestine is a landmark work of comics journalism that documents Joe Sacco’s time in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the early 1990s. Combining reportage with illustration, Sacco records the voices of Palestinians living under occupation, highlighting their struggles, resilience, and everyday realities. The narrative is non-linear and often deeply personal, as Sacco himself appears in the book, inserting his perspective as an outsider grappling with what he hears and sees. The stories are often harrowing—accounts of imprisonment, displacement, and violence—but they are also filled with humor, humanity, and moments of everyday life. Palestine pioneered the genre of comics journalism, using the visual medium to convey the complexity of political reality, the texture of lived experience, and the impact of systemic injustice. Its blend of meticulous reporting and expressive art makes it one of the most influential nonfiction graphic novels ever created.