One Model Nation stays true to the 'graphic', but is a long way away from the 'novel'...

The year is 1977. We're confronted by an aberrant Germany, a country devoid of an identity and overrun by violence, conflict and depravity.

It's youth are unhappy, clashing regularly with what they perceive as a dictatorial Government; and its capital, Berlin, epitomises the concept of a politically volatile state. However, four unwilling youths - known to the masses as art rock band One Model Nation - have come to embody the frustration of the nation, despite their objections. As events unfold, One Model Nation become embroiled in the polices hunt for the Baader-Meinhof Gang, with many suggesting that the band are in cohort with its members.

Infusing stark historical fact with captivating fiction, One Model Nation is a beautifully illustrated and passionately wrote adaptation from The Dandy Warhols co-founder Courtney Taylor-Taylor and indie comics superstar Jim Rugg. And yet, despite its obvious appeal, OMN stumbles on more than one occasion, ultimately diluting its otherwise sound appeal.

As this is a graphic novel, let's start with its visual impact. Not since The Watchmen have I been so taken back by a novels illustration - its colours are sharp; its character creation is spot on and its tone sings true to the stories concept. It's minimalistic palette helps emphasise scenes in which colour is rampant, and its overall look is reminiscent of beloved annuals from the 1970's - further authenticating the story.

The problem, however, lies in the narration. There's no denying Courtney Taylor-Taylor's obvious passion or expertise - after all, his fascination of German literature and history (specificially that of the Baader-Meinhof Gang) are well documented, as are the influence these have had on his work, Warhol and beyond - but its wording leaves a lot to be desired.

Unnecessary speech bubbles; confusing dialect; broken text - the problems are frequent throughout. It's the perfect example of knowing what you want to say, but being unable to translate this into text. For example, during a particular storyboard, the band are in London and have just struck up a conversation with David Bowie. After Bowie suggests a collaboration, OMN replies with "I like the cut of your Jib". Call me cynical, but this is hardly dialect I'd expect ushered from a German, 1970's art rock band. Heck, would anyone post-Casablanca use this phrase?

At times, OMN reads as if chasing a word count. Nonsensical content had me rereading pages at a time, trying desperately to understand its inclusion. While the illustration drew me in, the dialogue continually caused problems; making for an awkward read and further distancing the reader from the story.

Despite a sound story - one that provides enough historical content so as to capture the Zeitgeist of the era, without becoming a political analysis of either the Red Army Faction or the BMG - OMN falls short on both character and plot development. Characters come and go with little to no explanation, and plot threads are left open for no apparent reason. As a result, the story is disjointed and confusing, struggling to find its feet due to its numerous loop holes.

Consequently, Courtney Taylor-Taylor notes that the story took ten years to finish, and was initially conceived as a screenplay; and therein lies its problem - One Model Nation still reads like a screenplay. It's broken language and intermittent plot would suffice for a screenplay - after all, its simply a foundation for a bigger plot - then, when it came to production, the director and producer(s) would humanise the project, adding the degree of continuity needed to produce a successful film/television series. But OMN isn't a screenplay - it's a living, breathing art form. Each reader is looking for something new; something that grabs their attention and focuses it intently, and OMN just isn't able to provide that. Worse still, the reader is witnessing a recount of the times, spoken - or at least visualised - by someone with personal experience of the events, and yet no explanation is given as to who this is.

As a graphic novel, One Model Nation struggles. Despite a sound concept, remarkable beauty and a truly nostalgic art form, OMN's lacklustre narration leaves the story feeling stagnant on a number of occasions. As with anything from the ex-Warhols front man, OMN is a passionately driven project, and one cannot fault its concept. Unfortunately, on this occasion the transition from passion to product is not a successful one, but there are positives that can still be taken away.

Courtney Taylor-Taylor noted that One Model Nation spent most of its life as a screenplay, before being adapted so as to fit the graphic novel mould. On reflection, perhaps that's where it should have stayed...

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