2: 

The very first panel of this graphic novel is important to pay attention to. It is the largest panel on the entire page, and frankly one of the largest out of all we’ve seen so far. It opens up the story and gives a sense of where we are. I’d like to note the comparison between this panel and all that follow, because it demonstrates how peaceful things were and then how quickly it gets chaotic. The difference in size between each panel helps the readers get a sense of the discomfort in the story as it progresses. 

Another panel I think is interesting is page 9, where there is only one panel. It takes up the entire page and I think this has to do with the role it plays. In the panel we see there is a man giving a TedTalk, and the author is making sure we can see this. I would say the purpose of this is to show readers that this man is telling his story, and that we were seeing flashbacks previously. The man telling this story, is the author, and wants us to visualize the story as he’s telling it. 

1:

This graphic novel references the attack on Pearl Harbor almost immediately, so it only feels right to report on this event. History tells us that the attack on Pearl Harbor was not highly anticipated, despite the consistent bickering between America and Japan. There was next to no defense at Pearl Harbor because nobody believed Japan would attack so close. At the end of the attack, many ships and planes were destroyed, and over 2,000 fatalities occurred. This event sent Roosevelt to declare war on Japan and the U.S. officially entered World War II. https://www.history.com/articles/pearl-harbor

Q:

I question why the author chose to set up his graphic novel with panels demonstrating him at a TedTalk? Did he do this to understand more deeply that it’s HIS story?