When the Wind Blows

First published by Penguin in 2005, Raymond Briggs’s When the Wind Blows is a single-issue graphic novel that starkly depicts an elderly British couple’s naive attempt to survive a nuclear attack, following government-issued civil defense pamphlets. Written and illustrated entirely by Briggs, this poignant, darkly satirical work distills the Cold War’s absurd terror into a quiet, devastating domestic tragedy. Its unflinching blend of gentle, comic-strip art and grim subject matter makes it a landmark in the graphic novel’s capacity for serious political commentary.