It is hard to believe it has been more than a decade since the start of the wars in the Mideast. News of bombings, airstrikes and soldiers dying has become so commonplace in our media that we shrug it off as everyday stuff.
“Pride of Baghdad” brings back to mind the feelings of those times, when the attacks on the World Trade Center and elsewhere on U.S. soil were so fresh in our minds. But instead of boosting my patriotism once again, “Pride of Baghdad” gives me a different perspective some 10 years after the events.
In the comic, we meet a pride of lions: Zill, the head male; Safa, the old, experienced lioness; Noor, the bull-headed female; and Ali, the baby cub.
Noor wants to break out, to free herself, the pride and the rest of the zoo from their captivity. The three grown-ups have been beyond the walls, but Safa has had the most experience, and she knows they are living the cushy life, even if they don’t hunt or have freedom.
A few pages into the comic, Noor gets what she wanted: The bombings knock down the walls of the zoo. She isn’t too happy at first, though. “There’s an old saying, Zill. Freedom can’t be given, only earned.”
The rest of the comic follows these characters as they explore their surroundings and try to make it to the jungle. The ending is tragic and really portrays the destruction the war had created.
Brian K. Vaughan really knows how to tell a story and is one of the most creative comic book writers I have stumbled across while reading. He is well-known for so many titles, including “Y: The Last Man” and “Saga.” I don’t know of anything he has done that hasn’t been a smashing success. He really humanizes the characters and really draws out the heart, soul, pain and struggle that each faces. He doesn’t make it easy to read, but also pulls you in so you don’t want to put it down until it is over.
The art by Niko Henrichon is colorful and engaging. You feel the emotions of the lions, even just by the facial expressions. Everything is vivid, despite the orange haze of the desert air as bombs push debris everywhere.
I really recommend this graphic novel, which you can get at your local comic book shop or online.
Comic Book Wednesday is a feature that will showcase a variety of visually based books that fit into this wide category, to give a taste of this other form of reading.
