PRIDE of the comic industry

I just finished Pride of Baghdad and had to make my comments about, arguably, the best graphic novel of 2006 (unfortunately, I can't read many GNs anymore, but most critics made the book their Top Pick).

The DC Comics/Vertigo Imprint GN written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Niko Henrichon takes a bit of real life and adds multiple dimensions to it to get a very complex look at the price of freedom.

In 2003, four lions escaped a Baghdad zoo and roamed the streets. Vaughan took that bit of information and molded a story around this pride of lions. He created a world where animals spoke (not in a cartoony way at all) and struggled with the concept and realities of freedom as they walked the streets.

The pride of lions consisted of the male, Zill, his mate, Noor, an older lioness, Safa, and a cub, Ali. Noor longs to escape the zoo, and when U.S. fighter jets bomb the area and damage their cage, she gets her chance. But Safa remembers what it was like to be in the wild, and she's perfectly content to remain where she has been safe for years. Ali wants to explore; his animal instinct hasn't been dulled yet by the easy life at the zoo. Zill doesn't seem to care (in the lion world, the lionesses do the work).

Through the conversations and situations the pride gets into, a very thought-provoking story comes out. I tend not to read too much into movies, comics, books, etc, but the intent is there. Vaughan wants us to wonder if freedom can be given, or does it have to be earned? Obviously, you can take it a step further and relate that question to what is going on in Iraq.

I don't want to give too much away, so I'll let you discover the story for yourselves. It's wonderous; funny at times and also gut-wrenching at times. There are scenes and panels that will stick with me for a long while. It's wonderfully written, and, as you can see in the pic, the art is amazing and the colors are beautiful.

Check it out from the library, or if you've got a GN collection, by all means, add this one to the bookshelf without hesitation.

Here's a link to the Vertigo solicitation:

http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=5723