Pride of Baghdad TPB Review
I tend to not always have the same opinion as people when it comes to comic book "classics." Watchmen was good, not great, Dark Knight Returns was merely a good Batman story, and not the story to end all stories. In the case of Pride of Baghdad, the same thing goes. I thought it was okay, but nothing to write home about.
Let's start off with the story. Pride of Baghdad revolves around the true story of the pride of lions that escaped the Baghdad zoo during Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is an interesting concept to say the least. It is obviously drawing a parallel between the liberation of Iraq, and the liberation of the Lions, raising the question about whether freedom is given, or earned. So, the lions escape, and prowl the torn up streets of Iraq. They scavenge for food and then the encounter a ferocious bear. That is the main plot of the story. Of course lots of other things occur in between, but that is the basic plot. I commend Brian K. Vaughan for making an enjoyable read out of something that is seemingly very simplistic. No, I know that sounds strange, considering that this book was supposed to be thought provoking, but to be honest, I didn't read into some of Vaughan's metaphors like other people might have. I read it as a comic book, not a deeper look at the Iraq war, and things of that nature. After the pride of lions, specifically Zill (the male leader of the pride), take down the bear, things get kind of sad. The US army has to shoot the lions, and since all the lions had been expertly developed as unique characters by Vaughan, it was kind of disheartening to see them go. So the story is simple, entertaining, and quite enjoyable, but in my opinion it isn't the instant classic that people are making it out to be. The other thing I thought was interesting was that it only took me about 45 minutes to read the entire thing.
Now, I have talked about the writing side of the equation, but now it's time to talk about the art. Niko Henrichon's art is absolutely spectacular. It is crisp, and clear. I love it when I can read a comic, and understand what's going on by the art alone, and that's what happened here. His art is wonderfully suited for a story like this, and it was the high point of the book (quite high praise since Brian K. Vaughan's writing was pretty good as well).
Good? Yes. Great? Close. Classic? Not quite. If you can, pick this one up from your local library and give it a read before you go and buy it. It is a quick read, with a good story, and stellar art. Plus, for some people it can serve as a commentary on our current war on terrorism, and presence in Iraq.
Grade: 8/10
Review by Christopher Hoerdemann |
