This Paperback Book item from Vertigo was reviewed on 3-Nov-2008.
Search ISBN:1401203159 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. Pride of Baghdad Reference Book. Classifications : Fantasy Graphic Novels Comics & Graphic Novels Subjects Books General Graphic Novels Comics & Graphic Novels Subjects Books General AAS Graphic Novels Comics & Graphic Novels Subjects Books General Co . Click the following link to view the cover of Pride of Baghdad. Related topics: Fantasy. Graphic Novels. Subjects. Books. General. Graphic Novels. Subjects. Books. General AAS. Graphic Novels. requestid: 200e0c4d-c762-4b3b-9315-830b152e049a
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1) Paperback Book Pride of Baghdad by Vertigo. Almost as good as everyone says it is, which is high praise.
Pride of Baghdad reads like a children´s book, and, thanks to the trendily-liberal content and beautiful artwork, would make an exceptional gift for your suave, non-geek friends. It deftly avoids being heavy-handed... most of the time... and, yes, it may have made me choke up a little. I´m such a softy.¤ 2) Paperback Book Pride of Baghdad by Vertigo. Long Review Title up there^, but I think this is going to be one of those instant-classic graphic novels. This story belongs to comics; it just shows us how strong the genre continues to grow. With the wonderfully simple art and the poignant pathos in its well-written story, it will stand for many as one of the better graphic novels written.
The characters are completely naive, yet helplessly likable. So they should be, having lived in an enclosed area for much of their lives, some since birth, they know only their walls and their "keepers," the employees of the zoo. They live, of course, in Baghdad, right before it´s nailed by the US military. And in a few pages, we have the advent of a few US bombs that free our friends when they land in the zoo and break down the cages. From then on, they explore the ravages of human war and the strange architecture of Baghdad. Their old hunter instincts that they could not enact while caged are also tested against many encounters. They engage themselves in what freedom means in a world so far away from where they once lived or fantasize of living in.
With the theme of freedom supporting the plot, we are left pondering it and reflecting on the current war where nothing is left unhindered in the wake of battle. The story is full of symbols, from paintings of myth and statues to the very colors of the palette: mostly red and orange. Pristine colors that we see are usually there to hide something, something with menace or bespeaking gloom, always a byproduct of man´s strife. The story is mostly simple and the characters lovely, but, again, the story is something that will settle within you, especially with the heartbreaking moments. So, what else to say... buy it!¤ 3) Paperback Book Pride of Baghdad by Vertigo. Pride of Baghdad
If you are picking this up as a fan of BKV´s work you may be disappointed. If you are picking this up as a fan of Nico Henrichon´s art, you will NOT be disappointed in the least.
Pride of Baghdad is one of the most beautifully illustrated books of our time. This book is worth a read if you enjoy fine comic book art, stories about the Iraq War, or stories about talking animals. :)
I do only recommend this books for kids 13 and older though. There are some pretty graphic depictions of violence in this book.¤ 4) Paperback Book Pride of Baghdad by Vertigo. This graphic novel will stay with you for quite awhile after you read it. A masterpiece in its artform.¤ 5) Paperback Book Pride of Baghdad by Vertigo. A few days after reading "Pride of Baghdad," you´re going to forget all about it.
Which is a little odd: certainly one has here all the ingredients for a deep, affecting masterwork. You have a proven writer (Brian K. Vaughan) and a proven artist (Niko Henrichon) taking on issues that are both timeless and relevant. Some of the themes dealt with here are ones which the greatest artists in the Western tradition have wrestled with.
You see, this is a graphic novel (basically a long, handsomely printed comic book) about a group of lions in Baghdad. It draws its inspiration from a true story: in March of 2003, American bombs hit a Baghdad zoo, knocking out a wall in the lions´ enclosure, which allowed several lions to escape. When, after a few days, the lions were shot by U.S. troops, the incident made it to BBC and CNN.
That´s the extent of the similarity with the actual incident: the authors then take quite a bit of liberty with everything else, such as the fact that in this story, the various species of animals can talk to each other and reason elaborately.
The big lesson here is that the lions cannot handle their freedom: they´re used to having things handed to them and living an institutionalized life where thinking, risk-taking, and resourcefulness have been rendered unnecessary. At liberty, the find themselves making stupid decisions, continually bickering, and utterly failing to see the larger horizon.
Hey, the authors suggest, isn´t that a bit like the Iraqis themselves? Why, the whole story is a take on what´s been happening in Iraq generally! The story of the lions is a microcosm of the larger Middle East, get it? An allegory about the responsibilities -- and dangers -- of unearned freedom.
The problem, I suggest, is that Messrs. Vaughan and Henrichon lose control of this allegory after about 30 pages, as serviceable as the idea is.
What they have happening to the lions after their escape, you see, doesn´t really seem to follow the logic required by this approach: it´s almost a random series of events. There´s a turtle, there´s a bear, there´s some monkeys, there´s a stampede of horses. It would appear that later incidents take place not owing to the book´s thematic logic but because of the cool pictures they necessitate (e.g., a battle royal with an escaped bear).
But there´s a more serious problem: great art doesn´t hit you over the head. It sneaks up on you.
Not this book. In a truly deft allegory, the artificer never shows his hand, letting you know exactly what he´s thinking or what stands for what. This is why books like Moby-Dick or, The Whale (Penguin Classics), Gulliver´s Travels (Penguin Classics), and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have so much to say to so many people: there are a wealth of meanings there which the authors restrain themselves from pinning down too exactly.
But Vaughan and Henrichon underestimate the intelligence of their readers, I submit, instead deigning to tell us exactly what they´re "trying to say." As the script has Noor saying (p. 23), for example, "Freedom can´t be given, only earned."
Big mistake. You guys should have let us do that kind of work for ourselves.
Of course, it´s possible that I´m entirely wrong about "Pride of Baghdad" being an allegory in the first place. Perhaps we are meant to approach this book at face value: a simple yet gripping tale of big cats on the loose in a war zone. If that´s the case, I apologize, and note that there is little here that is worth your time, at least compared to other classics in the genre.
Unless you like cool drawings of cats.¤ 6) Paperback Book Pride of Baghdad by Vertigo. From one of America´s most acclaimed comics writers a startlingly original look at life on the streets of Baghdad during the Iraq War inspired by true events. In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives. In documenting the plight of the lions, Pride of Baghdad raises questions about the true meaning of liberation - can it be given, or is it earned only through self-determination and sacrifice? And in the end, is it truly better to die free than to live life in captivity? Based on a true story, Vaughan and Henrichon have created a unique and heartbreaking window into the nature of life during wartime, illuminating this struggle as only the graphic novel can.¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 1-Dec-2008, 14012031599781401203153, 340-591-711-041-101-091-8 
Pride of Baghdad, Book, Image © Vertigo
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