Writer – Brian K. Vaughan
Artist – Niko Henrichon
Publisher – Vertigo
Price - $19.99
It seems like Pride of Baghdad has been cropping up as a coming soon in Vertigo panels and press releases for years now. Finally it has arrived though, and boy was it worth the wait. Pride is a hardcover graphic novel written by the consistently brilliant Brian K. Vaughan (Y The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways) and illustrated by Niko Henrichon, probably best known for his work on the previous Vertigo book Barnum!. It is inspired by the true story of a pride of lions, who escaped from their home in Baghdad zoo during the April 2003 military action. On the surface Pride is simply that, a tale of some lions escaping a zoo, at its core though it is an examination of the price of freedom on various different scales.
The pride of lions in question is made up of the male Zill, young cub Ali, and two females; the young, idealistic Noor and the older, battle scarred Safa. Each of the lions is a well defined and fleshed out character but it is the view points of the two females that represent the central theme of the tale. Noor is driven by a passionate desire for freedom, and her time is taken planning elaborate escape plans to break out of her perceived prison. Safa meanwhile understands the value of the safety, security and guaranteed survival that the zoo provides. It is only when freedom is forced upon the group that we come too see that neither point of view is really true.
Vaughan’s writing is pretty much flawless throughout the book. Once out of the zoo the Pride is faced by one danger after another, culminating in an encounter with the invasionary human force. The pace is set pretty fast, but never is it at the expense of the characterisation. Most impressive of all though is the way in which Vaughan handles the lions. While there is obviously a certain degree of anthropomorphisation employed, Vaughan retains just enough of their animal natures and instincts to make the whole thing believable and wholly engaging.
While the writing is good, it is by no means a solo act. Henrichon’s art is just gorgeous, presenting the perfect mix of gritty realism and Disney-esque animation. The lines and the colouring are soft and warm; just perfect for the arid environment of Baghdad. Where Henrichon really excels though is in the way he captures the movement of all the various animals. Whether charging, galloping, plodding or crawling; everything looks fluid, kinetic and real; which is no mean feat for a piece of still art.
I really can’t recommend this book enough. A lot of people may be put off by the setting, and a perceived political message being delivered. Don’t be. There really is no overt political message here. Vaughan doesn’t really take sides in the conflict. Yes the book is written to make you consider the freedom that was forced on Iraq, but it never tells you what to think and its messages are far wider than just that conflict. They encourage you to consider what freedom actually is for you, how that may be different for other people, and what price we should pay to obtain it for ourselves and others.
Having recently finished a PhD in Immunology Ross is currently working for a UK biotech company. He lives in Cambridge where he reads comics, spends too much money on music and attempts to learn Portuguese. He owns at least 7 lightsabers, yet still manages to have a very attractive girlfriend who he misses very much, thus proving anything really is possible.