PRIDE OF BAGHDAD review

(Review by Melody Werner)
Pride of Baghdad is a 2006 graphic novel published by Vertigo. Written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Niko Henrichon, it is a story inspired by true events. It follows a pack of four lions who've escaped from a zoo in Baghdad, Iraq, after a hail of explosions tear through their walls. However, it takes many artistic liberties--such as having the animals talk. But make no mistake, this is a very adult book through and through. It isn't The Lion King, or The Wild/Madagascar, or Over the Hedge. It isn't Animal Farm either, not at all. Instead, it is an epic drama set in a wartorn Iraq, told keenly from the perspective of these lions. How would lions view mankind? That's what Pride of Baghdad is. And, good lord, what it is, is exceptionally fantastic.

The art by Henrichon is crisp and leaps off the page. It strikes the balance between displaying the lush colors of the regions it is partially set, and the grimy feel that the story has. I've mentioned it before, but I feel as though comics are at their best when both the writing and visuals form together in a cogent hybrid. When the art and writing go hand in hand. And Pride of Baghdad is that in spades. The cover is undeniably awesome. Panel to panel flow is smooth.

As I said in the preface, Pride of Baghdad cleverly takes all preconceptions about anthropomorphism in fiction, wraps them all into a little ball, and tosses them succinctly into the trashcan. And its idea of how to use anthropomorphism instead is fascinating. It's dark, it's revolutionary. And that's no hyperbole. The story is chilling, exceptionally told, and riveting from the first to last page. The characters are phenomenal, as is the dialogue. Ignore the fact that they're lions, and their dialogue would still hold up--it's not stupid. The pacing is lightning fast, and tells a beautiful epic tale pretty quickly. It's easy to gobble the whole thing up in a single sitting. If I had to critique it negatively somehow, I thought the ending felt rushed a bit. However, that is because the true story this is based on kinda necessitates that. Still coulda' maybe been handled better though, I feel.

Pride of Baghdad is magnificent. It doesn't get talked about much nowadays, but it stands tall as an exemplar of the medium, one of the greatest comics this century thus far, and another damn excellent Brian K. Vaughan comic. It's an instant classic. I think if you give it a try, you'll have another example to trot out for how mature this medium can be. I sure do. Pride of Baghdad gets a 10/10.

Master-class

Summary:
Haunting, exemplary, beautiful, intelligent, gritty, innovative--Pride of Baghdad is all of these things. I implore you to give it a whirl.