Two in Review

It’s no secret that Brian K. Vaughan is one of the best writers in the industry.  It’s also no secret that his best work comes from his original properties.  Don’t get me wrong, his run on Ultimate X-Men was great, but I’ll take Y: The Last Man or Ex Machina over those mutants any day.  Pride of Baghdad, however, represents something unique for Vaughan, a chance to approach some serious real-life issues in a way only few comics have done before.  Vaughan tells the story of a pride of lions as they escape the Baghdad Zoo after American jets bombed the city in 2003.  The story was inspired by true events, but the breaks from reality are excusable as Vaughan and Henrichon tell an important story.  If you don’t come away from this read with a little more empathy towards peoples unwillingly thrust into war, you’re probably a Nazi… shame on you.  It’s interesting how portraying events through an animal’s actions and speech (check out the seminal Maus as well) can do enough to shift your paradigm and make you realize how blind you may be to certain realities (yes, the animals talk but I can assure you this is no Lion King).  The story is gritty and vicious and expect all your emotions to be manipulated, but that’s what makes this work so incredible.  And Niko Henrichon’s art?  Amazing… simply amazing.  I dare you not to be wowed.  My only complaint is the the reading goes by so quickly, I felt like I barely got a chance to be in their world before I was forced out.