Pride of Baghdad
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Niko Henrichon
Vertigo, 2006
By Owen K. Craig
Some books just feel important. While reading them you can’t help but think “this is a book that could be studied years down the road.” Whether it’s good, bad, entertaining, or dull, you can’t shake that feeling. Pride of Baghdad, a book tackling the heavy and very fresh subject of the war in Iraq is one of those books. Books like this are difficult to review, because sometimes they feel bigger than the reviewer. It is for such reasons that I feel it necessary to break it down into more manageable pieces.
Does it look good? Niko Henrichon has put together some of the most beautiful pages I have seen in comics all year with this book. The characters, despite being realistically depicted animals, demonstrate more personality in their faces than many humans drawn in comics in recent months. There are many splash-pages in there that are jaw-dropping, depicting the wild animals alongside American mobilization.
Is the story compelling? Absolutely. Leaving aside the greater meaning of the book, the simple story of the escaped lions trying to survive in this world is wonderful and touching. I grew to care about the characters and wanted to see what happened to them. Brian K. Vaughan has created characters that are fully developed and interesting in their own right, aside from the grander message of a story set in present-day Iraq.
Does the book make me think? This is often how I separate a good book from a great book. If I enjoy myself but the book is all but forgotten one hour later, it was merely a good book. However, if I enjoyed the read and then the book lingers in my head all day, then that’s a sign that the book is something more. This is the sign of a great book to me. Pride of Baghdad is definitely a book that stuck around for me. It doesn’t spell out its message; it presents many sides of the argument and lets you work it out for yourself. There’s vocal characters expressing their thoughts on freedoms, and there’s intense symbolism. There’s a lot to be found upon multiple reads. This is a book well worth thinking about.
So is this book actually important? It’s a bit early for that, only time will tell. Did I like it? Absolutely.
