During my week down the shore in Brielle, I brought with me three graphic novels from the pile of books that has accumulated atop my dresser. The first I read was DC/Vertigo's Pride of Baghdad, by writer Brian K. Vaughn (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina) and illustrator Niko Henrichon.

Pride of Baghdad is inspired by the true story of pride of starving lions who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo in April 2003, during the American bombing of Iraq. Vaughn uses this story to tell an allegorical tale about freedom and war. I thought the concept of using anthropomorphized animals as stand-ins for an allegorical story about the War in Iraq was interesting, but I was disappointed that Vaughn's execution of it had all the subtlety of a lead pipe. I also thought the constant bickering between three adult lions got repetitive and boring after a while, and didn't make for very well-rounded characters. I also didn't find it believable that at times they decided not to eat food when they had the opportunity to do so, as the reasoning they gave (As when Zill tells the others not to eat the bear) did not ring true. I didn't think the plot structure was that interesting, and the story ended in way whose abruptness did not feel like a valid end to the narrative.

The artwork, however, was lovely. As this was only Niko Henrichon's second graphic novel after Barnum!, I was not familiar with him, but he has a really nice, clean, realistic style, with well-judged linework. His renderings of the lions and other animals seems well-informed by reference, as do the buildings of Baghdad (or else a sharp ability to bluff it).

All in all however, I was disappointed by Pride of Baghdad. The 128-page length seemed a bit skimpy for a hardcover, especially with the $10 or so price I paid for it at Amazon, and even more so for those who may end up paying closer to the $20 retail price indicated on the back cover.
128.

This one will go one one my shelves for favored artwork, but not on the shelf for favorite stories.