Graphic Novel Review: Habibi by Craig Thompson

Graphic Novel Review: Habibi by Craig Thompson

Quote: -afloat on the ocean of sand. The desert is a graveyard for man and beast and man-made refuse. Habibi found this stranded boat and we made it our home.

Lot of 'nothings' happen at the same time in this mockepic 600 plus pages hardbound graphic novel! It's dipped in orientalism that's exoticized to the point of melodrama.

A wide-eyed fair-skinned girl child, Dodala is sold to marriage for water, from one master to another she is raped and abused and consumed like a commodity. She runs away with a toddler boy slave, Zam, of African origin and eventually they are separated by Sultan's scavengers.

The art is ambitious but the story a failure. In an imaginary middle-eastern country, Wanatolia, where all the stereotypical notions about Arab world gets illustrated. The pot-bellied lusty sultan with golden harem and private zoo, the hairy legged broad shoulder gold chain wearing paedophiles, men fucking eunch prostitutes, the oppressed meek Islamic women and the African-American slaves reduced to subhuman treatment.

The constant philosophical musing between stories of the Bible and Quran felt phoney, despite the gloriously detailed Arabic calligraphy and inking. And it's time western writers be done with their Scheherazade hangover, while Dodala speaks of Eden and Solomon to comfort Zam and later the Sultan, she sells herself to passing caravans for food to protect Zam breaking the idyllic mirage of security.

Though gorgeously drawn, I am disappointed with Craig's constant lack of empathy in it. His positioning of a naked Dodola in every other page was not free of male gaze while she got raped in the pages or when she is sick. While Zam who witnessed Dodola getting raped can't stop fantasizing about it and punishes himself drastically.

A mourning Dodala in Burqa is drawn wrong it's accentuating her body which is exactly the opposite purpose of a Niqab.

Themes of environmental degradation, population explosion, human rights abuses make cameo the story, the author couldn't tell a tragic tale well.

I agree with my friend Naomi who summed it up as: "It's like they took everything Edward Said found out and distilled into the worst stereotypes."

Comments

Book Review: When The River Sleeps by Easterine Kire.

Book Review: When The River Sleeps by Easterine Kire. Quote: Perhaps the answer lay not in striving but in being. In simply accepting that the loneliness would never be eliminated fully, but that one could deal with it by learning to treat it like a companion and no longer an adversary. Ville a hunter wakes up from a dream, ventures out to search for the heart-stone; that holds the power of the river that's asleep. And this stone is guarded by wailing-angry-widow-spirits. Many attempts have been made at magical realism in Indian English writing, and I didn't like them. My personal opinion is that magical realism needs a deep connection with nature, maybe never explicitly explored in the text, but the traces of that connection always shows in the words written. And I have always argued that North East India is the most fertile ground to plant the seeds of magical realism in. Easterine Kire, pens our deep connection with nature for the national readership to gawk...

Book Review: The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman and illustrated by Tom Percival

Book Review: The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman and illustrated by Tom Percival Quote: The robbery was not without consequences. The consequences were the point of the robbery. It was never about money. The thief didn't even ask for any. That it happened in a bank was incidental. Can we take a moment and appreciate the cover! The only reason I picked this book from my friend Ashwin's bookshelf; the cover and the adorable illustrations inside. The Tiny Wife is a modern-day fable, it definitely is a weird and witty book! A perfect short distance read. It's the story of Stacey and David, Stacey gets robbed in a bank, where this flamboyant purple hatter robs an item of sentimental value from victims. David, Stacey's husband narrates the story, a smart narrative choice: a spectator and commentator. Each of the victims has their own 'shit' to deal with after the incident. Dawn's lion tattoo springs into life! Grace's husband turns...

Webcomic Review: Fools by Yeongha and Bagdam

Webcomic Review: Fools by Yeongha and Bagdam Quote: If this were a relationship between a male and a female, wouldn't it be safe to assume that we were 100% attracted to each other? But because I'm a male and just an underclassman, Eungi Hyung would never consider anything like that, would he? Fools is a Korean Webtoon written by Yeongha and adorably illustrated by Bagdam. A weepy and heartbroken teen Choi Jeongwoo meets Kwon Enugi one night, where the latter ends up comforting and advising the teen. A few years later, Jeongwoo is a freshman in the university where Enugi has returned for his final year after completing his military service. Enugi comes off as a standoffish young man while Jeongwoo the pretty boy is always smiling and super friendly. After hearing Jeongwoo cry on his phone to his boyfriend during the welcoming party, Enugi can't stop but worry about him from then on. By the twist of fate they end up having breakfast tog...

KhepiAri

Search This Blog