Persepolis 1 & 2

by Marjane Satrapi

If you have been around the block, you have probably heard about Persepolis by now. It is one of those comics that was welcomed by critics far outside of the normal comic book sphere of influence. Biographies are the "it" right now in comics, and after the success of Maus, it isn't any wonder that Persepolis is noticed and lauded left and right. This comic didn't need to piggyback on anyone though, it easily stands on it's own as a superb work.

Story: Persepolis is Satrapi's autobiography of her life growing up Iranian. The first book begins with her at age ten in 1980. It is a time of revolution in Iran. Though the old regime is corrupt, the government that replaces it is founded on fundamentalist Islam and proves to be far worse. What liberties people used to enjoy are stripped away; freedom is thrown out the window. Then there is war with Iraq. It is dangerous times... death from outside, death from within. What a time to be growing up in!

The second book deals with her life after being sent to Austria by her parents to keep her safe. She is getting older, learning to be an adult, and struggling to hold on to her identity and sanity.

Themes: The first book seems to carry the fruits of youth: innocence, idealism, and hope. By contrast, the second book is one of loneliness, aimlessness, and crisis. What? Crisis?!? How could things be worse? She escapes war, but looses everything in the process: Family, friends, community, culture... all gone. The bombs and rockets of the outside world never came close to killing her compared to the results of her internal struggle. Realities are harsh. Gone are the optimisms of her youth.

As all of her tenuous supports in Austria come crashing down she finds herself living on the streets--a testimony to how easily homelessness can grab hold of one's life. Even while watching her put her life back together through the later parts of book two, there is a sense of pessimism about life and the future. It almost feels like "so what?", and her life looks more like a cruel game than anything. One would have hoped that her experiences would have turned her into a great political activist, fighting against tyranny like her uncle Anoush. Life isn't as neat and tidy as our storybooks, is it? That is when you realize the book that you're holding in your hands is the testimony that something amazing has come out of all this. I think that is the greatest post-script to Persepolis.

Art: Satrapi's art is wonderfully black and white, and very simple. That is not to say that it is simplistic. She is very intelligent, whether using silhouettes running down to the basement during an air-raid, or God and Karl Marx floating in a dream world's clouds. The style is clear (vs. some manga, for example, where battles scenes look more like abstract renderings), and emotions are often larger than life. The cartooniness of the graphics sometimes made death disturbingly easy to swallow for me. Contrast this with Maus, which threw death in my face over and over, willing me to come to terms with it's harsh realities.

Bottom line: the art serves the writing well. Even if it is not your favorite style, I'm sure it will grow on you until you look upon it fondly.

After-Effects: Much like Sacco's Palestine, Persepolis is going to bring a lot of insight for the average reader of another world. An intimate tour of Iran is timely. As Iran seeks nukes, the "war on terror" persists, and repressive Islamic governments furrow the brow, what better time to put a human face on the people? Fear, hope, love--we're all human. It is a good thing to remember. For whatever reason Iraq and Iran go to war, even Satrapi's politically dissident parents get caught up in the nationalism that sweeps the people. We really are all the same. Hopefully comics and books like these will get into the hands of the average American and start changing the way we think and act.

Btw: Did I mention that she has a wicked sense of humor? Admittedly, this really did happen to her...

Three Shadows

By Cyril Pedrosa

I am really happy with the publisher First Second (aka :01). They have been publishing some great comics that go in interesting directions. Scott McCloud in his Comics series described this medium as one with vast potential rarely lived up to. I came to that conclusion before ever reading his books, and I believe that :01 is one of those publishers who seeks out the innovators and gets them space on the shelf.

First Things: Pedrosa is French, and this is my first review of a European comic. Tin Tin isn't the only thing to come out of the old country, and I for one, am excited to see what they've been up all this time. The translation is seamless, and one would be hard pressed to guess it was originally written in another language. The tale might have some of an "old world" feel to it, but the subject matter is universal to the human condition.

Story: The story begins with a remote and merry agricultural family. Conflict comes to this Shangri La in the form of three silent figures who suddenly appear and start haunting the family. Soon they realizes that these three have come for the son, Joachim. The wife, Lise, soon accepts this. The father, Louis, is resolute to fight, flee, and do whatever it takes to hold back their relentless pursuers.

I didn't read the back flap until I finished the story, but there is one key piece of information back there: the motivation. It says that "Three Shadows was born out of the agony of [Pedrosa] watching his close friends' child die very young." Several of the story element are mystical and fantastic. I think this one statement unlocks understanding for the reader. All of the sudden it doesn't seem so cryptic anymore. This isn't a story that started out as "hey, wouldn't it be cool if..." but it is born out of the creator's own emotional struggle.

The Art: Pedrosa worked as an animator for Disney during the making of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules. The art shows some of the best from animation: lines imbued with flow and movement, and distinct, expressive character designs. I am at a loss to try and pin point the medium employed in Shadows. At first it looked like pencil, but I realized that some of the pages show clearly that brush work was involved. There is everything represented from intricate line work to thick swaths of black dry brushwork. It is hard to tell with reproduction, and this could possibly be a mixed-media work. Regardless, I can adamantly state: this guy can draw, er... paint... whatever. Brushwork by a talented hand is quite satisfying to view, and has a kind of personality that fits well when focusing on portraying emotions. Basically, the pictures are wonderful.

Themes: Pedrosa often enough breaks into surrealism in his art, emphasizing the downright unnatural and disorienting feeling of "wrongness" that accompanies death, especially the death of the young. It is more than death, but fear, anger, grief, and other strong emotion permeate this saga. Context is often swepted away to a bare minimum so that we, the readers, can enter deeper into what these characters are feeling. Make no mistake, this narrative is more about coping with death than the realities of death itself. The battles aren't physical ones (as much as the father would have liked them to be), but the internal ones of the heart. This is heavy stuff.

Something I find beautiful are all the moments that don't deal with the main concern of impending dissolution. Louis is relentless about protecting his son Joachim, but other cares manage to eek in through the cracks. The first time the father laughed again was like the sweet release after holding one's breath for too long. In the midst of all the fear and mistrust, there is compassion that finally offered out toward others. Interestingly enough, this kindness and fellowship is initiated by the boy. Children are often the salvation of adults.

There is plenty more, and without a doubt I say that this book will give the reader much to meditate on. I wouldn't be surprised, too, if it would be a support to those finding themselves overwhelmed by the hardships of loss.

Recommened: No doubt about it.