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Vao · **SUPERBANANE** Beiträge: 5647

Cairo
von Willow Wilson und M.K. Parker
160 seiten
25$

Cairo erzählt die Geschichte von einem Drogendealer, einem Reporter, einem Selbstmörder, einer O.C. Göre und einer israelischen Soldatin. Bei der Vorstellung der Charaktere war noch alles gut und ich hatte mich auf eine gute Story eingestellt. Bis auf einmal ein Djinie aus einer Rauchpfeife rauskommt, ab diesem Zeitpunkt nimmt das magische die Oberhand und gerade dies liegt der Autorin nicht gut. Die Geschichte springt zuviel herum und gewisse Verworrenheiten stossen auf, bloss weil Wilson noch gewisse Elemente in ihre Story einfügen will. Es waren gute Ideen vorhanden, die jedoch leider schlecht umgesetzt wurden.
Die Zeichnungen von Perker waren gut.

Vao · **SUPERBANANE** Beiträge: 5647

http://weblogs.variety.com/bags_and_boards/2007/11/review-cairo.html

Author and journalist G. Willow Wilson tries to bridge the fantasy and mythology of ancient Middle Eastern cultures with the reality of today in Cairo, a new hardcover GN from Vertigo. There’s a lot going on this tale, which features characters both likeable and not from the many sides of life in the ancient city, where Wilson has lived and worked for four years: There’s a good-hearted and street savvy hash dealer, a journalist struggling to air his grievances against the government, a lost female Israeli soldier, a Lebanese-American who had been thinking about committing terrorist acts, and a young American girl looking to find the meaning to life she can’t find in Orange County. Then, there is Shams, a jinn — better known in America as a genie — and all manner of unusual, mystical events. While this set up seems to have all the clever ingredients that would make a welcome addition to the line that published Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, it never quite jells, at least partly because the fantasy stands in such stark contrast with the more realistic elements. The characters are well defined and interesting, though the events they encounter become increasingly fantastic and removed from the more compelling realities of life in the Middle East. Part of the problem is that, despite all the fantasy, there is surprisingly little sense of place and the setting seems largely unimportant to a tale that seems like it could take place in any number of Middle Eastern cities. The art by Perker, who lives in Turkey, falls short in this one area of setting, even as it brings out the personalities of the characters quite well. Color might have helped in this regard, as well as taking some of the bite out of the $24.99 price tag. But color can’t change the strange mix of the story, or give it the weight it needs to satisfy readers. Grade: C+

Vao · **SUPERBANANE** Beiträge: 5647

I look to comics to show me experiences I haven’t had and get me thinking about new perspectives, with bonus points for unusual, interesting settings. Cairo has all of the above. It’s written by G. Willow Wilson, a journalist who lived and worked in the area, which gives the fantastic events verisimilitude.

It starts with a drug smuggler, but it quickly sprawls out through his connections and those he meets through chance (or more likely, destiny). His sister is friendly with a frustrated journalist experiencing censorship, who meets a lost American girl who speaks a little Arabic. The smuggler sells a stolen hookah to a Lebanese boy, but a bad guy wants it back and takes the reporter and girl as hostages to get it.
Cairo cover
Cairo
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That’s because it actually contains a genie. Then there’s the lost Israeli soldier who needs to get back across the border and hijacks the smuggler to give her a ride. It all comes together in creative ways as the journey leads through a legendary land on a quest for a magical artifact. There’s even a flying carpet and an imaginative combination of playing with panel borders as the framework for a mystical task to complete to gain the desired object of power.

M.K. Perker is better known for his editorial cartoons and illustrations than comic work, but his experience shines through here. His characters are distinctive and emotional, his settings are fully realized, and the whole thing’s got a down-to-earth, almost grimy feel that suits such a life-threatening adventure in this ancient city. It’s the shading, with constant half-shadow, reminding us of the lack of black-and-white answers.

Honestly, when first opened the book, I expected to flip through it quickly. I suspected I’d find another forgettable Vertigo bid at self-importance through allowing writers from other media to slum in comics. I quickly realized how wrong I was as I was sucked into the adventure. I couldn’t turn pages fast enough to find out what happened. At the same time, I wanted to wallow in each page as it introduced me to the modern Middle East. It’s a brilliant blend of fantasy and modern political problems that reminded me of the classic Baghdad-set Sandman #50.

Of note is the showdown between the spoiled California girl visiting the Middle East to “make a difference” and the trapped journalist whose life is on the line. She values facts; he prefers emotional arguments to reach those who would otherwise patronize him and his people. It’s an eye-opening culture clash. The overall message is love instead of hate, living instead of dying, made more meaningful through the significance of its setting.

The publicity calls it a “modern fable”. It’s an overused phrase, but never more accurate than here. Also, be sure to remove the dust jacket from this original hardcover at least once — the binding, with purple foil outlining the city, is much more lovely than the subtle cover illustration.

http://comicsworthreading.com/2007/12/20/cairo/