Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughn

This graphic novel is drawn with vivid colors and beautiful detail. From the moment you open the novel until the very end, the intricate specificity behind every character and scene found inside will compel you turn the page. The story, almost deceptively simple, briefly skims the surface of deeper themes, like the fight for oil in the east, the bombing of Baghdad, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For better or worse, the story touches on these issues so briefly that those without prior knowledge will not feel excluded from the main plot. The story follows a pride of four lions who manage to escape the Baghdad Zoo during the invasion of Iraq. As the reader trails their journey across the city, they encounter other animals, some wild and others who have also escaped the zoo. The pride’s internal struggle forces them to break up and eventually brings them back together through the progress of their journey. Although it may sound like a long story, it is rather short and very satisfying. Mostly though, this is a visual feast. --Claudio Leon

Please note there is suggestive sexual content in two sections of this graphic novel.

Vaughn, Brian K. Pride of Baghdad. New York: Vertigo Comics, 2006.