An enchanting rendition of a star-crossed romance.
Damezin reignites a centuries-old love story.
In his graphic novel, the author draws from an ancient Arabic story about the unconsummated love between 7th-century poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and the beauty Layla al-Aamiriya. First popularized by the poet Nizami Ganjavi, innumerable versions and derivations have emerged; perhaps you’ve heard of Romeo and Juliet? Layla, with her otherworldly face, “would have had to hide her beauty beneath a hundred veils” so as not to eclipse the sun, and Qays “made the stars before him seem ugly” and had “the voice of a prophet.” They have adored each other since childhood, and Qays so fervently declares his ardor through oral verse that he earns the reputation of a madman, a majnun. Layla’s father forbids the marriage, and the duo suffers painfully. As a result, Qays falls ill, nearly perishing in the wild; the rapture of his devotion, however, inspires the animal kingdom to revive and serve him. Layla laments that “becoming mad with love is a man’s privilege,” and her father marries her to an affluent man whom she swears never to accept. Damezin retains the lyrical quality of the original work and spikes it with fierce sensuality (“To celebrate the scarlet wedding and the orgy / to feast on flesh, to frolic in blood…to perforate, lacerate, bite, and pierce”). Here, Layla assumes more agency than in previous versions. The illustrations give this tale a mythical feel, rendering the fever of love in a colorful visual style that evokes ancient Persian art.
An enchanting rendition of a star-crossed romance.Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781643379487
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Life Drawn
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times...
A bland, uninspired graphic adaptation of the Bard’s renowned love story.
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times oddly psychedelic-tinged backgrounds of cool blues and purples, the mood is strange, and the overall ambiance of the story markedly absent. Appealing to what could only be a high-interest/low–reading level audience, McDonald falls short of the mark. He explains a scene in an open-air tavern with a footnote—“a place where people gather to drink”—but he declines to offer definitions for more difficult words, such as “dirges.” While the adaptation does follow the foundation of the play, the contemporary language offers nothing; cringeworthy lines include Benvolio saying to Romeo at the party where he first meets Juliet, “Let’s go. It’s best to leave now, while the party’s in full swing.” Nagar’s faces swirl between dishwater and grotesque, adding another layer of lost passion in a story that should boil with romantic intensity. Each page number is enclosed in a little red heart; while the object of this little nuance is obvious, it’s also unpleasantly saccharine. Notes after the story include such edifying tidbits about Taylor Swift and “ ‘Wow’ dialogs from the play” (which culls out the famous quotes).Pub Date: May 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-93-80028-58-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Campfire
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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