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Pride of Baghdad
by
From one of America’s most critically acclaimed graphic novel writers – inspired by true events, a startlingly original look at life on the streets of Baghdad during the Iraq War.
In his award-winning work on Y THE LAST MAN and EX MACHINA (one of Entertainment Weekly’s 2005 Ten Best Fiction titles), writer Brian K. Vaughan has displayed an understanding of both the cost of
...moreHardcover, 136 pages
Published
September 13th 2006
by Vertigo
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(A-) 83% | Very Good
Notes: A kind of cave allegory on liberation, it has high fantasy elements, reflected in war-torn Baghdad’s unearthly terrain.
Notes: A kind of cave allegory on liberation, it has high fantasy elements, reflected in war-torn Baghdad’s unearthly terrain.

Despite the originality of the idea, and the wealth of symbolism and meaning such a story might have held, Vaughan did little with this book. His predictable plot, thoughtless characterization, awkward dialogue and overpowering allegory drained this book of any strength or beauty it might have had.
Start with some factual errors, such as antelopes being kept within sight of lions, sea turtles living in the Tigris, and zoo birds (which would have had flight feathers clipped) simply flying to escap ...more
Start with some factual errors, such as antelopes being kept within sight of lions, sea turtles living in the Tigris, and zoo birds (which would have had flight feathers clipped) simply flying to escap ...more

Inspired by a true story!
Pride of Baghdad is visually stunning. The graphic novel felt very short and also many a times the storyline seemed rushed.
Brian K. Vaughan's Pride of Baghdad is based on the true story of four lions that escaped from the Baghdad Zoo after an American bombing in 2003. ...more
Pride of Baghdad is visually stunning. The graphic novel felt very short and also many a times the storyline seemed rushed.
Brian K. Vaughan's Pride of Baghdad is based on the true story of four lions that escaped from the Baghdad Zoo after an American bombing in 2003. ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Pride of Baghdad is the story of four lions who escaped from the Baghdad zoo after a bombing raid and was inspired by actual events. It probably goes without saying it didn't end quite as well as The Lion King . . .
Although I was totally crossing my fingers that the male lion would have a voice like Scar . . .
I was hoping the combination of a graphic novel (a/k/a pitcherbook) and the use of animals rather than people to tell ...more
Pride of Baghdad is the story of four lions who escaped from the Baghdad zoo after a bombing raid and was inspired by actual events. It probably goes without saying it didn't end quite as well as The Lion King . . .

Although I was totally crossing my fingers that the male lion would have a voice like Scar . . .

I was hoping the combination of a graphic novel (a/k/a pitcherbook) and the use of animals rather than people to tell ...more

What a beautiful and sad story this is.
I found "Pride of Baghdad" while browsing the graphic novels at the library. It was inspired by the true story of four lions who escaped the Baghdad Zoo during the invasion of Iraq in April 2003.
We see the bombing from the point of view of the lions. When the war started, the keepers fled the zoo, and the animals who survived the bombs suddenly found themselves free. But one of the older lions is worried about the dangers that lurk beyond the gates. "There ...more
I found "Pride of Baghdad" while browsing the graphic novels at the library. It was inspired by the true story of four lions who escaped the Baghdad Zoo during the invasion of Iraq in April 2003.
We see the bombing from the point of view of the lions. When the war started, the keepers fled the zoo, and the animals who survived the bombs suddenly found themselves free. But one of the older lions is worried about the dangers that lurk beyond the gates. "There ...more


Haunting allegory. I don't know whether to cry or rage.
I'm going to get political for a second. When I was in college, the university did this public installation with little white flags planted in perfect rows in the crisp green grass. The flags stretched for acres and acres, one flag for each Iraqi civilian needlessly killed during wartime. There were thousands. Walking among the nameless dead was harrowing to say the least. That's when I lost respect for my country.
So while this haunting all ...more

Sep 08, 2008
Lanica
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Most adults.
My sister is stationed in Afghanistan after having been in Iraq a couple years earlier. I send her a care package about once a month and picked this one up on a whim when I was in Barnes & Noble to grab a couple of my favorite books to fit in the latest package.
I held this graphic novel back from that mailing for a few reasons. First, I didn't want to send something with a political message without having read it first. Second, I'm always on the lookout for new books for middle school boys and ...more
I held this graphic novel back from that mailing for a few reasons. First, I didn't want to send something with a political message without having read it first. Second, I'm always on the lookout for new books for middle school boys and ...more

This week, the American occupation of Iraq ends as the last U.S. troops withdraw and their bases are turned over to the Iraqi civilian government. This event brings back to mind Brian K. Vaughn and Niko Henrichon’s graphic novel, Pride of Baghdad.
A modern fable set at the beginning of the American led invasion of Iraq, it was inspired by a true story of the fate of the animal abandoned in an Iraqi zoo. Some of animals escaped while their caretakers fled to escape incoming American forces.
Pride ...more
A modern fable set at the beginning of the American led invasion of Iraq, it was inspired by a true story of the fate of the animal abandoned in an Iraqi zoo. Some of animals escaped while their caretakers fled to escape incoming American forces.
Pride ...more

I did not know this really happened. "Inspired by a True Story"
I love the art work. This is a brutal story with heart. I love that the animals tell their own story. A group of 4 Lions are in the Baghdad Zoo when the Iraq War started. The chaos in the zoo is done well in this book.
There is a scene in a palace that take my breath away with the art. I wonder if that is acurate? This is another tell showing us the horrors of War and all the casualties that happen anytime we start killing each other ...more
I love the art work. This is a brutal story with heart. I love that the animals tell their own story. A group of 4 Lions are in the Baghdad Zoo when the Iraq War started. The chaos in the zoo is done well in this book.
There is a scene in a palace that take my breath away with the art. I wonder if that is acurate? This is another tell showing us the horrors of War and all the casualties that happen anytime we start killing each other ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Sometimes, out of the blue, I'll ask my fifteen-month-old daughter: "How does the lion go?" She will then muster up a metric horse-ton of ferocity a give the best little squeak of a Roar that she can manage. It's pretty thoroughly entertaining. Or at least mildly entertaining. Or at least more entertaining than Pride of Baghdad.
It's not even that there' so much anything wrong with Brian K. Vaughan's WE4. Really, the thing is just rather, well, slight. Shave off 75% of its page count and toss it ...more
It's not even that there' so much anything wrong with Brian K. Vaughan's WE4. Really, the thing is just rather, well, slight. Shave off 75% of its page count and toss it ...more

How did this get on a list of quality comics along with Blankets and Persepolis? This book is complete crap. The story, characters and relationships are dull, shallow and predictable and lack any complexity whatsoever. And those are the books lesser flaws. Most concerning is the translation of human gender roles as conceived by patriarchy to the animal world, thus perpetuating the idea that patriarchy, heterosexuality, and the current gender role paradigm are the "natural" order of things. (If y
...more

Jul 23, 2015
Greta G
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphicnovels-comics-manga,
owned-in-english
This short story started off as an animal fable of Aesop.
Soon it became a holocaust story : war, struggle for survival, rape, torture and violence. Especially violence among animals.
It aims to be a parable about life during wartime.
To me, it only succeeded partially in its aim. Because even if you take away the war, the story could have been pretty much the same.
To me, it's not the masterpiece others claim it to be. It's not Maus, by far not. ...more
Soon it became a holocaust story : war, struggle for survival, rape, torture and violence. Especially violence among animals.
It aims to be a parable about life during wartime.
To me, it only succeeded partially in its aim. Because even if you take away the war, the story could have been pretty much the same.
To me, it's not the masterpiece others claim it to be. It's not Maus, by far not. ...more

Bullet Review:
I REALLY liked this graphic novel. And after Vaughan's gratingly sexist "Y: The Last Man", I thought maybe Vaughan and I were having a falling out. But this just CLICKED for me. The characters - the story - how heartbreaking it was. It does end up alluding to rape (can we ever not use that plot device) and it gets political, but I enjoyed myself f quite a lot. ...more
I REALLY liked this graphic novel. And after Vaughan's gratingly sexist "Y: The Last Man", I thought maybe Vaughan and I were having a falling out. But this just CLICKED for me. The characters - the story - how heartbreaking it was. It does end up alluding to rape (can we ever not use that plot device) and it gets political, but I enjoyed myself f quite a lot. ...more

“Hwy 1” by Brian Turner comes to mind:
It begins with the Highway of Death,
with an untold number of ghosts
wandering the road at night, searching
for the way home, to Najaf, Kirkuk,
Mosul and Kanni al Saad. It begins here
with a shuffling of feet on the long road north.
This is the spice road of old, the caravan trail
of camel dust and heat, where Egyptian limes
and sultani lemons swayed in crates
strapped down by leather, where merchants
traded privet flowers and musk, aloes,
honeycombs and silk bro ...more
It begins with the Highway of Death,
with an untold number of ghosts
wandering the road at night, searching
for the way home, to Najaf, Kirkuk,
Mosul and Kanni al Saad. It begins here
with a shuffling of feet on the long road north.
This is the spice road of old, the caravan trail
of camel dust and heat, where Egyptian limes
and sultani lemons swayed in crates
strapped down by leather, where merchants
traded privet flowers and musk, aloes,
honeycombs and silk bro ...more

Feb 22, 2018
Chelsea 🏳️🌈
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
must-read-graphic-novels,
owned
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Jan 26, 2008
Christina
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
everyone who enjoys beautiful artwork and a compelling story told in the form of a graphic novel
Shelves:
2008,
graphic-novels
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

This is my second graphic novel by Brian K. Vaughan and though the plot was weaker than Saga I loved the art and the idea. It took me by surprise(especially the ending) and I enjoyed it very much.
Find more of my books on Instagram ...more
Find more of my books on Instagram ...more

A war story seen through the perspective of a pride of lions, two females , a male and a cub, freed from the Baghdad zoo along with most of the animals after a bombing. They make their way through the city looking for food and meet various adventures along the way. Based on true events, the lions were eventually shot by American soldiers. Sad, but a nice meditation on freedom. Beautifully illustrated in full colour.

This book is exceptionally thought-provoking, horrific, beautiful and enlightening all at once. I need to think how to say everything I feel about it so I'll probably update my review tomorrow for this, but suffice to say one of the most moving Graphic Novels I have read ever. If you've not read it, read it! It's beautifully illustrated and truly devastating too. Everything you could want. 5*s of course. More thoughts and a more concise review to follow soon!
...more

Adult comic book. Powerful, moving, harsh reality about war. Wonderfully done.

I'm a sucker for three things, it seems: Brian K. Vaughn, political graphic novels, and animals. I recently picked up a beautiful looking graphic novel I happened upon in a comic book store called "Pride of Baghdad" written by Brian K. Vaughn (writer of Ex Machina, Y: The Last Man, and The Escapists). Its cover has a beautiful, close-up drawing of a lion's face, and Vaughn's name graces the top. When I read the synopsis on the back - a "based on true events" telling of what the streets of Baghda
...more

It has been a long time, I have read such an entertaining, emotional and amazing story that too in graphical novel format. It is so sad and yet so inspiring, I wish I could read this first time, again...
"To whom do lions cast their gentle looks? Not to the beast that would usurp their den."
- William Shakespeare, Henry VI
"It's often better to be in chains than to be free."
- Franz Kafka, The Trial ...more
"To whom do lions cast their gentle looks? Not to the beast that would usurp their den."
- William Shakespeare, Henry VI
"It's often better to be in chains than to be free."
- Franz Kafka, The Trial ...more

4 Stars!
There were tears, I won't lie! ...more
There were tears, I won't lie! ...more

Feb 24, 2016
Chris
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
library-books,
other-comics
Sadly, Pride Of Baghdad just didn't work for me and is the first disappointing book i've read by Brian K. Vaughan, one of my favourite writers.
In 2003, four lions escaped Baghdad Zoo during the USA's bombing of Iraq. Vaughan and artist Niko Henrichon embellish the tale, but despite the relatively short length it's a fairly tedious read. The various animals in the book were given very human-sounding voices that contradicted their animalistic nature.
The book also falls short thematically. The cove ...more
In 2003, four lions escaped Baghdad Zoo during the USA's bombing of Iraq. Vaughan and artist Niko Henrichon embellish the tale, but despite the relatively short length it's a fairly tedious read. The various animals in the book were given very human-sounding voices that contradicted their animalistic nature.
The book also falls short thematically. The cove ...more

The idea behind this one is quite interesting. Exploring the concept of freedom through the eyes of captivated lions is definitely not easy, to say the least too. I did have a hard time not thinking of The Lion King here and there, despite all the Rated-R content that this one includes. The artwork is pretty good though, but there are a lot of plot holes that make this pride's journey a bit rushed and hard to believe in the end.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https ...more
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

This is about a family of four lions who escape the Baghdad Zoo during the American bombing of Iraq. Safa, an older female was once free but prefers a life of captivity and the security and food it provides. She feels loyalty to the keepers. Noor, mother of the cub Ali, wants to fight for freedom but doesn't understand its true cost. Zill, the adult male, doesn't feel strongly one way or the other. He simply wants to protect his family but captivity has made him soft. All will find that freedom
...more
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2017 Reading Chal...: Pride of Baghdad, by Brian K Vaughan | 1 | 14 | Aug 18, 2016 04:41PM | |
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Brian K. Vaughan is the writer and co-creator of comic-book series including SAGA, PAPER GIRLS, Y THE LAST MAN, RUNAWAYS, and most recently, BARRIER, a digital comic with artist Marcos Martin about immigration, available from their pay-what-you-want site www.PanelSyndicate.com
BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes ...more
BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes ...more
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