Brian K. Vaughan shows us war from the perspective of a pride of lions who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo after a bombing raid in 2003. Questions of survival and the true meaning of freedom are examined and presented in a way that may make you reexamine your current definitions.
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.
But after a vicious fight with the apes in the zoo, the lions decided to leave and start walking. They explore part of the desert and meet a wise turtle at the Tigris River. The turtle is old enough to remember the previous Iraq war: “There’s black stuff under the earth, boy. Poison. When the walkers fight, they send it spewing into the sky, and spilling into the sea.”
The lions see a long line of military tanks, and decide to hide and go the other direction. They find the rubble of a city and meet other wild animals, including a group of beautiful white horses.
The lions are able to climb to the top of a building and look out over the city, seeing the horizon for the first time since they were captured in the wild. And then, well, this story has a sad ending, as most war tales do.
The artwork is beautiful and colorful, and I think it’s a great way to tell the story. A truly unique look at war. A short read, and a definitely a must.