Since we covered a Marvel book last week, it’s only fair that we take a look at something from the Distinguished Competition. As you know, DC has Vertigo, an entire imprint devoted to publishing non-superhero titles. Vertigo has been an immensely successful imprint, putting out books that nearly every superhero fan is familiar with. However, there are a few books they’ve put out that are every bit as good as “Sandman,” “Fables” and “Transmetropolitan” that somehow managed to slip in under the radar. No doubt we will be covering a few of those titles in the future.
One of those hidden gems is G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker’s graphic novel “Cairo.” Set in its eponymous city, “Cairo” is the story of five completely different people from four different backgrounds: Ashraf, a hashish smuggler; Kate, a disaffected American college student; Shaheed, a Lebanese-American with ties to extremist groups; Ali, an Egyptian journalist critical of the ruling regime, and Tova, a member of the Israeli Special Forces who is trapped in the city and trying to escape before she is captured. Ashraf steals a hookah from a gangster’s safe house and sells it to Shaheed, not knowing that it contains a jinn (what westerners call a genie). Ali, who is Ashraf’s sister’s fiancée, is helping Kate find a hostel when they are both kidnapped by the gangster to force Ashraf to find and return the hookah. Tova agrees to help Ashraf find the hookah and free the two prisoners if he will help smuggle her back across the border to Israel. When it is revealed that the Jinn knows the secret behind a powerful ancient artifact, this set of unlikely allies embarks on a journey that involves powerful sorcerers, magic swords, demons, and a trip through the legendary submerged river known as the Undernile. Ultimately, each of the main characters must work together to survive, and the experiences they share and the things they learn from each other are essential elements of their journey.
“Cairo” is one of those stories that is meant for the comics medium. While I’m sure it could make a great movie in the hands of the right director, Wilson and Perker take advantage of the unique properties of the comics medium to tell their story in a way no other medium could accomplish. The best example of this, pictured below, is a scene where Shaheed is attempting to wield the magical sword Sahib. To take possession of it, he must unlock his own intuitive powers to reach beyond the physical constraints of time and space, which Perker represents by having him reach into a previous panel to snatch the sword from the sorcerer Tabatasharan’s hands. This is the kind of scene that reminds me why I love this medium so much.
It’s that same love for the medium that inspired the creators to create this story. Wilson had been a fan of comics for a long time, but when she moved to Egypt, she was worried she’d have to leave comics behind, as the religious community she belonged to would not look kindly upon the sex and violence associated with mainstream comics. She wanted to create a story that the Muslim community could approve of, something she could be proud of and show to her friends and neighbors. With that goal in mind, she created “Cairo.”
All of that is not to say that “Cairo” is a clean, pious tale espousing the virtues of a strict adherence to the teachings of Islam. The story is still full of violence, drugs, magic and all of that visceral stuff Vertigo is famous for. It’s just that all of that is done in a way that shows great respect for Islamic culture and Middle Eastern mythology. One of the themes in the book is about cross-cultural respect. The student-teacher relationship between Ali and Kate, the budding romance between Tova and Ashraf, and Shaheed’s transition from would-be suicide bomber to poet-warrior fighting for peace all mirror Wilson’s personal journey from America to Egypt and reconciling her Western origins with her Muslim faith. For Westerners such as myself, “Cairo” is an eye-opening tale that can teach us a little something about Arabic culture and its similarities and differences to our own, even as it entertains. Above all, the message contained within the book is that respect and attentiveness to others can make us better and live more wholesome lives in the long run.
If you too would like to open your mind to this fascinating mythical adventure, I highly recommend picking up the beautiful hardcover edition as it was originally published in 2007. It can be found in many online stores for 30-50% or more off of the cover price, and may also be available to order at your local comics shop. This is a story you are going to want to read more than once, and the hardcover will not only hold up well after several re-readings, but also makes a beautiful addition to your bookshelf.
