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From the internationally acclaimed author of Blankets comes a love story of astounding resonance: a parable about our relationship to the natural world, the cultural divide between the first and third worlds, the common heritage of Christianity and Islam, and, most potently, the magic of storytelling.
Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, Habibi tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance, and by the love that grows between them. We follow them as their lives unfold together and apart; as they struggle to make a place for themselves in a world (not unlike our own) fueled by fear, lust, and greed; and as they discover the extraordinary depth and frailty of their connection.
Hinweis: Dieser Artikel kann nur an eine deutsche Lieferadresse ausgeliefert werden.
Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, Habibi tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance, and by the love that grows between them. We follow them as their lives unfold together and apart; as they struggle to make a place for themselves in a world (not unlike our own) fueled by fear, lust, and greed; and as they discover the extraordinary depth and frailty of their connection.
Hinweis: Dieser Artikel kann nur an eine deutsche Lieferadresse ausgeliefert werden.
Nach acht Jahren endlich ein neuer Comic des Amerikaners Craig Thompson: "Habibi" ist ein orientalisches Gegenwartsmärchen
Craig Thompson, geboren 1975, lebt in Portland. Sein Band "Blankets", eine Art Autobiographie, erschien 2003 und hat Leser auf der ganzen Welt begeistert. "Habibi", das neue Buch, erzählt jetzt von einer Sklavin und einem Eunuchen in einem Land in der Wüste - und von den gemeinsamen Wurzeln der Religionen.
Ein leeres Blatt kann wunderschön sein. Angeblich haben sich Künstler aber immer schon vor solchen leeren Blättern gefürchtet, viele sitzen davor, starren drauf, mit dem Stift in der Hand oder den Fingern über der Tastatur, und kriegen Anfälle, weil sie nicht weiter wissen. Für Schriftsteller muss das schlimm sein. Bei Zeichnern ist es etwas anderes, für die sind weiße Flächen auf Papier oft Stilmittel: von Hergé heißt es zum Beispiel, er habe, als er Ende der fünfziger Jahre "Tim in Tibet" konzipierte, ständig in Weiß geträumt, und deswegen, das war eine Art der Verarbeitung, ließ er dann viele Bilder seiner Himalayageschichte um Tim und Struppi und Tschang und den Yeti beinahe leer. Man hat fast, wenn man diesen Comic liest, das Gefühl, schneeblind zu werden.
Flächen frei zu lassen, nichts zu zeichnen oder doch etwas, nämlich Leere, die Schnee oder Wüste oder einfach das große Nichts sein könnte: Das ist eines der Talente von Craig Thompson. Er kommt auch aus dem Schnee, und zwar aus dem, der auf Michigan fällt. Von dort, aus dem Hinterland der Vereinigten Staaten und seinem tiefreligiösen Elternhaus hat er 2003 in "Blankets" erzählt. Ein Comic, an dem sich sehr gut zeigt, warum man seit einiger Zeit lieber von "graphic novel" spricht: "Blankets", preisgekrönt, vielfach übersetzt, war ein gezeichneter Roman von einer epischen Tiefe und Wahrhaftigkeit, wie man sie schon bei geschriebenen Romanen nur selten findet. Die Geschichte eines Sensibelchens, genannt Craig, der sich verliebt, und der herauswill aus den Zwängen seiner Welt, Schule, Kirche, Vater, Mutter.
Er kriegt nicht alles davon hin, wird aber älter dabei und weiß am Ende, wohin er will, so ungefähr jedenfalls. "Blankets" ist ein Comic wie ein Song von den Smiths, sixteen, clumsy and shy, that's the story of my life, aus einer Provinz, wie man sie aus "Fargo" kennt, dem eingeschneiten Film der Coen-Brüder, manchmal genauso lustig, oft, nein: meistens aber viel trauriger.
Ein Comic für Leute, die keine Comics, sondern Gedichte lesen. Eine autobiographische Verarbeitung, so wie es die tibetanischen Schneefelder von Hergé waren. Denn es ist Craig Thompsons eigene Geschichte. Ein Stich ins Herz.
Und jetzt wartet man schon seit acht Jahren darauf, dass Craig Thompson aus Portland wieder so ins Herz trifft. Acht Jahre hat er gearbeitet am nächsten Werk, und jetzt, kurz vor seinem 36. Geburtstag am 21. September, erscheint "Habibi". Ein Comic, der seine Leser nicht stechen, sondern erschlagen könnte, denn er ist backsteinige 672 Seiten lang ("Tim in Tibet", nur mal zum Vergleich, hatte 64 Seiten). Diese Fantasygeschichte spielt in einem erfundenen Sultanat im Nahen Osten, Wanatolien hat Craig Thompson es genannt, sie spielt irgendwann heute, aber gleichzeitig vor kurzem und vor allem in den jahrtausendealten Erzählungen von Abraham und seinen Söhnen, Noah, der Arche und von den Propheten, die in ihren unterschiedlichen Versionen der gleichen Geschichte drei Weltreligionen hervorbrachten, verwandt wie Brüder.
Eine junge Frau und ein junger Mann, die das Schicksal vereint und wieder trennt und wieder vereint: Dodola und Zam, davon erzählt "Habibi". Es ist ein Sklavenmärchen, ein Attac-Märchen, der Müll türmt sich, das Wasser wird knapp, die Wüste wächst, die Stadt wuchert. "Habibi", sagt Craig Thompson, sei vom schlechten amerikanischen Gewissen angetrieben, von american guilt, genauso wie von male guilt, das Buch ist eine große Tragödie sexueller Ausbeutung und gleichzeitig eine Hymne auf die gemeinsamen Wurzeln der morgenländischen und der abendländischen Welt. Und man könnte, weil "Habibi" nur wenige Tage nach dem zehnten Jahrestag des 11. September herauskommt, jetzt natürlich denken: Ist das nicht etwas viel böser, weißer Mann auf einmal? Aber dann schlägt man die 672 Seiten zum ersten Mal auf.
Und ertrinkt beinah in Ornamenten. In Schriftzeichen, die als Wellen auslaufen oder sich zu Bäumen verästeln. In Zahlenspielen und tausendfach gemusterten Mustern. "Habibi" mag von außen aussehen wie ein Hotelzimmer-Koran, innen aber ist es ein Trip aus Ziffern und Buchstaben, die sich um Gesichter, Gestalten und Landschaften ranken und zu einer sonderbaren, irritierenden Geschichte verdichten.
Woher kommen nur diese Figuren? Dodola ist eine Sklavin und Prostituierte, Zam ein Eunuch, es gibt einen sexsüchtigen Sultan und Nomaden und Haremsdamen und kleinwüchsige Aufseher mit nervösem Darm und noch mehr und noch dickere Eunuchen und Bettler, Schrottsammler, Wasserkraftwerksingenieure und Philosophen. Eben, also vor acht Jahren, war man noch mit Craig Thompson in Wisconsin und kannte sich aus: eine Highschool, Überlandbusse, Ferienlager. Und jetzt ist man plötzlich in Tausendundeiner Nacht von David Cronenberg. Mit den Figuren aus "Blankets" war man zur Schule gegangen, mit den Vokuhila-Typen genauso wie mit denen im Nirvana-Hemd. Aber Eunuchen?
"Die Figuren kommen aus den Tiefen meines Unbewussten", antwortet Craig Thompson im Gespräch - und dass "Habibi" ein Abstieg in die Dunkelheit gewesen sei und er nicht gewusst habe, ob er von dort überhaupt wieder zurück ins Helle finden würde. Er hat. "Habibi" endet mit fast weißen Seiten und einem arabischen Wort, von dem noch die Rede sein wird.
Dodola, so fängt die Geschichte an, wird als Neunjährige von ihren Eltern mit einem viel älteren Mann verheiratet, einem Schreiber, der den Koran kopiert. Eines Tages kommen Nomaden und töten ihn und nehmen die Kleine mit, sie soll in die Sklaverei verkauft werden, im Grunde zum zweiten Mal. Aber diesmal kann sie entkommen und nimmt dabei den winzigen Zam mit, der ausgesetzt wurde. Die beiden fliehen in die Wüste, in der ein alter Kutter gestrandet ist, und wachsen gemeinsam auf, als Schwester und Bruder, Mutter und Sohn oder mehr.
Um sich und Zam zu ernähren, erzählt Dodola ihm Geschichten - und verkauft sich an vorbeiziehende Karawanenmänner. Als Zam, inzwischen ist er fast ein Teenager geworden, das eines Tages mit eigenen Augen sieht, wird er halb irre vor Schuld und versucht, selbst der Ernährer zu sein, er geht in die nahe Stadt, kommt eines Abends zurück, da ist Dodola verschwunden. Abermals verschleppt. Und von dort an wird alles noch viel schlimmer, bis es besser und fast wieder gut wird.
Auf dem Weg zu diesem Ende zeigt uns Craig Thompson einige unglaubliche Bilder. Die Nacht über der Hauptstadt von Wanatolien, eine halb fertig gebaute Hochhausruine, in einem Stockwerk brennt Licht. Ein Müllsee, in dem ein Fischer in seinem Boot steht. Endlose Rohre einer Kanalisation, ein turmhoch verschnörkeltes Tor im Palast des Sultans, der Dodola gefangen hält. All das immer in Schwarzweiß, und vielleicht liegt es daran oder an der Präzision dieser Bilder - wie die Schatten fallen, wie scharf die Konturen sind -, dass man hin und wieder an die Szenen aus "Citizen Kane" denkt, in der Susan, die Frau von Kane, ein Puzzle legt und man glaubt, noch jede Kante der Millionen Kanten der Teile erkennen zu können, weil in diesem Film sich die Geschichte noch aus den kleinsten Details zusammensetzt.
Und so megalomanisch wie Orson Welles und Citizen Kane, so megalomanisch wirkt auch "Habibi": ein Überschuss aus Spiritualität, Seele in allen Szenen - das hätte auch schiefgehen können. Craig Thompson ist ein großes Risiko eingegangen mit seinem neuen Buch, das eben nicht autobiographisch ist, wie "Blankets" es war, weswegen man sich damals ja so leicht damit hatte identifizieren können. Er hätte sich mit diesem religiösen Futurmärchen auch verheben können, 2000 Seiten Vorarbeiten allein, erzählt er, habe er weggeschmissen.
Dass es nicht so gekommen ist, liegt weniger an der Kraft der Geschichte von Zam und Dodola und von den Wurzeln der Religionen, sondern an der Wucht, die die Bilder entfalten. Craig Thompson ist ein toller Geschichtenerzähler, aber der Wahrnehmungsapparat seiner Erzählung zeichnet zuallererst Formen auf, nicht Ideen. Oder Thesen. "Habibi" hat zwar auch wieder autobiographische Elemente, Thompson spricht von der Vergewaltigung einer engen Freundin zu Schulzeiten, ein Trauma, das sein Verhältnis zur Sexualität geprägt habe und das sich spiegelt im Trauma Zams, die geliebte Dodola dabei beobachten zu müssen, wie sie sich Männern verkauft.
Aber "Habibi", sagt Thompson, "begann mit dem Stil, befeuert von arabischer Kalligraphie, von ihrem geometrischen Design, diesen superverschnörkelten Mustern. Diese Kunstformen sind viel höher entwickelt in der arabischen Welt, weil es dort ja ein Bilderverbot gibt. Man hat Kalligraphie ,Musik für die Augen' genannt, und das bringt eine Seite in mir zum Schwingen. Der Comiczeichner Chris Ware hat Comics ,Notenblätter' genannt, einmal, weil sie eben Leser brauchen, die ihre Noten sozusagen lesen können müssen, und dann wegen des Rhythmus: Beim Comiczeichnen geht es um Bewegung, um Takt und Rhythmus auf dem Papier, und all das findet man auch in der Kalligraphie."
Obendrein gefalle es ihm, dass im Arabischen Worte selbst Bilder sind. "Beim Comic sind Zeichnungen Worte", sagt er, "und die Worte sind Bilder, alles kommt zusammen, wie bei einer Schreibschrift in dem Sinne, dass es fließt, ein fließendes Steno. Mich interessiert es nicht besonders, einfach nur Bilder zu machen. Was mich interessiert, ist die Musikalität, die Bewegung zwischen den Einzelbildern und den Zeichnungen darin, der flow."
"Habibi" selbst ist ein Wort, das, wenn es zwischen zwei Menschen ausgesprochen wird, Wellen auslösen kann - Craig Thompson zeichnet es auf den letzten Seiten als Welle. So läuft die Geschichte aus, bis sie schließlich in einem einzigen Wort kulminiert, auf Arabisch: Liebe. Von nichts anderem erzählt dieses großartige Buch, 672 Seiten, Tausende Jahre lang.
TOBIAS RÜTHER
"Habibi" von Craig Thompson ist bei Reprodukt erschienen, hat 672 Seiten und kostet 39 Euro (Übersetzung Stefan Prehn, Handlettering Michael Hau). Die "Blankets"-Ausgabe von Carlsen hat 592 Seiten und kostet 38 Euro. Im Oktober ist Craig Thompson in Deutschland auf Signierreise.
Alle Rechte vorbehalten. © F.A.Z. GmbH, Frankfurt am Main
Exquisite HABIBI is a remarkable feat of research, care, and black ink, and a reminder that all "People of the book," despite the division of their individual traditions, share a mosaic of stories. Zadie Smith, Harper s Magazine
The character depth, plot complexity, and storytelling in this lyrical, sexual, and scholarly epic would make any novelist proud . Thompson strings compositions that are often more tapestry than comics and that balance graphic design, illumination, calligraphy, and cartooning in steady alignment. It is unfair to expect two masterpieces in a row from anyone, but here Thompson sits securely in that rarefied air. Booklist, starred review
A lushly epic love story that's both inspiring and heartbreaking . In addition to richly detailed story panels, the gorgeous Arabic ornamental calligraphy makes each page an individual work of art. A dense, swirling dervish of a tale this will be the most talked about graphic novel of the fall. Publishers Weekly, starred review
The exquisite beauty and deep magic of this Arabian Nights-style love story cannot be overstated.... Habibi is certain to join the ranks of graphic novels that expand our understanding of not only the genre but also the world it describes. Library Journal, starred review
Habibi lifts the bar of graphic storytelling to new heights, both by the intricate, dramatic density and breathtaking scholarship of Thompson s panels and by the sheer scale and decorative beauty of his flowing, roiling, protean style. Thompson is the Charles Dickens of the genre, able to capture all the scary, heartbreaking, brave, uplifting details of his characters fates while orchestrating the big-picture machinations that connect them to the lives and times of his readers Habibi is a masterpiece that surely is one of a kind. Elle Magazine
A graphic novel that is sure to attract attention . A mature in all its meanings glimpse into a world few Westerners are at home with, and Thompson is respectful throughout. Kirkus
Habibi has classic written all over it. It s a modern literary triumph, a book so broad and magical in its scope, only a master could pull it off. This is no ordinary comic, it is a complete work of art. Beautiful, thought provoking, both timeless and of its time . An awe-inspiring read you can t afford to miss Grovel, graphic novel reviews
Easily the best graphic novel of the year, and probably the decade . Thompson s line work here is beyond brilliant, combining myriad styles and capturing the rich historical legacy of the cultural and religious volumes that inspired it. This is a work that truly changes the game and sets a new standard for all the graphic novels that follow it. GraphicNovelReporter.com
"Craig Thompson's new graphic novel, Habibi, is a masterpiece. This isn't an opinion. This book is a gorgeous object; to make it, Thompson apparently covered himself in honey and rolled around in a thousand years of Arabic calligraphy and Islamic art, and the result is breathtaking. The Boston Phoenix
Erotic, grotesque, and profoundly moving . I don t think I ve ever read a book quite like this, and I expect I ll be thinking about it for a long, long time. Boing Boing
Layered, daring, and brilliantly told an intricate story of love, religion, desire, survival, poverty, hope. It s drenched in metaphor and rich with double meanings. Yet for all it takes on, Habibi feels light on its feet; throughout, we feel Thompson reveling in his skills as a writer and artist. Its exuberance, even in its darkest moments, feels somehow celebratory. I m not sure that I ve read a better graphic novel Thompson s own work is manically elaborate and ingeniously laid out; he s become expert at moving the eye through exploding, dexterous panels. The Millions
Mere words or at least my mere words seemed not enough to even try to convey just how intricate and ornate, lush and seductive, arabesque and sometimes knowingly grotesque this artistic epic is a visual masterpiece. Comic Riffs, Washington Post blog
Like the elegantly dense mosaic patterns that Thompson fills the background of his pages with, Habibi is a book that weaves isolated shapes into an overpowering tableaux, its pieces carefully fit together and subtly repeated until a gorgeous unity emerges. National Post
Relentlessly virtuosic ... It is a tribute to Thompson's skill as a cartoonist that the transition from an old fashioned Orient to modern Babylon leaves few visual seams." New York Times Book Review
While the storytelling is gripping, surprising, and emotionally and intellectually hard-hitting, it almost takes a back seat to the artwork that is alternately robust and fragile. Thompson's deft, assured lines have never been more delicately and profoundly inked than here This book is a monument of intelligent, vibrant design, all in service to the story. Barnes and Noble review
Brilliantly imagined celebrates the power of the artist to tell a story with ink teased into magisterial letters and visual images. Newsweek
Thompson makes a good third of the other illustrators out there look like total chumps. Each page is carefully designed with recurring motifs that draw from sources like the Qur an and other storytelling traditions to add multiple layers of meaning to every moment. Scenes of city life and vast endless oceans of sand are drawn with such attention to detail that you ll be staggered imagining a human being crafting the images with human hands and commonly available tools It s a story told with technical precision and real, honest-to-gosh passion, and if you cry at the end it won t be because you ve been successfully manipulated it ll be because this world and these characters have come to mean something to you, and you ll miss them once you reach the final page. Richmond News
If you haven t been exposed to the work of Craig Thompson yet, you have been deprived of a true aesthetic experience . To say the work is visually stunning is an understatement. Thompson s art is simple black and white inking, yet his ink strokes convey a sense of live movement as if you re watching the characters move across the page . don t dismiss Habibi as a book of pretty pictures. While the artwork is incredible, Craig Thompson s Habibi is a book that will affect your heart. Wit and Fancy blog site
Artistically, it's the most gorgeous book I read this year, with compositions and layouts weaving together effortlessly and with endless depth and detail an outrageous success, and worth every bit of time Thompson spent on it. As great as this year was in comics, Habibi might have been the best thing I read in all of comics all year, and it makes me all the more excited to see what Thompson will be up to next. MultiversityComics.com, Best Graphic Novel of the 2011
The intricacy of patterns and motifs (both visible and metaphorical) hold the text together and astound in their complexity. In the world of Habibi, art is never divorced from meaning; drawings are symbolic verse, words twisted into new shapes . Habibi is about the power of words to carry and envelop us, and in Thompson s beautifully written novel, the reader experiences a similar magic. ALARM Press
Habibi is a confident, powerfully drawn graphic novel, telling its tale with passion, humor and an endless understanding of the human condition . A graphic novel masterpiece that explores what it means to be human through religious story, slavery, prostitution and personal and societal struggles within the industrial and third worlds. Shelf Awareness, starred review
A lush commentary on love and lust, wealth and want, religion and storytelling the power in this tale lies in human passion, sometimes cruel and sometimes sweet, combined with its geometric precision and deep sense of the sacred. Harvard Crimson
Lushly illustrated, at times unbearably sad and unexpectedly erotic. Paste Magazine
To read Habibi is to sink into the sensuous arabesque patterns that decorate its pages. Steeped in the imagery and storytelling traditions of the Muslim world, this densely layered love story is as grand and sustained a performance as any cartoonist has published . Thompson s fluid, evocative artwork is pretty miraculous too. Time Magazine
Habibi is like a big, rousing, unabashedly tear-jerking Dumas novel, with fascinatingly intricate designs and fabulous tales on almost every page. Salon
It s impossible to read this book and not walk away with a deeper, more profound understanding or appreciation for not both Arab culture and for the subtle and varied ways in which populations portrayed as enemies are in fact alike. Thanks to Thompson s deft storytelling, Habibi s seemingly daunting 700-plus pages can go by in a breeze; you won t want them to, though, because his delicate, yet ornate art make this a story you won t want to finish. Deathandtaxesmag.com
Audaciously ambitious. Just the decorative and calligraphic elements of its design alone are enough to recommend this volume. Icv2 review
Executed with enormous empathy and something that in earlier times would have been called divine inspiration, Habibi is an extraordinary milestone in the world of drawn stories. Who would have thought that black ink could make such complex, soul-filling music? FT.com
Habibi is a triumph of creativity. Thompson dazzles us with his pen strokes, with his mastery of storytelling, his research, plotting and characterisation. The book is destined to become an instant classic, confirming the author's position among not only the most masterful of graphic novelists but our finest contemporary writers, regardless of medium. The Independent
A fascinating exploration of a foreign cultural tradition by an American cartooning auteur at the height of his powers . never anything less than a breathtaking visual and intellectual experience. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Brilliantly imagined it celebrates the power of the artist to tell a story with ink teased into magisterial letters and visual images. Daily Beast
The art and lettering are both stunning and Thompson has rendered a complicated, dense story that truly elevates the medium. Forces of Geek Holiday Gift Guide
A subtle and engrossing tale that encompasses everything from Islam to climate change Thompson is a consummate storyteller, and his talent shines through in every line, every frame, and every speech bubble In a medium that s still dominated by masked crusaders, Habibi stands testament to the ongoing versatility of old-fashioned pen and paper. Culture Mob review
Craig Thompson doesn't fail to impress with yet another beautifully crafted graphic novel The art is breathtaking, and the imagery that pulls the whole thing together help the reader step out of the everyday and enjoy this rich mythology illuminating universal human truths about love It is a beautiful book. The illustrations are exquisite. Holding it in one's hands, and reading it for the first time, is quite the experience. Lari is Writing blog review
Thompson is a superb artist Habibi is a success. Washington Times
The work of an artist creating at the height of his powers with a confidence and an artistry that reveals grace in every pen stroke, in every panel, and it deftly makes greatness look easy The scope of this book is simply massive and what it achieves is not only unique for a comic book or graphic novel, but also important and so relevant to the times in which we all live This is an important book that, hopefully, will be read by as wide an audience as possible. It completely deserves all the attention and all the praise that s sure to come its way. Craig Thompson has created something truly special here that will surely be read and reflected upon for generations to come. TheShortBox.com
Habibi isn't just Thompson's greatest work yet; it's one of the most beautiful novels I've read this year The artwork is elegant, striking, reverent. The Portland Mercury
This is almost without question one of the most important graphic novel releases of the year. It overflows with elegant, elaborate and brilliantly composed hybrid imagery. warmoth.org
Habibi reminds one of nothing so much as the work of novelist John Barth, with its clear love of patterns, narrative, and beauty incredibly compelling and readable on many levels. Paste Magazine
Utterly engrossing Dodola s and Zam s stories are interwoven with the stories they learned as children, the underpinnings of Islam. This lends not only beauty and texture but also meaning and redemption to their suffering, and Thompson s handling of the religious elements something that might have been awkward or controversial is restrained and graceful. His black-and-white drawings, often incorporating Arabic script, are at times floaty and feverish but always perfectly clear. He breaks up dreamy exposition with tightly structured action sequences, and the pages couldn t be prettier. As always, his economical writing is deeply moving. Habibi is a book not to be missed. Bookpage
A fairy tale that's by turns tender and bawdy and brutally dark Habibi is a stunningly beautiful art object: 672 painstakingly intricate pages that astonish with their sheer level of detail, the way a ship made out of toothpicks, or the Eiffel Tower up close, astonishes. East Bay Express
Well-researched (Thompson reportedly worked on this project for more than a decade), this dark and mature adventure tale melds the modern Middle Eastern world with its rich mythology from the Quran, and is detailed with its mix of the area s landscape, people, symbology and particularly the Arabic calligraphy in all its ornamentation a page-turner that might be best consumed in smaller bits to better appreciate the depth and breadth of the story. Honolulu Star-Advertiser
These are real people living on the page in ink, and Thompson has sculpted characters that are perfectly imperfect Habibi stands as a new masterwork in American comics, and a graphic novel seriously worthy of sharing shelf space with Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco. Bleeding Cool
With Habibi, Craig Thompson elevates the graphic novel form to even higher levels. GraphicNovelReporter.com
Part adventure epic, part exploration of Middle Eastern folklore, Habibi is a work of tremendous scope and jaw-dropping ambition Habibi looks to be Thompson's next great book. Critical Mob
A massive masterpiece Habibi s pages are rich with ornamentation. Willamette Weekly
Habibi is a visual banquet, a veritable feast of brushstrokes and intricate detail. Thompson uses eastern design and the beautiful Arabic script to weave the story together in a soft, organic flow that floats along from panel to panel, page to page in rich, breathtaking beauty a truly magnificent book, one that is compelling, thoughtful, emotional and visually Beautiful. Comic Book Movie
A fascinating look at the thinking, tinkering, and creative process behind the making of the iconic comic MetaMaus offers a rare glimpse inside the mind of a genius storyteller, using Spiegelman's celebrated visual eloquence to illuminate the deeper psychological and sociocultural elements that underpin his thoughtful, provocative, masterful classic. The Atlantic
In addition to fine storytelling, Thompson's artwork rose to higher level with Habibi. Still operating in black and white, every panel aches with the amount of detail present. Sprawling two-page layouts throughout the book just bleed style and substance the story is expertly told and drawn. Tennessee Tech Oracle
Richly detailed Habibi fits in the grand literary tradition of stories about stories and the effect they have on us. National Post
The year s most critically acclaimed graphic novel. Wausau Daily Herald
Part fable and part history, Habibi is all novel: In the end, you care profoundly for Thompson s protagonists. Time Out New York
The magic here is twofold: Dodola's love for Zam, which transcends all other loves, and the wise stories And what images! Thompson's brushstrokes give us villains with weight, smoke that wriggles, architecture that positively grows from the page. San Francisco Chronicle
Impeccably researched and beautiful a fount of delight for the attentive reader; a work of staggering ambition Habibi was not just written or drawn; it reads like it was practically birthed in a tremendous effort of will. WSJ Live Mint blog
Thompson is a masterful comic book artist with the ability to fill pages with life: the amount of detail he includes in some of his drawings is incredible and astounding, as is the sheer scope of the work there s no denying that Habibi is a work of art. Wired Magazine, Geek Dad blog
Thompson took the literary establishment by its starched lapels and made the case for graphic novels as capital "A" Art. Flavorpill.com
A highly anticipated heavy hitter who did deliver was Craig Thompson with Habibi, one of Phil Guie's choices for best of the year. Massive in scale and ambition, Habibi is essentially a love story of two slaves told through a brilliant integration of classic storytelling and religious iconography. Critical Mob, Critical Books of 2011
Set in a never-named country of the Middle East (or North Africa), Craig Thompson s dystopian Habibi is an epic love story, a primer on the Koran, and a cautionary tale about human greed and squandered natural resources, all in one exquisitely rendered volume. Straight.com s best graphic novels of 2011
A gorgeously drawn fairy tale That it's a book that supports debate marks it as the most interesting comic of the year. That every one of its 655 pages is tremendously engaging and astonishingly beautiful marks it as the best comic of the year. NPR best graphic novels of 2011
Incredibly gorgeous. Expect Habibi to join Maus on college syllabuses soon. Comic Book Day: Top 5 Comics of 2011
Exotic and lush, yet heartbreaking at times, Thompson s book is an exploration of the Islamic culture by one of comics most deft craftsmen. NewsOK blog
Staggering in scope and ambition, this massive book (700 pages) delivers page after page of art that your eyes can get lost in Thompson carries you to someplace new and different, asking for your trust in his pen and ink, and if you give it to him, the rewards are grand. Comics Waiting Room.com
A beautifully told and drawn story, as complex in its narrative as in its drawings. OnMilwaukee.com
The character depth, plot complexity, and storytelling in this lyrical, sexual, and scholarly epic would make any novelist proud . Thompson strings compositions that are often more tapestry than comics and that balance graphic design, illumination, calligraphy, and cartooning in steady alignment. It is unfair to expect two masterpieces in a row from anyone, but here Thompson sits securely in that rarefied air. Booklist, starred review
A lushly epic love story that's both inspiring and heartbreaking . In addition to richly detailed story panels, the gorgeous Arabic ornamental calligraphy makes each page an individual work of art. A dense, swirling dervish of a tale this will be the most talked about graphic novel of the fall. Publishers Weekly, starred review
The exquisite beauty and deep magic of this Arabian Nights-style love story cannot be overstated.... Habibi is certain to join the ranks of graphic novels that expand our understanding of not only the genre but also the world it describes. Library Journal, starred review
Habibi lifts the bar of graphic storytelling to new heights, both by the intricate, dramatic density and breathtaking scholarship of Thompson s panels and by the sheer scale and decorative beauty of his flowing, roiling, protean style. Thompson is the Charles Dickens of the genre, able to capture all the scary, heartbreaking, brave, uplifting details of his characters fates while orchestrating the big-picture machinations that connect them to the lives and times of his readers Habibi is a masterpiece that surely is one of a kind. Elle Magazine
A graphic novel that is sure to attract attention . A mature in all its meanings glimpse into a world few Westerners are at home with, and Thompson is respectful throughout. Kirkus
Habibi has classic written all over it. It s a modern literary triumph, a book so broad and magical in its scope, only a master could pull it off. This is no ordinary comic, it is a complete work of art. Beautiful, thought provoking, both timeless and of its time . An awe-inspiring read you can t afford to miss Grovel, graphic novel reviews
Easily the best graphic novel of the year, and probably the decade . Thompson s line work here is beyond brilliant, combining myriad styles and capturing the rich historical legacy of the cultural and religious volumes that inspired it. This is a work that truly changes the game and sets a new standard for all the graphic novels that follow it. GraphicNovelReporter.com
"Craig Thompson's new graphic novel, Habibi, is a masterpiece. This isn't an opinion. This book is a gorgeous object; to make it, Thompson apparently covered himself in honey and rolled around in a thousand years of Arabic calligraphy and Islamic art, and the result is breathtaking. The Boston Phoenix
Erotic, grotesque, and profoundly moving . I don t think I ve ever read a book quite like this, and I expect I ll be thinking about it for a long, long time. Boing Boing
Layered, daring, and brilliantly told an intricate story of love, religion, desire, survival, poverty, hope. It s drenched in metaphor and rich with double meanings. Yet for all it takes on, Habibi feels light on its feet; throughout, we feel Thompson reveling in his skills as a writer and artist. Its exuberance, even in its darkest moments, feels somehow celebratory. I m not sure that I ve read a better graphic novel Thompson s own work is manically elaborate and ingeniously laid out; he s become expert at moving the eye through exploding, dexterous panels. The Millions
Mere words or at least my mere words seemed not enough to even try to convey just how intricate and ornate, lush and seductive, arabesque and sometimes knowingly grotesque this artistic epic is a visual masterpiece. Comic Riffs, Washington Post blog
Like the elegantly dense mosaic patterns that Thompson fills the background of his pages with, Habibi is a book that weaves isolated shapes into an overpowering tableaux, its pieces carefully fit together and subtly repeated until a gorgeous unity emerges. National Post
Relentlessly virtuosic ... It is a tribute to Thompson's skill as a cartoonist that the transition from an old fashioned Orient to modern Babylon leaves few visual seams." New York Times Book Review
While the storytelling is gripping, surprising, and emotionally and intellectually hard-hitting, it almost takes a back seat to the artwork that is alternately robust and fragile. Thompson's deft, assured lines have never been more delicately and profoundly inked than here This book is a monument of intelligent, vibrant design, all in service to the story. Barnes and Noble review
Brilliantly imagined celebrates the power of the artist to tell a story with ink teased into magisterial letters and visual images. Newsweek
Thompson makes a good third of the other illustrators out there look like total chumps. Each page is carefully designed with recurring motifs that draw from sources like the Qur an and other storytelling traditions to add multiple layers of meaning to every moment. Scenes of city life and vast endless oceans of sand are drawn with such attention to detail that you ll be staggered imagining a human being crafting the images with human hands and commonly available tools It s a story told with technical precision and real, honest-to-gosh passion, and if you cry at the end it won t be because you ve been successfully manipulated it ll be because this world and these characters have come to mean something to you, and you ll miss them once you reach the final page. Richmond News
If you haven t been exposed to the work of Craig Thompson yet, you have been deprived of a true aesthetic experience . To say the work is visually stunning is an understatement. Thompson s art is simple black and white inking, yet his ink strokes convey a sense of live movement as if you re watching the characters move across the page . don t dismiss Habibi as a book of pretty pictures. While the artwork is incredible, Craig Thompson s Habibi is a book that will affect your heart. Wit and Fancy blog site
Artistically, it's the most gorgeous book I read this year, with compositions and layouts weaving together effortlessly and with endless depth and detail an outrageous success, and worth every bit of time Thompson spent on it. As great as this year was in comics, Habibi might have been the best thing I read in all of comics all year, and it makes me all the more excited to see what Thompson will be up to next. MultiversityComics.com, Best Graphic Novel of the 2011
The intricacy of patterns and motifs (both visible and metaphorical) hold the text together and astound in their complexity. In the world of Habibi, art is never divorced from meaning; drawings are symbolic verse, words twisted into new shapes . Habibi is about the power of words to carry and envelop us, and in Thompson s beautifully written novel, the reader experiences a similar magic. ALARM Press
Habibi is a confident, powerfully drawn graphic novel, telling its tale with passion, humor and an endless understanding of the human condition . A graphic novel masterpiece that explores what it means to be human through religious story, slavery, prostitution and personal and societal struggles within the industrial and third worlds. Shelf Awareness, starred review
A lush commentary on love and lust, wealth and want, religion and storytelling the power in this tale lies in human passion, sometimes cruel and sometimes sweet, combined with its geometric precision and deep sense of the sacred. Harvard Crimson
Lushly illustrated, at times unbearably sad and unexpectedly erotic. Paste Magazine
To read Habibi is to sink into the sensuous arabesque patterns that decorate its pages. Steeped in the imagery and storytelling traditions of the Muslim world, this densely layered love story is as grand and sustained a performance as any cartoonist has published . Thompson s fluid, evocative artwork is pretty miraculous too. Time Magazine
Habibi is like a big, rousing, unabashedly tear-jerking Dumas novel, with fascinatingly intricate designs and fabulous tales on almost every page. Salon
It s impossible to read this book and not walk away with a deeper, more profound understanding or appreciation for not both Arab culture and for the subtle and varied ways in which populations portrayed as enemies are in fact alike. Thanks to Thompson s deft storytelling, Habibi s seemingly daunting 700-plus pages can go by in a breeze; you won t want them to, though, because his delicate, yet ornate art make this a story you won t want to finish. Deathandtaxesmag.com
Audaciously ambitious. Just the decorative and calligraphic elements of its design alone are enough to recommend this volume. Icv2 review
Executed with enormous empathy and something that in earlier times would have been called divine inspiration, Habibi is an extraordinary milestone in the world of drawn stories. Who would have thought that black ink could make such complex, soul-filling music? FT.com
Habibi is a triumph of creativity. Thompson dazzles us with his pen strokes, with his mastery of storytelling, his research, plotting and characterisation. The book is destined to become an instant classic, confirming the author's position among not only the most masterful of graphic novelists but our finest contemporary writers, regardless of medium. The Independent
A fascinating exploration of a foreign cultural tradition by an American cartooning auteur at the height of his powers . never anything less than a breathtaking visual and intellectual experience. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Brilliantly imagined it celebrates the power of the artist to tell a story with ink teased into magisterial letters and visual images. Daily Beast
The art and lettering are both stunning and Thompson has rendered a complicated, dense story that truly elevates the medium. Forces of Geek Holiday Gift Guide
A subtle and engrossing tale that encompasses everything from Islam to climate change Thompson is a consummate storyteller, and his talent shines through in every line, every frame, and every speech bubble In a medium that s still dominated by masked crusaders, Habibi stands testament to the ongoing versatility of old-fashioned pen and paper. Culture Mob review
Craig Thompson doesn't fail to impress with yet another beautifully crafted graphic novel The art is breathtaking, and the imagery that pulls the whole thing together help the reader step out of the everyday and enjoy this rich mythology illuminating universal human truths about love It is a beautiful book. The illustrations are exquisite. Holding it in one's hands, and reading it for the first time, is quite the experience. Lari is Writing blog review
Thompson is a superb artist Habibi is a success. Washington Times
The work of an artist creating at the height of his powers with a confidence and an artistry that reveals grace in every pen stroke, in every panel, and it deftly makes greatness look easy The scope of this book is simply massive and what it achieves is not only unique for a comic book or graphic novel, but also important and so relevant to the times in which we all live This is an important book that, hopefully, will be read by as wide an audience as possible. It completely deserves all the attention and all the praise that s sure to come its way. Craig Thompson has created something truly special here that will surely be read and reflected upon for generations to come. TheShortBox.com
Habibi isn't just Thompson's greatest work yet; it's one of the most beautiful novels I've read this year The artwork is elegant, striking, reverent. The Portland Mercury
This is almost without question one of the most important graphic novel releases of the year. It overflows with elegant, elaborate and brilliantly composed hybrid imagery. warmoth.org
Habibi reminds one of nothing so much as the work of novelist John Barth, with its clear love of patterns, narrative, and beauty incredibly compelling and readable on many levels. Paste Magazine
Utterly engrossing Dodola s and Zam s stories are interwoven with the stories they learned as children, the underpinnings of Islam. This lends not only beauty and texture but also meaning and redemption to their suffering, and Thompson s handling of the religious elements something that might have been awkward or controversial is restrained and graceful. His black-and-white drawings, often incorporating Arabic script, are at times floaty and feverish but always perfectly clear. He breaks up dreamy exposition with tightly structured action sequences, and the pages couldn t be prettier. As always, his economical writing is deeply moving. Habibi is a book not to be missed. Bookpage
A fairy tale that's by turns tender and bawdy and brutally dark Habibi is a stunningly beautiful art object: 672 painstakingly intricate pages that astonish with their sheer level of detail, the way a ship made out of toothpicks, or the Eiffel Tower up close, astonishes. East Bay Express
Well-researched (Thompson reportedly worked on this project for more than a decade), this dark and mature adventure tale melds the modern Middle Eastern world with its rich mythology from the Quran, and is detailed with its mix of the area s landscape, people, symbology and particularly the Arabic calligraphy in all its ornamentation a page-turner that might be best consumed in smaller bits to better appreciate the depth and breadth of the story. Honolulu Star-Advertiser
These are real people living on the page in ink, and Thompson has sculpted characters that are perfectly imperfect Habibi stands as a new masterwork in American comics, and a graphic novel seriously worthy of sharing shelf space with Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco. Bleeding Cool
With Habibi, Craig Thompson elevates the graphic novel form to even higher levels. GraphicNovelReporter.com
Part adventure epic, part exploration of Middle Eastern folklore, Habibi is a work of tremendous scope and jaw-dropping ambition Habibi looks to be Thompson's next great book. Critical Mob
A massive masterpiece Habibi s pages are rich with ornamentation. Willamette Weekly
Habibi is a visual banquet, a veritable feast of brushstrokes and intricate detail. Thompson uses eastern design and the beautiful Arabic script to weave the story together in a soft, organic flow that floats along from panel to panel, page to page in rich, breathtaking beauty a truly magnificent book, one that is compelling, thoughtful, emotional and visually Beautiful. Comic Book Movie
A fascinating look at the thinking, tinkering, and creative process behind the making of the iconic comic MetaMaus offers a rare glimpse inside the mind of a genius storyteller, using Spiegelman's celebrated visual eloquence to illuminate the deeper psychological and sociocultural elements that underpin his thoughtful, provocative, masterful classic. The Atlantic
In addition to fine storytelling, Thompson's artwork rose to higher level with Habibi. Still operating in black and white, every panel aches with the amount of detail present. Sprawling two-page layouts throughout the book just bleed style and substance the story is expertly told and drawn. Tennessee Tech Oracle
Richly detailed Habibi fits in the grand literary tradition of stories about stories and the effect they have on us. National Post
The year s most critically acclaimed graphic novel. Wausau Daily Herald
Part fable and part history, Habibi is all novel: In the end, you care profoundly for Thompson s protagonists. Time Out New York
The magic here is twofold: Dodola's love for Zam, which transcends all other loves, and the wise stories And what images! Thompson's brushstrokes give us villains with weight, smoke that wriggles, architecture that positively grows from the page. San Francisco Chronicle
Impeccably researched and beautiful a fount of delight for the attentive reader; a work of staggering ambition Habibi was not just written or drawn; it reads like it was practically birthed in a tremendous effort of will. WSJ Live Mint blog
Thompson is a masterful comic book artist with the ability to fill pages with life: the amount of detail he includes in some of his drawings is incredible and astounding, as is the sheer scope of the work there s no denying that Habibi is a work of art. Wired Magazine, Geek Dad blog
Thompson took the literary establishment by its starched lapels and made the case for graphic novels as capital "A" Art. Flavorpill.com
A highly anticipated heavy hitter who did deliver was Craig Thompson with Habibi, one of Phil Guie's choices for best of the year. Massive in scale and ambition, Habibi is essentially a love story of two slaves told through a brilliant integration of classic storytelling and religious iconography. Critical Mob, Critical Books of 2011
Set in a never-named country of the Middle East (or North Africa), Craig Thompson s dystopian Habibi is an epic love story, a primer on the Koran, and a cautionary tale about human greed and squandered natural resources, all in one exquisitely rendered volume. Straight.com s best graphic novels of 2011
A gorgeously drawn fairy tale That it's a book that supports debate marks it as the most interesting comic of the year. That every one of its 655 pages is tremendously engaging and astonishingly beautiful marks it as the best comic of the year. NPR best graphic novels of 2011
Incredibly gorgeous. Expect Habibi to join Maus on college syllabuses soon. Comic Book Day: Top 5 Comics of 2011
Exotic and lush, yet heartbreaking at times, Thompson s book is an exploration of the Islamic culture by one of comics most deft craftsmen. NewsOK blog
Staggering in scope and ambition, this massive book (700 pages) delivers page after page of art that your eyes can get lost in Thompson carries you to someplace new and different, asking for your trust in his pen and ink, and if you give it to him, the rewards are grand. Comics Waiting Room.com
A beautifully told and drawn story, as complex in its narrative as in its drawings. OnMilwaukee.com