The Sheriff of Babylon Deluxe Edition

I waited a long time to read this book. Now that I have completed it, I really wish that I had kept on waiting. The Sheriff of Babylon is based on writer Tom King's experiences in Iraq as a member of the CIA. Because a lot of his work is still marked as Top Secret, this is less of a direct biography about King's post 9/11 stint in the middle east and more of a Impressionist painting of that period of his life. The scenery is right. Characters involved reflect the complicated mission of making a country free for democracy in whose citizens don't want American involvement. The beliefs and covert centrifuge is accurate. But the story is completely made up. Oh, God, please let this story have been made up.

Remember the first 15 minutes of Saving Private Ryan and how that realism of the invasion of Normandy was such a gut punch for the viewers? Well, that's what The Sheriff of Babylon is like. Only the abuse of the reader lasts for 12 whole issues. 

The story begins when American soldiers discover the mutilated corpse of an Iraqi citizen who's been training to become a part of Baghdad's police force. The victim's American supervisor, military consultant Christopher Henry, is tasked to return the body back to his family. Calling in a favor from an influential member of the interim government, Christopher is assisted in claiming the body by Nassir, a former member of Saddam Hussein's secret police who continues to work as an enforcer of the law in Baghdad despite a price that hangs eerily over his head. Once the body is claimed, Christopher and Nassir fall into the middle of a giant CIA quagmire that will result in the deaths of innocents, miscarriage, conspiracy and torture. 

Adding to the stark realism of this book is the art of Mitch Gerads. A frequent collaborator with Tom King, Gerads' artwork always looks photo-realistic. His scenes are worthy of a portfolio review in National Geographic. His characters evoke a myriad of emotions. To the point you get connected to many of the characters, which makes it even harder to absorb when they're mercilessly killed off.

There was an aspect of this book that felt anything but realistic that got on my nerves: the dialogue. I understand why superheroes and the villains always wax poetic. Super-hero comics are a form of melodrama. But why do non-cape comics and graphic novels have to fall into that same trap? There's a complex mystery being kept under wraps by spies, double agents and shadow governments. I don't need every character speaking in riddle like the Sphinx on crack. Just tell me what you want to say without making allusions to some ancient fable that maybe only 2% of the entire population of human history has ever heard of.

Sometimes a cigar is just a freakin' cigar!

A tough story. Harsh on the stomach. Cancerous to the human spirit. Full of dialogue that needs assistance from the Encyclopedia Britannica. At least I should be able to get some trade credit for something else that is more fanciful and family friendly.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Best Political Cartoons of the Year 2005 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The political cartoon. It's an institution as American as mom, apple pie, and baseball. For the year that was 2004, it was a banner year to be an editorial artist.

2004 was a presidential election year. The candidates the American people had to choose from were the incumbent, George W. Bush vs. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. The roller coaster economy, traditional home values and the war on terror were deciding factors in an election that was too close to call until election day.

Iraq was a frequent topic for political cartoonists. Saddam Hussein's war trail occurred in 2004. With his capture, the debate raged as to not only should America continue to have a presence in the Middle Eastern nation, but also as to why we were there in the first place. A scandal involving the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison by US soldiers took over the editorial page for a while. And the commencement of the 2004 Olympics in Athens had everyone on the edge of their seats. Not because of gold medal fervor; but to see if the global event was going to be the next target of terrorists. 

There was more to 2004 than the election, Irag and the war on terror. The Boston Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino and finally won the World Series for the first time since 1918. DIY guru Martha Stewart went to prison for insider stock trading. A series of hurricanes targeted Florida. And several big time celebs passed away including Superman's Marlon Brando and his on-screen son, the man of steel himself, Christopher Reeve. There's also a special section at editorial cartoons from around the world, with the focus being how other countries view American policy.

This book is titled as The Best Political Cartoons of 2005. But all of the material within the covers are from 2004. Editor Daryl Cagle did it this way because both the Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Cartooning and several other similar awards are now presented for the year prior but in the when it wasp physically awarded. So Herblock winner Matt Davies, whose winning portfolio is presented in this volume, won the 2005 award for his work done in 2004.

I didn't choose this compendium of cartoons to be political. I choose this collection as I am down to just 2 tasks on my 2022 reading challenge and it's been darn near impossible to find a comic book or graphic novel with an index inside it. This book was placed in the used graphic novel section of my favorite LCS. And this book promises an index, of which there is! So, I am counting it. 

An interesting look by at 2004. I recall a lot of the events that happened in this year. I just can't believe it's been 16 years since it all happened!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #30 (With an Index) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marvel Comics Presents #129

Once more, there's no end in sight for any of the 3 multi-part stories. But if the Wolverine story keeps being as hilarious as it has been (unintentional I'm sure) it can keep on.

But it's really time for the Ghost Rider/Typhoid Mary and the Iron Fist tales to conclude.

In the crimes against comics department, the Crossbones adventure should have been a two-parter or maybe even a three issue involvement. It was that good. Wolfpack's John Figeroa has the criminal pulling Suicide Squad duty. As part of his rehabilitation and to earn time off his sentence, Crossbones must infiltrate a hospital that has been take over by terrorists and free the hostages. 

The crux of this story was that there were many opportunities for Crossbones to escape. But he just won't do it. Not because he's reformed or anything. It's just not the right time to make a break for it. 

Okay, so we've got 2 stories in one issue dealing with domestic terrorism. This issue was published sometime around the summer of 1993. That makes the US about 2 years away from the Oklahoma City bombing. Oh, wait, the first attack on the World Trade Center was earlier this year. That explains why Marvel seems to be really focused on the threat of terror in their stories right now. 

Having realized all that, the past 6 or so issues of MCP have been time capsules of societal fears. Had Marvel had just stuck with the Ghost Rider story which involves a terror group taking over a shopping mall, I might not have made any historical connections. But with 2 stories (in  1 issue) about terror, I saw an unusual pattern and now I understand why. 

That being said, I'm only half satisfied with this issue as 2 stories are just getting stale and frankly a bit boring.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 142

       After what happened last night in Manchester, it's really hard to want to be nostalgic today. The great Roger Moore of the Saint and James Bond fame passed away today at 89 and it just doesn't feel right to post on Facebook some sort of tribute to him today. 
   
      Sadly, terrorism isn't anything new these days. It seems like we just wait by our phones and computers for news of the latest terror attack. I turn to CNN regularly wondering to myself 'what horrible thing has happened now..."- not because I'm secretly hoping for tragedy or anything like that. With my social anxiety, it's more like being unemployed and going to the mail in fear of yet another mounting bill.

      Terror is sadly a way of life in 2017. But even for 1977 standards, terrorism wasn't a new concept. Nor is the use of juveniles as a way to get your message of hate across, as this supposed suicide bomber did last night in the name of Islam.* In fact, 40 years ago today, Moluccan nationalists held a train and an elementary school hostage for almost 3 weeks in the Netherlands. The dozen or so terrorists held 105 students and 50 adults as prisoner.

      Thankfully, the siege at the school ended without any loss of life. The children were allowed to leave a couple of days earlier as they all came down with a mystery virus. (It's believed that authorities spiked the kids food with laxatives to get things moving in the hostage negotiation process, so to speak.) Sadly, one hostage died in the onslaught of a Dutch anti-terrorist unit in ending the crisis on the train.

      The Moluccan community has never apologized for this incident. Though decades later, a couple of the former terrorists gave their lives to Christ and meet in person with the now adult hostages and made amends. 

     As I have learn over the years, healing takes time. A really long amount of time. It drives me nuts when I have to process something over with therapy. But the breakthroughs come. And sometimes, like right now, you learn something and it sets you back a bit. 

    What I'm getting at is that there are going to be a lot of children, teens, and family members who experienced last night's bombing, that will need therapy, healing, and support. As someone who works security for events part-time, I understand that the venue workers, road crew, and even the performer of the show, Ariana Grande will need support too. But it bothers me that I see more people on social media offering their prayers and encouragement to the headliner (who was nowhere near the blast) than the dozens of lives that were either killed or severely injured. 

     Where have our priorities gone?...

      I think that's all that I have to heart or spirit to put into today's post. 

      Until next time...

* ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks moments before this post went live.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 68

 
 Today in Madman history, a dozen terrorists stormed and occupied 3 government buildings in Washington DC! Broken off from the Nation of Islam, the gunmen killed at least 2 people, injured several others, including a then-unknown city councilman Marion Berry, and held hostages. Their demands were mostly standard requests, like freeing fellow compatriots held for previous crimes.
    

Marion Berry recovering from his gunshot wound.
His role in the event fueled his rise to becoming DC's mayor.

     But there was one fairly odd demand- the destruction of a film starring Anthony Quinn called The Message. The movie was a biopic about the life of Mohammed and while several Muslim religions groups gave their blessing for the film's production, not everyone was happy about including the Hanafi Movement of which the terrorists were members of.

Police snipers poised for action during the stand-off.

    In my 39-years of life, how have I never heard of this event? You'd think in the wake of the 
9-11 attacks or just our continual war on Islamic terrorism that there would be some documentary or even a memorial piece on this. Why, being a history major/ teacher I would've expected to have learned something about this. But it wasn't until my research for today's Madman post that I first learn of this siege. 
   

Investigators mull over the crime scene
after the terrorists surrender.

   
  I thought for today's post, you might want to hear more about the event straight from the horse's mouth. So I am including a March 9, 1977 taping of the WRAL-5 news from Raleigh, NC- my birthplace! Literally, as the studios were a mere 5 blocks from the hospital in which I was born.

     Sorry that the quality stinks and that the sports section in virtually unwatchable. I didn't tape it!
I wasn't even born yet!

    Until tomorrow...