The Armed Garden

Last week I read Ruse, a very good cop-buddy book set in Victorian times.  That was more than enough of the mainstream for me so this week I needed to get back to something that I was the only one in the store to have read.  That book was The Armed Garden written and illustrated by David B., published by Fantagraphics.

The Armed Garden contains three fables: “The Veiled Prophet,” “The Armed Garden,” and “The Drum Who Fell in Love.”  The stories aren’t quite fables, they are more like loose interpretations of historical facts.  “The Veiled Prophet” is more fable than the others and is rooted in middle eastern myth.  It is the story of a common laborer who is perceived by the people to be the incarnation of a prophet.  The Caliph doesn’t mind at first, but when the man’s followers threaten the Caliph then trouble starts.  “The Armed Garden” and “The Drum Who Fell in Love” are part fable, part historical fact about the Adamites and Taborites in 14th cenury eastern Europe.  The Garden loosely follows historical events while The Drum is more fable.  And, by fables, these are more Grimm’s Fables than the modern day happy ending versions.

I think it is safe to say that David B is unknown to most comic book readers but he is one of the great comic creaters of our generation.  He wrote Epileptic, winner of the 2000 Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Scenario, and considered one of the greatest graphic novels of all time. David B. also won the 2005 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist for his work on the series.  Because of his previous accomplishments, The Armed Garden came with high expectations.

David’s art has a loose cartoony feel to it that hides his skill.  Whether it’s a knight chain armor or the robes of a queen David packs his panels, and pages, full of detail.  His sense of composition is incredible with pages flowing seamlessly together.  His sense of blacks and negative space is magnificent too.  He alternates heavy blacks and light regions on the same page to create intricate compositions. 

If you like fables and stories that have a mystical feel to them then this is the book for you.  All the stories within the book were fun to read just because they are outside of your typical offerings.  It’s interesting to see how middle eastern tales are similar to European/American tales.  After that, the final two stories are close enough to historical fact that it really piques your interest about factions of the church in medieval times.  All the stories are told in such a fashion that they don’t overwhelm you with the settings.  Instead they are simply good stories.  Sometimes bloody and full of naked people but really good stories none the less.

The Armed Garden isn’t like any book on the stands right now.  It’s part story, part historical narrative, and a completely good read.  If you are looking for something different, then this is the book for you.

- David Lee