When is art a journey? When do pages become passports? With Habibi, Craig Thompson's 672-page monster of a book, we are transported to places both fact and fiction. After savoring each image, each word and more importantly, each letter, one couldn't tell the difference. And frankly, one shouldn't.
While in Blankets, we can relate to its story of first love, brotherhood, heartbreak, abuse, religious choices and The Cure's Just Like Heaven, Habibi shows us images of poverty, prostitution, power, sex, lust and a deeper insight to religion and faith as a whole. Or maybe we just choose not to relate to these things, period. But make no mistake, Habibi is still a story about love. To compare Blankets to Habibi would be unfair as it would be like comparing Spielberg's Jaws to his Saving Private Ryan. And from there we become witnesses to Craig Thompson's genius.
Habibi is a love letter to storytelling. You could see that Thompson writes and draws straight from his heart right to your own. His words are deep yet accessible. His art is simple and intricate at the same time. What comes out is a tour de force of truth, beauty and of course, love. I highly recommend that you read Habibi. It is more than a story.
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