Cairo is an action comic set in modern-day Egypt, but weaves in components of magic from old Egyptian myths. Centering around a quest to retrieve a stolen hookah, the plot throws together an eclectic mix of characters- a drug runner, political journalist, Israeli soldier, young American woman, and an unhappy student. The fast-paced nature of the genre makes it more of a pleasure-read than an intellectual endeavor, but is well executed. The detailed panels and variation in shading create multiple textures on each page, the interesting settings and overlapping genres provide for a lot of visual and plot opportunities, and the juxtaposition of very modern characters in a mix of modern and old worlds creates an engaging contrast. The book does go further than just the fun of the fantasy-action genre, however; throughout the narrative it brings up elements of political tensions present today.

Cairo is excellently done on every level. The writing is sharp and the black and white drawings clear, detailed and evocative. The story is of two young Americans who travel to Cairo, both with the notion of making a difference to the troubled Middle East. Kate is a recent college graduate who has studied Arabic, is tired of the falseness of Orange County, California, and wants to save lives. Shaheed, on the other hand, is of Lebanese descent, and has a very different idea of how to make a difference -- one that involves going into Israel and getting on a bus and not getting off alive. Both of them find that reality is very different from what they had imagined, particularly when that reality means dealing with a jinn, the Undernile, demons, flying carpets, and so on. The fantasy in this book is more real than any political science that the two main characters may have had in their heads when they came to Cairo. I enjoyed this book immensely. ( )

Fabulous graphic novel (full color) that involved the intertwining of many persons and a certain genie and a box that contains a word of power. It contained some good action and a fabulous plot that I thoroughly enjoyed. ( )

This is a fantastic graphic novel that follows three unlikely pairs on an advenuture that takes them through the underworld of present day Cairo. Ashraf, a drug-runner, sets this tale in motion when he sells a stolen hookah to a naive tourist. When the hookah turns out to be more valuable than he realized, Ashraf must find the hookah and return it in order to save the lives of his journalist friend Ali and a young American woman who have been kidnapped by the drug-lord’s thugs. The wonderfully drawn characters drew me into this story. By pairing Ashraf with an Israeli soldier, a selfish American idealist and an Egyptian journalist and a would-be suicide bomber with a Jinn, Wilson blurs the lines of difference. The characters are forced to look beyond their own needs and therefore gain a better understanding of those who they might consider their enemies. What makes this action-packed graphic novel more than another adventure story is the way that Wilson subtly addresses the politics of the Middle East. If that bit sounds to serious, don’t worry. The novel is fast-paced and full of demons, gangsters, myth and a little romance. The appearance of Rumi’s beloved Shams is a real treat. ( )

Cario is the debut graphic novel by journalist G. Willow Wilson and I must say I came into it not really knowing what to expect. Certainly I was intrested by it being described as a "magical-realism thriller", but coming from the westen world and not knowing much about the Middle East there was this fear that I wouldn't "get" what the writer is trying to say. But the surface story is beautiful with wonderful characters and excellent dialogue and I found myself wanting to know more about the culture of the region which through Wilson's words and M.K. Perker's amazing art really came to life for me. So in all a eye opening and well writen debut for Wilson who I hope we see more of in the world of comics! ( )