Rutu Modan

Rutu Modan is one of my favorite comic writers. Tunnels is her 4th graphic novel to be published. She also teaches at Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem. In Tunnels we read about a race to find the Ark of the Covenant in underground tunnels on the Palestinian side of Israel. When a big antiquities collector is forced to donate his entire collection to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Nili Broshi sees her last chance to finish an archeological expedition begun by her father show more decades earlier. She believes that the dig will locate the Jewish Ark of the Covenant, the most important artifact in the Middle East. Motivated by a desire to reinstate her father's legacy as a great archeologist after a rival accepted the tenure her father earned, Nili gathers a ragtag crew to help her: a religious nationalist, her traitor brother and her childhood Palestinian friend. As Nili's father slips further and further into dementia, warring factions close in on and fight over the Ark. The author believes that the biblical Israel lies in one of the most disputed regions in the world, occupied by Israel and contested by Palestine. Often in direct competition, Israelis and Palestinians dig alongside one another, hoping to find the sacred artifact which is believed to be a conduit to God.

Tunnels is a great adventure story. It delves into the world of Israeli archeology, the rivalry in academia and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the author stated in her Afterword, Tunnels is the most complex story she has ever written. The story grabbed me from the beginning. I knew that it was fiction but everything seemed so real. Perhaps this is because the characters have both good and bad attributes, just like the rest of us. There are plenty of twists and turns in the story for mystery readers as well. In addition, there are a few subplots that add to the story. For instance, Nili believes that a tablet uncovered by an antiquities dealer, who buys from ISIS, will uncover the place where the Ark is located. Someone has to be able to decipher what the tablet says, though.

The pacing of the comic is perfect. It is a brilliant story with awesome illustrations by the author. I am so glad that Ishai Mishory translated this book into English so that I could enjoy it. Tunnels is a fabulous read. 5 out of 5 stars. show less

A couple of months after her father’s death, Mica accompanies her grandmother, Regina, to Warsaw to recover the property her great-grandparents owned before the Holocaust. This is Regina’s first visit to Warsaw since she emigrated to Israel as a young woman before the war. Once they arrive in Warsaw, Regina doesn’t seem to want to accompany Mica anywhere or to do anything about the lost property. Mica is attracted to a tour guide she meets on the first day of their visit, and Regina show more reconnects with someone from her past. And why is the cantor from her father’s funeral following Mica everywhere after they ran into him on the plane? This lovely graphic novel explores relationships, loss, and memory. Despite the underlying sadness and loss, the novel ends on a hopeful note as both Mica and Regina seem to have found what they sought from their journey. show less

This was such a beautiful, understated book, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page.

Modan's artwork is clean and beautiful, and kind of reminded me of a cross between Tintin and infographics. It truly shines when depicting wide views of scenery or commotion like large public spaces, plane cabins or mountain views.

The story unfolds at a steady pace, weaving together personal relationships and history, and though the twists are not sudden or very surprising per se, they were earned and show more interesting. You don't end up feeling like you know the characters any more than at the beginning of the book, but more like you've just been dropped into their lives to observe a small window of their lives and then pop out again, which is a style of narrative that I really enjoy. Modan also is quite inventive in the way she communicates story elements, like the flashbacks and the speech bubbles full of scribbles when the pov character doesn't understand the language being spoken.

It's hard to describe the way that the book delivers its emotional punches. The same subject matter in another medium or a different author might have had my eyes watering and my chin quivering, but Modan handles things with restraint in a very understated, pragmatic way. While it may not have elicited as many outward reactions from me, it was no less affecting or satisfying as a more tear-jerking avenue might have. I was absorbed into the story and characters from beginning to end, and my reaction built up little by little, until it had me hugging the book tightly when I finished it.

If I had to muster up some criticisms, there were two characters in particular that felt a little tonally off from the rest of them, but they served a purpose, and weren't too distracting, and one or two of the subplot resolutions were a little pat, but while they could have been fleshed out more, they didn't feel like cheap wrap-ups.

I borrowed this from the library but I will definitely be buying a copy of my own to keep. show less

Loved this! There is a strong Tintin-vibe to this — the ligne clair, historical treasure hunt and broad cast of characters — but it's more complex & politically aware than Hergé. Centers around a search for the Ark Of The Covenant in Palestine, with multi-generational family drama, soldiers, crooks, swindlers, terrorists, rabbis, and plot twists and reversals galore. Go read! I wanted to reread straight away. An interesting afterword from Modan also shouldn't be missed.