David B.

This is a dark slog of a memoir as the author describes the huge impact his older brother's epilepsy had on the family. As their parents pursue all manner of esoteric philosophies, treatments and diets to find relief for Jean-Christophe, Pierre-Francois (David B.) draws and writes stories to find escape, if not understanding, from his brother's condition. I found it slow going after awhile, and quite weighty, but also gained a sense of the lifelong frustration and emotional challenge this show more family faced. Rant: Readers of a certain age and older will be pained by David B.'s small, tight lettering. show less

Probably the strangest and most memorable approach to autobiographical comics I've seen, this is a story about the author, his older brother and younger sister and parents, and how they were affected by the brother's incurable epilepsy. David B. tells it and tells it, using everything at his disposal: childhood obsessions and dream images, long tangents about every other branch of the family, the history of macrobiotics and spiritualism, his present-day family's reaction to the ongoing show more book... every digression adding a new recurring piece to the visual language of the story. There are virtually no "scenes" of action spanning more than one panel, and much more narration than dialogue, so for a while you may feel like you're just seeing separate illustrations of a fragmented text, but it flows and builds effortlessly. I read somewhere that the artist described this approach as "personal mythology", but it's not just about David's own strange inner life; it's about the way all children develop their own mythology, and then succeed or fail in using it for other things as they grow up.

Kim Thompson's translation is good as usual, even though I wish there had been some way to use more of the original title, which is an evocative pun. show less

Typically, I don't read reviews prior to writing my own to avoid being unnecessarily influenced from my initial impressions. However, I broke that rule for Best of Enemies because I was rather curious about why this title had an average rating lower than expected.

I thoroughly enjoyed this title; I knew I would when I purchased it. The artwork is done by the legendary/award-winning Pierre-François Beauchard and the text is from Pierre Filiu, a well-regarded professor of Middle East studies show more at the Paris School of International Affairs. It's a solid combination that provides both an engaging visual punch and historical information you can reasonably trust. It's certainly not going to replace hundreds of thousands of pages of historical and political analysis one would expect if you were pursuing a PhD in Middle East Relations, but for someone looking for a few carefully curated stories on this topic, it accomplishes the job quite nicely.

And I guess that's where some of the disappointment of past reviewers lies - it's not comprehensive enough. I certainly agree with that, but honestly, when you pick up a 114 page graphic novel, you have to understand you're getting a very light-touch survey of the topic. This, however, is one area that graphic novels such as this one, truly excel at - providing introductory level information that can potentially fire up the curiosity a reader to dig into meaty, academic tomes and deepen their understanding.

Whether you're into the artwork of Beauchard, curious about the the history of US-Middle East conflict, or simply want a quality non-fiction graphic novel to add to your library, Best of Enemies is a keeper - and I look forward to the day when "Part Two" is released! show less

Epileptic is a graphic memoir, in which David B describes the childhood he spent with an older brother suffering from epilepsy. His parents try to cure his brother with all the traditional methods available, which are pretty limited in the 1970's, and begin experimenting with more unconventional, alternative options. David is introduced to many different forms of spirituality, mysticism, and occultism, but none of them seem to work, and so instead of curing him David and his parents have to show more come to terms with the illness and learn to live with the symptoms.

What is loved most about Epileptic was the eccentric nature of the drawings. David B doesn't draw in a literal way, but characterizes what is happening in peculiar and wonderfully zany way. Though the story is a memoir, people are sometimes represented as animals, events are dramatized with disproportionate drawings, and his brother's illness manifests on the pages as a monster snaking around the page. Though his story is important, it was the stylized representation on the pages that really shines, and is the main reason I would recommend this. show less