Another tale from the former Yugoslavia by Joe Sacco. I enjoyed this a lot - a good comic. The book focuses on Neven, a "fixer" for international visitors (mostly journalists) who need someone to show them the ropes of Sarajevo. Through Neven, it tells the story of Sarajevo in the Yugoslavian war - the sieges and the internal struggles. One thing it does really well is show the relationship between the unofficial paramilitary groups and the Bosnian government - naturally, it's a pretty ugly story.

Some of Sacco's writing seemed a little off here - too much talking to the reader as if they were Neven. Felt a bit disorienting, but not in they way that might have worked. Also the jumping around in time seemed a little gratuitous at times. Still, another wonderfully drawn, powerful book by Sacco. ( )

Joe Sacco, for those of you who don’t know his work, is a journalist working with the graphic novel as a form. The result is powerful, a combination of the autenhicity of the news story with the immediability of comics. His massive work ”Safe area Gorazde” taught me more about the coflict in former Yugoslavia than anything i’ve ever read.

This is a story on a much smaller scale. It is the last shaky days of the Bosnian war when Sacco arrives in Sarajevo. Most of the international press is long since gone, and when Sacco meets the ”fixer” Neven in a hotel lobby, he is long out of work. A fixer is a local who takes care of foriegn reporters, arranges meetings and interviews, acts as guide, translator and bodyguard. Sacco and Neven strikes up a friendship, of sorts, and this book is a portrait of a complex person, a complex place and a complex time. Through Neven’s stories we learn about the early days of the siege of Sarajevo, when local gangsters were the quickest to take up arms against the invading sebs. Larger than life, blokes like Juka, Caco and Celo and their militias were crucial for the defence of the city, but very soon became a liability as soon as regular Bosnian forces were formed.

Neven is a very unreliable narrator, and the story we get here is subjective, contradictory, and sometimes likely false. Sacco’s portrait of him is vividly painted, as is his own ambivalence towards him. The concept of documentary graphic novel is very appealing, with the sense of place coming across very strongly. Again, this is a book that make me feel wiser. ( )

Have you ever wondered how journalists get such up close and personal information about foreign affairs? How they get behind enemy lines to get the real scoop? This is the story of Neven, the sketchy Serbian "fixer" who, for a price, can be hired to take war correspondents behind the scenes. Joe Sacco befriends this fixer, Neven. Sacco tells his story in a short graphic "novella," bouncing back and forth between the early 1990s and 2001 to bring to light the Balkan conflict. Neven helps Sacco paint a grim picture of the bloodthirsty warlords who ran the country and how the Bosnia government responded. Even though Neven was a mastermind at manipulating Sacco (and his wallet) they developed a friendship. ( )

I'm overdosing on war stories lately and I'm not sure what it is doing to my mind. I need to read some more Sacco though. This stuff is great. ( )

In today's always-on 24x7 news-cycle world, we've become accustomed to getting the true and gritty details of nearly every major and minor news story that crosses print, monitor or television screen. These are the stories that lead to book deals, prime-time interviews and movie deals. What we don't realize is that behind each of these stories lies a Nevin, a Fixer, the man with the connections and the means to get you access to the true and gritty details that no one else has.

Of course, this is if your fixer can be trusted as far as he can be thrown.

Nevin is Joe Sacco's Fixer who may or may not be an unreliable narrator with tales and access to men who know the various fates of Sarajevo's more infamous warlords. While money is an obvious motivator, Sacco's tale weaves in nostalgia, pride, the ability to confess and even a need to preserve history. So who is to say that the doubters don't have equal reason to cast doubt on the Fixer if they have similar motives? If nothing else, Sacco's deftly tells the story of the already risky proposition behind getting the "true" story that goes much deeper than simply getting that special someone to take you behind the scenes. ( )