Depicting purely mental sequences in a predominantly visual format like that of a graphic novel is never an easy task, and Alison Bechdel sets a high bar for herself in her carefully-constructed, cerebral memoir, “Are You My Mother?”
At times "Habibi" resembles an Orientalist pastiche stuffed with odalisques and eunuchs, but its scholarly reinterpretation of Abrahamic tales from the Koran turns this saga into a lush commentary on love and lust, wealth and want, religion and storytelling.
There is something satisfying about a road narrative; it’s an ancient trope, hinting of westward expansion and independence, fast cars and tragic youth. The antithesis of this would naturally be the traffic narrative, which is unpopular for obvious reasons. Mark Kelesniko’s new graphic novel, “Freeway,” is that narrative.