Written by: Frédéric Brrémaud
Art by: Federico Bertolucci
Publisher: Magnetic Press
I’ll fully admit to being a bit new to comic books, despite having reviewed quite a few of them in 2014. Again and again they continue to surprise me with their versatility and depth, and just when I thought I’ve finally figured the medium out, Love: The Tiger shows up in my inbox for review.
Frederic Brremaud and Federico Bertolucci have created what can only be described as a nature documentary put to paper, only without the pesky—and very subjective—narration that NatGeo or the Discovery Channel provide. There aren’t any omniscient humans telling you what everything means, because when it comes to the jungle, there isn’t any meaning to anything. Animals, be they predators or prey, simply move around and try to survive.
Love: The Tiger isn’t a complex narrative, at least not on the surface. The comic follows around a solitary tiger as he hunts, looks for food, and defends his territory from other jungle predators. You root for him because he’s the main focus, but if the story were told from the perspective of his prey, you’d consider the tiger a villain and want to see his plans foiled.
It’s an interesting take on a story, because unlike a narrative with complex motive, instinct and self preservation are all to be found here.
The whole package is sold by an art style that, upon first read, I didn’t think could carry the project. It’s pretty, but perhaps not pretty enough. There’s a sketchy feeling to it, and panels with a high amount of movement don’t look as good as they should. However, upon a second glance, the art style has really grown on me. It’s gorgeous, and the jungle backgrounds are lush and vibrant. I still have problems with the more action-heavy panels, but all the others are spectacular. I could land on any page and find a picture suitable for my desktop or phone wallpaper.
My favorite panels, however, are the big vistas. They are few and far between, but that makes them all the more spectacular when they show up. Federico Bertolucci has really done a wonderful job in bringing what makes the jungle beautiful to the page.
The amount of base emotions instilled upon the animals is also quite impressive. The frustration the tiger feels upon missing his prey, the fear and relief upon a taper as he survives a near miss, and the shock upon anyone forced to encounter the king of the jungle are all well executed and shine in a subtle way.
There’s a lot to take in on every page, despite the lack of dialogue.
I went into Love: The Tiger with some skepticism, it being a wordless narrative in a medium that likes to drown out its art with talking and exposition. I’ve come away quite impressed, and I really appreciate everything Love: The Tiger manages to do. It’s not perfect, but I’m glad I read it.
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