International Affairs: Aya


By Marguerite Abouet (W) and Clement Oubrerie (A)
Drawn & Quarterly, $13.97

As far as I know, this is the first mention on our site of a book from Drawn & Quarterly, which, beyond having a delightfully clever name, puts out some of the most thought provoking comics of any publisher. Their latest book to receive national praise is Aya, a sweetly simple tale set in 1970 on the Ivory Coast.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketThe story of this book is almost deceitful in its simplicity: Aya is a teenage girl who, with her friends, begins to enter into adulthood, for all the good and bad that it brings. The good and bad (though mostly the latter) enters in the form of local boys, bent around their desire for sex. This setup could go in a lot of directions, but Abouet (who came from the Ivory Coast before moving to France) plots firmly in the vein of Shakespearean romantic comedy. The characters bounce around, buffeted by life’s chaotic rhythms. Situations become increasingly complex up to the last resolution (which, it should be said, packs a bit of an underwhelming surprise). It’s not the Bard, but it’s an immeasurable jump up from 10 Things I Hate About You and its ilk.

Much like Kampung Boy, Aya is one of the comic books from another country that grants its readers a much fuller perspective of its setting. The locale is not thrust into the forefront, but it becomes an integral part of the story, again and again. Also, it steps away from some of the better known fiction from Africa — namely Cry The Beloved Country and Things Fall Apart — in that it does not busy itself with the white-black relationship. Not that that isn’t a worthy topic, but it’s nice to see a book set in Africa that’s a purely Afro-centric story. Also, it’s not an overly serious story. It’s about girls having fun, essentially.

The art, then, is a good fit. The French Oubrerie’s style is almost Nickelodeon-esque in its two dimensional, bright and sparsely inked illustrations. Even in the more serious moments, his cartoony renderings keep the feel light, which fits with Abouet’s oveall tone. There are a few very funny moments, and the art bolsters the jokes.

Aya isn’t without a weakpoint, and strangely enough, that comes in the form of the title character. The bulk of the story’s action occurs to Aya’s friends and family. She, then, is set apart as a true moral center. However, she’s portrayed as far too perfect and becomes almost robotic, aside from a few moments. Throughout the book, her character sees no real development. She doesn’t follow an arc, instead just stepping around, witnessing life happen around her.

All the same, overall Aya is a good read and an interesting look into a time and place very far removed from our own. It comes very close to greatness, and at the very least is evidence of another new, creative voice jumping into comics.