With Donald Trump’s re-election as the president of the United Status, the geopolitical structure of our world is set for a reboot. Strategists are wary of an unpredictable president as he takes over the reins of the world’s most powerful nation. As commoners, we often struggle to make sense of the tectonic shifts that happen across the globe, with the Oval Office at the centre of it all. We will be the usual suspects, succumbing to screaming headlines of “breaking news”. Sometimes the knee-jerk reaction to “hot” news makes us blind to the complex threads of history and politics, silently brewing over the ages. “Cold” news is not the best fodder for traditional media!
In this scenario, graphic novels have materialised into an excellent way of telling a story, blending both the artistic and visual aspects of narration with intricate and complex matters, which are often perceived as being too sensitive for other traditional media. They allow readers to observe the global dynamics of power and conflict through the lens of striking visuals, allegory, and historical analysis. Best of Enemies: A History of US and Middle East Relations, a trilogy by Jean-Pierre Filiu and David B is one such example – providing a deep and nuanced exploration of US foreign policy and its ramifications in the Middle East.
Frames of history: Graphic novels as political storytellers
Graphic novels take critical historical events and visualise them into enjoyable forms for the reader. In Best of Enemies: Part 1 (1783–1953), Filiu and David B cover the early phases of US involvement in the Middle East, with its genesis in the early days of trade and finally ending in the post-World War II era. The authors present the past not as a linear progression but as a layered whole, quite often using bold, caricature-like images to depict contradictions and hypocrisies related to US foreign policy and its global political standing.
The visual medium portrays a dual narrative – the printed text provides much of the context and historical content, while illustrations create the emotion and cultural subtext. For instance, in Part 1 of Best of Enemies series which narrates the story of how the CIA instigated a coup in Iran in 1953, the cool, calculating machinations of the American operatives are depicted to be in conflict with the chaos and despair of the Iranian citizens, creating a paradoxical image. The interplay between the text and imagery captures not only the facts but also the tension and tragedy of these moments. A good book will always draw readers into a multifaceted account whereby the motivations of superpowers and their consequences for ordinary people can coexist, thus giving history a nuanced feel in the process.
A graphic novel, such as Best of Enemies, surpasses historical books because it makes events more memorable with a visual component involved in it. Some iconic scenes involving the Tripolitan pirates engaging in battle with the Americans and scenic Middle Eastern bazaars serve as timely and powerful reminders of the complex interplay between power and resistance. Here the synthesis of images and words elevates the work beyond merely being a political storyteller, oscillating between academic history and popular understanding.
The role of allegory: Simplifying complex geopolitics
Graphic novels often resort to allegory and symbolism in order to comment on superpower politics. Best of Enemies: Part 2 (1953–1984) takes the reader through the high points of the Cold War by showing how both the US and the Soviet Union used the Middle East as a chessboard for proxy wars. The imagery – from chess pieces symbolising oil wells to human forms symbolising national interests – can translate those intangible geopolitical tactics into more concrete terms.
The allegorical approach has several benefits. For one, it explains complex geopolitical actions in a language comprehensible to every kind of reader. For example, the imagery of oil barrels as chess pieces is a much better way to explain the complexities of resource commodification than historical jargon. Allegory offers scope for further criticism. This allows the authors to bring international relations into symbolic imagery – especially the dehumanising nature of turning nations into strategic pieces for political superpowers.
This feature has characterised graphic novels beyond Best of Enemies. For example, in using animal allegory, works such as Maus by Spiegelman use such themes to tell stories of persecution and survival, while such works as Persepolis use minimalist imagery towards reflecting the actualities of revolution and war. The allegorical vision of Filiu and David B expands into cultural misunderstanding to show how deep-rooted stereotypes and bias are perpetuating conflicts. The authors present these biases visually, challenging readers to confront the assumptions that underpin geopolitical narratives.
Humanising conflict: The individual in global politics
One of the great strengths of graphic novels is to make broad geopolitical issues seem human. In Best of Enemies: Part 3 (1984–2013), the story shifts from the tense nerves of the Cold War to the War on Terror and the US invasion of Iraq, looking into these events through the lives of individuals affected by these conflicts. It describes, at both macro and micro levels – from the drone attacks to the trauma of internally displaced families – the multi-dimensionality of war.
For example, the Iraq War of 2003 illustrates how one frame shows a scene of US policymakers strategising their next step, and the other is of Iraqi civilians who are dealing with the immediate aftermath of the invasion. This duality reflects the divide between policy decisions and everyday life. Perhaps the best example is when the narrative talks about an Iraqi family that had to leave its home; here the fear and disorientation of the family are opposed to the abstract rhetoric of reports from the army. Such different images narrate a story that is not only sympathetic but also critical in nature.
Another point is that graphic novels like Best of Enemies can give voice to the marginalised. While individual stories might counterbalance the statistical and abstract representations in mainstream media, they still push readers to feel with characters that are a reflection of the human toll of war. This doesn't just make one better understand what's going on, but one also gets a feel for moral urgency, where he questions the broader implications of superpower policies.
A global perspective: Beyond the US–Middle East relations
As in Best of Enemies, much of global conflicts and superpower dynamics can be found within the graphic novels as well. Joe Sacco’s Footnotes in Gaza and Palestine portray a journalistic account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while Rutu Modan’s deeply personal work, Exit Wounds foregrounds the impact of violence on Israeli society. Other works like The Coldest City by Antony Johnston encapsulate the narratives of espionage and intrigue during the Cold War on the shadow of superpower rivalry that typifies world history.
Works like these underscore the utility and versatility of the medium in reflecting diverse geopolitical scenarios. An example is when Sacco’s investigative style blends first-hand reporting with lavish imagery on matters otherwise taken out of one’s reach by mainstream media. Where, in contrast, Modan’s subtle illustrations and personal anecdotes serve as a counterpoint to the grand sweeping narrative of Best of Enemies or works like such. Taken collectively, they arrive at the great scope of perspectives that the medium can offer.
Graphic novels as these, are fundamentally transnational because they might offer the very possibility of inter-cultural transfer. They inspire readers to ponder what gets linked together through the lens of international politics. In an era, where mainstream media news, for all purposes, increasingly finds itself being charged as polarising, the approach does serve as a breath of fresh air.
Challenges and limitations
The Best of Enemies series draws from unique perspectives on war and superpower politics, but that does not make it perfect. Critics argue that the medium sometimes tries to oversimplify issues that are intricate in their details or caricatures that are typical representations of a culture. Best of Enemies will risk doing the very same thing with caricatured political leaders.
At the same time, the dramatic effect that the medium demands sometimes appears at the expense of the complexity with which it can tell a story. Comic-like distortions work in capturing readers but tend to underplay or misconstrue issues. For instance, the drama involved in historical situations may be amplified to overshadow subtler systemic reasons for conflict.
Besides, because of the very nature of the graphic novel’s storytelling capability, there is usually subjectivity from the side of the authors. Subjectivity is what enriches the story but demands critical reading from the audience since they have to take into account all the biases and artistic choices behind the depiction of events. This is so in the work of Filiu and David B, but in depicting the relations between the US and the Middle East, it embodies a particular vision: above all, it is a vision that points to historical injustices and cultural misunderstandings. Needless to say, such particularities of vision are helpful but far from being exhaustive and consequently force the reader to consult other sources and interpretations.
The democratic power of graphic storytelling
Despite all these limitations, graphic novels represent an essential medium for deconstructing narratives of superpower politics. They merge art and analysis, forcing readers to question, rather than merely consume the narrative and the ideology established.
The art form is especially suited for striking a balance between entertainment and education. With the intermingling of historical facts and artistic license, graphic novels provide an interactive learning experience to different types of readers. Best of Enemies is such an example in which the graphic nature of the medium disqualifies mystified political ideas, transforming them into entertaining stories.
Besides these features, graphic storytelling enables people to move closer to realities that otherwise seem to be distant. The visual experiences during global wars can establish a sense of intimacy that is less possible through a textual account of events. That establishes the possibility of graphic novels as democratic tools for dialogue and advocacy across cultures.
Finally, graphic novels facilitate engagement with history and politics actively. They also encourage readers to question the “official” narrative, explore alternative voices, and be critical of the motives behind power arrangements. With disinformation rampant today in a saturated information environment and media landscape, the capacity for engaged critique is an invaluable resource. Graphic novels thus illustrate relations between art and politics, using examples of past and ongoing conflicts to provide readers with a means of imagining more than just the future.
The visual world conjured by David B reminds us that history is not so much a matter of dates and events, but the tapestry of human experience. They prod us to take a step deeper behind the headlines, to regard more critically just how we’ve approached global affairs and how we continue to address the future. While doing that, they provide us with a great scope for rewriting our perceptions about the past and how to conceive the coming future. Now, Filiu and David B would have to probably add another volume to their trilogy. Needless to say, with a certain Donald Trump as one of the protagonists, it is guaranteed to be a mayhem of sorts!
Pramit De is a student of Political Science at Hindu College, Delhi University. He takes a keen interest in public policy and international relations, with European Affairs being the main area of focus.
