Western-style comic book features Islamic-themed storyline

by Annie J. Kelley
 
Ka-pow! A teenager of monstrous proportions fights off a crowd of helicopters. Zap! A young woman unleashes a storm of light. Argh! A man has trouble convincing the world to give peace a chance.
Fwap. A new comic book hits the shelves. In a lot of ways, "The 99" is not very different from the comics that surround it. The cover art is a colorful display of heroes posing in costumes. However, the title they stand under and the name of the company in the corner are clues that we are not in Gotham City anymore, Batman.
"The 99" is the brainchild of Dr. Naif al-Multawa, owner of Kuwaiti publisher Teshkeel Comics. It is an attempt to straddle the cultural divide by combining Western-style comics with a pride in Islamic traditions. It has made a splash in the Arabic world, for better and worse. Some say it is a way of adapting to a world overrun by the pop culture of the West, of letting a heritage live on, so that Islamic children do not need to feel abnormal in such a world. Some say it is sacrilege to bundle religion up in such a commercial package (something Christianity has been doing since the Middle Ages). Now that "The 99" has crossed the world to our bookshelves, I have to ask: can a comic inspired by Archie and Allah find an audience in the United States?
The first four episodes are promising. It has a complex and rather philosophical beginning that appealed to the adult in me. The grandson of Genghis Khan invades Baghdad and destroys the greatest library in the world, Dar al-Hikma. The books are thrown into the Tigris, turning the waters "black with the tears of hundreds of thousands of books."
This is an actual historical event, but what if, the comic supposes, a group of heroic librarians was able to save the knowledge of the library by dipping 99 mystical Noor stones into the inky river? And what if the stones were lost when one power-hungry man's attempt to harness the power of the stones results in an explosion that leaves behind nothing but a grease mark on the floor? What happens is that 600 years later the stones start showing up, and strange things happen to the finders. Knowledge literally becomes power.
For those not versed in Islam, Allah has a combination of 99 attributes (or names). So each stone represents an attribute, such as "the Powerful," "the Light" and "the Afflicter." The person who possesses the stone takes on the attribute. It can be used for good or for bad, which is why international do-gooder Dr. Ramzi takes on the task of collecting these new super-powered humans and convincing them to join his quest for world peace. His adversary is the very same man who had apparently blown himself up back in the 1400s, who now is immortal.
As the superheroes start getting a handle on their powers, it feels like the writers got a better handle on this comic book. The story simplifies, while picking up on speed and action. By the fourth episode, the kid part of me had taken over. That would be the part that does not care if it gets corny sometimes because the characters are likable, their quest is honorable, there is a lack of tedious dialogue and the costumes are awesome. Seriously, if I had to choose between fighting villains in a strapless swimsuit or Noora's futuristic ensemble, I would go for the comfy yellow pants.
There are still a few snags in the translation. Not many non-Islamic Americans are going to get the reference to the 99, and I think a cultural context needed to be included in the English version. Not that religion plays an explicit role; none of the characters talks about his or her religious beliefs. Hope, truth and cooperation overcoming fear is a universal theme, and Dr. al-Mutawa has said he wants to keep it that way. It is not like Bibleman, spandex and indoctrination rolled into one. But if the influence of Arabic culture has been inspired by Western culture, I think the exchange should go both ways.
In a cultural perspective of "The 99" by reporter Isaac Solotaroff, there is a very interesting quote from a female student at Kuwait University. "We understand the West," she said, "because we have been forced to live in a world dominated by it. The people in the West are only just beginning to learn about us."
Maybe what this next generation needs is the help of some superheroes.
Annie J. Kelley can be reached at 966-0689 or akelley@battlecr.gannett.com <mailto:akelley@battlecr.gannett.com> .