I discovered Pompeo and Pazienza while browsing some of my local comic book shops (Akira Comics and Elektra Comics in Madrid). The cover art caught my eye, as did the format (an unusual form of softcover) and the name of the author (Andrea is a female name in Spain). After reading the description and looking up book and author online I was curious at what seemed like a forgotten masterpiece, a master of the medium’s last hurrah. I wasn’t disappointed.
“The last days of Pompeo”, as the book is actually titled, may very well be the best comic I’ve ever read, among the likes of “Daytripper” by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, “Three Shadows” by Cyril Pedrosa, Mazzuchelli’s “Asterios Polyp” or Darwyn Cooke’s “The New Frontier”. It is unlike anything I’ve ever read; a mixture of dark but-almost-cartoony art and probably the best prose I’ve read in comic-book form (which includes works like “The Sandman”). It also has the strongest authorial voice I’ve ever read in any medium, comic or novel, which is an aspect I deeply appreciated.
Moving to the story itself, which is about the last few days of Pompeo, a heroin addict and a character that embodies the author in various aspects. Pazienza was also a drug addict and had to deal with a lot of substance abuse issues, eventually overdosing at just 32 years of age. This first-hand experience with the subject-matter leads to a very raw story; filled with anger, self-loathing, existential dilemmas, etc, all leading to a heart-wrenching finale that will get to even the most cold-hearted of readers (myself included).
Pazienza’s art was fantastic, even if not as aesthetically pleasing as Sergio Toppi’s, Guido Crepax’s or Glyn Dillon’s. It’s expressionism and randomness were perfectly suited to the story, especially when the character’s reality was affected by either drugs or severe depression. Moreover, it was able to convey character and emotion in such a direct way that it felt like you were constantly being punched in the gut.
Finally, the prose was maybe the book’s most surprising aspect, as it was really solid in a way unlike most comics out there. It reminded me of some of Joaquín Sabina’s most iconic and form-driven songs, such as “La cancion más hermosa del mundo”, “Pongamos que hablo de Madrid” or “Por el boulevard de los sueños rotos”. It was beautiful and poetic and abstract, very much like the story itself. That said, the book I read was the Spanish edition, translated by César Palma Hunt, so I don’t actually know how good the original was or how well you could replicate this in a future English translation.
The only caveat this comic has is that it’s only available in Italian and Spanish (as of now). That said, Pazienza’s “Zanardi” was translated into English by Fantagraphics, so it’s not unlikely the same will happen with Pompeo.
To sum up, I would totally recommend this comic to anyone with the possibility of reading it, though I must caution that it’s not a happy read and does contain a fair amount of drug-related content and graphic language (not much violence or sex, though). Still, a very worthwhile read that could easily become one of the best comics you’ll ever read.
Comments