REVIEW: A romp through suicide bombing and hopelessness in ‘Papuri’

We imagine it does not exist, in a world where we think we can do anything, be anything. We rarely talk about it, and keep it as deep and hidden away in our minds as possible. It is something you and everyone will have to face, and the earlier you accept it, the better your life will be. You will die. And you will be forgotten. It is the hidden fear of every being with a consciousness of themselves. We try to evade it with the next miracle cure, the next fountain of life, the hype of fame and fortune. All things end up irrelevant. You will die. And you will be forgotten. The question now is what will you live for and what is worth dying for. That is the meditation behind Papuri by Ardee Arollado, a romp through suicide bombing and hopelessness.

[CHECK OUT… ‘Papuri’ Preview in Komiks Dito! Komiks Doon! New Komiks of August 2016]

This short comic, on its very first page up to its last, goes through thoughts of death and what is a great death. With a sprinkle of religious sentiment, it shows of how senseless and selfish suicide can be. It does this by not truly explaining why these religious fanatics are killing themselves and people around them. It barely gives an explanation on why their members are doing what they are doing other than for the vaguest promise of eternal life and the vague reason of a horrible society. Our very focus is upon one man, Joshua, reminiscent of the man who brought the Israelites to the Promised Land, so too Joshua wishes to bring others around him to ‘the Promised Land’. He does this with a selfish reason at heart. He doesn’t want to die as the world would dictate but as he would, placing his fate into his own hands.

The art style of the piece is all right, a bit awkward at places, and at times inconsistent. There are spots where the page overloads you with too much information by scene and by word, and some pages would have better shown the impact of a scene or a thought by dividing the panels to more pages. A good note about the art is how the eyes capture your attention in every scene. You are flooded with this grim feeling that everyone is already dead, the body need only catch up with the soul. It makes the one time where the eyes have life and the reason for it meaningful.

All in all, Papuri was an interesting read, though it leaves you with the rushed feeling of a concept forcing itself rather than growing naturally. An abrupt end leaves you wondering.