So a pair of Rwandan guides walk into a bar... no, it's not the setup for a joke, it's the basis for Lex Talionis, Wright's tale of the jungle. The story is strange, but it doesn't really include anything so out there that it couldn't be read as true, and that makes it an interesting insight into a world I know very little about. It's got some interesting philosophy about the balance of nature versus a man's deeds, and serves as a sort of parable about justice and revenge as well as the story of a greedy, vicious guide who gets what's coming to him. While the story is very engaging, however, the real strength is the artwork, printed lengthwise so that Wright can really show off with the splash pages and printed with an unusual and very evocative color scheme.
I've always known that Africa has this whole set of cultures, flora and fauna that are completely alien to me, things that I know largely from adventure fiction like Tarzan or the occasional travelogue. Wright brings that exotic quality to life in Lex Talionis, showing a world where ruthless poachers hunt down innocent animals in what is perhaps the best example of man's greed and disregard for the larger natural world around him.
Much of this feeling comes through in the artwork, as Wright doesn't cheat by using talking animals or even narration letting us into their thoughts, but instead shows their thoughts and feelings entirely through their expressions. The fear and innocence found in their eyes, and the danger they're in despite their obvious physical power, is heart-breaking, and Wright's sequence showing the poachers raiding the gorillas' home is brutal and effective. At the same time, Wright doesn't skimp when it comes to showing off the power of the gorillas, whether it's the violent opening sequence or the speed and fury with which they seem to move when defending their homes.
The artwork reminds me in some ways of Scott Morse's artwork, largely in the spectacular color choices and the way each single panel works as a work of art. Wright tells the story through color as much as through dialogue and art, and the blinding red that silhouettes the poachers as they raid the gorillas' home indicates a lot about the tone of the scene, just as the soft blues of the bar or the greens and purples of the moonlit jungle indicate the peace and tranquility about to be shattered. Lex Talionis is one of the most gorgeous books I've seen.
Wright's story is somewhat primal, a rather violent take on the whole "don't mess with Mother Nature" idea. This approach, using a nature point-of-view to make a point about a common moral, makes for a very engaging read. I left the book without much in the way of questions or further thoughts about the subject matter, as Wright uses Dian Fossey and the plight of the gorillas more as a backdrop rather than getting into any moral complexities, but the beautiful artwork and powerful emotions to be found in the book make up for any simplicity of plot.
