Tunnels Review

 

Rating: 2.5/5

Synopsis: Rutu Modan’s third graphic novel follows explorer Nili Broshi who enlists a motley crew to search for the famed Ark of the Covenant which escalates to heated strifes over who should have it.

 

My Thoughts: Plot (3.5/5) – The biblical Ark of Covenant is an ancient artifact so legendary that it has inspired countless scholarly discourse and the attention of pop culture regarding its whereabouts including the uber-famous Indiana Jones in the latter department. However, I must give this book props to exploring this longevous object of fascination within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a topic which Israeli-born author Modan is far more knowledgeable in than myself. This is to say I’ll leave any socio-political comments regarding the work’s accuracy to the experts and judge it according to how much I enjoyed the story and characters.

Art (4/5) -- This is probably the most charming element of this entire book as its linge claire art felt very reminiscent of most notably Belgian cartoonist Hergé of Tintin fame, albeit with less of the endearingly smooth character designs from the likes of him.

Pacing (2/5) – This is where I encountered most of the issues I had with Tunnels. The first two acts focus so heavily on the several mundane interpersonal/cultural conflicts that it felt too bloated for its own good, making for some dry reading in a tiresome sense of the word. It wasn’t until the final two acts that the action picks up and becomes more exciting even though the more mundane and intense moments still was uneven.

Characters (2.5/5) – Some of the character interactions seemed to be aping some of the dysfunctional dynamics of the Tintin adventures. The end product is a cast of half-baked emblems because of how much is squeezed into this single installment. The main characters such as Nili, her brother, and mobile game-obsessed yet inquisitive son Doctor were the only ones I would consider fleshed out enough to keep my attention.

 

Final Thoughts: Tunnels contained all the trapping to a potentially rousing romp but fell short due to its dullness and inconsistent pacing. While I might read Modan’s other Eisner-winning works someday, I’m certainly in no hurry to do so now.

 

Thanks to Drawn & Quarterly and NetGalley for providing me with my first advance ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.