Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Chaos in Kinshasa
Chaos in Kinshasa, written by Thierry Bellefroid with art by Barly Baruti, published by Catalyst Press, is a new classic of Cold War espionage and social maneuvers. It features all of the components of an epic with its broad cast of interacting characters, each with their own goals and stakes if they miss those goals. The drama is all set against the backdrop of one of the most widely known, but rarely understood, sporting events of the twentieth century: the “Rumble in the Jungle” between George Forman and Muhammad Ali.
One of the principal protagonists is Ali himself. Bellefroid’s dialogue captures many of Ali’s catch phrases like “I’m a dancer. Foreman won’t touch me” as well as his bold ego proclaiming “I’m the fastest boxer of all time. I’m the greatest boxer of all time.” After joining the Nation of Islam, Ali (formerly Cassius Clay) famously refused the draft for the Vietnam War, which cost him his title as heavyweight champion of the world from the WBA despite the Supreme Court overturning his conviction in 1971. In 1974, Don King helped orchestrate a multinational deal, bringing two American boxers to Zaire (today’s Democratic Republic of Congo) under the calculating guidance of Citizen Founding President Mobutu. Yet Ali’s strategy to defeat Foreman, a boxer seven years younger and a bit bigger than Ali, is only one of many schemes revealed as the story unfolds.
Chaos in Kinshasa features a myriad of other characters, each with their own dreams as the eyes of the world turn toward Kinshasa. American spies, a Belgian diplomat, and local operators all have machinations on different degrees of money, whether a few hundred dollars or control of neighboring Angola’s extensive mining industry. Two of the standouts are Ernest and Blanche, one looking to get away from America and one looking to get there. Ernest is a low-level gangster from Harlem fleeing his very angry debtors and seeking to get in touch with the real Africa. Meanwhile, Blanche is frustrated at the limitations in a developing country but is trapped as long as her brother is kept in prison, rumored to be under the very stadium where Ali and Foreman will fight it out.
One of the prevailing themes of Chaos in Kinshasa is the balance between Africa and the Western powers, particularly the United States. Both Ali and Ernest pontificate on the “return to Africa,” seeking to highlight the African people’s contributions to the world. Yet Kinshasa is shown with the many cultural imports like television and movies, balanced against local cuisine and fashion. The fight itself is scheduled for 4 A.M. local time so that it will be primetime in the United States, mentioned by Mobutu as he discusses the millions of dollars he has invested in highlighting the success of his regime, though those bright lights make for deep shadows.
Baruti’s art in Chaos in Kinshasa fits its thematic storytelling well. His characters are realistic and feature vivid expressions, almost photographic in capturing the strong emotions of the moment. The backgrounds are intricately detailed with complexities that hint at all the same complexities in the Cold War era. The watercolor-style colors show that the world can be at once beautiful as well as haunting with blurred lines behind the inked borders.
