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Finished this a couple weeks ago and am still chewing on it, which shows, in my opinion, it's a worthwhile read. It's very engaging, and the art is spectacular (special shoutout to colorist Lark Pien, whose work on this title is breathtaking and who should really be named on the cover if you ask me.) Lots here about if and when violence is justified and how war makes criminals of everyone.
Quibbles, which will necessarily include spoilers, so stop now:
1.) The ending. I flipped the page waiting for more only to find it was over. I mean, I guess it's going to end with Bao's death, but it was profoundly unsatisfying.
2.) I feel like the magical realism lets Bao off the hook a little bit. The pivotal moment of Boxers is when Bao decides to burn the church with the innocents inside, and instead of getting a real account of how someone with legitimate grievances becomes a murderer, we just see him being goaded into it by a Chinese Opera guy. It's a shame because the book otherwise doesn't shy away from an exploration of how something like this happens.
Quibbles, which will necessarily include spoilers, so stop now:
1.) The ending. I flipped the page waiting for more only to find it was over. I mean, I guess it's going to end with Bao's death, but it was profoundly unsatisfying.
2.) I feel like the magical realism lets Bao off the hook a little bit. The pivotal moment of Boxers is when Bao decides to burn the church with the innocents inside, and instead of getting a real account of how someone with legitimate grievances becomes a murderer, we just see him being goaded into it by a Chinese Opera guy. It's a shame because the book otherwise doesn't shy away from an exploration of how something like this happens.