Customer Reviews

No Pasaran! Vol. 1 (Max Friedman)

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I first discovered Italian cartoonist Giardino through his series A Jew in Communist Prague and was thrilled to see him tackle the Spanish Civil War in this new volume. Apparently it continues the story of spy Max Friedman from earlier volumes, which I have not seen. Set in the waning days of the Civil War in 1938, disillusioned former International Brigade officer Friedman returns to Barcelona to track down an old friend who's gone missing. Whether this is at the hands of Franco's secret police, Communist apparatchiks trying to control the anti-fascist forces, or some other unknown force is not disovered by the end of the volume. More interesting than the plot is Giardino's strong artwork, which beautifully captures the battle-scarred art noveau buildings of 1930s Barcelona. I look forward to the plot thickening in the next volume.

Vittorio Giardino, who is one of the most interesting artists and writers in the graphic novels medium, started on a great project. Like the overwhelming ma-
jority of the people in his profession, Giardino is a decided lefty when it comes to
politics. He has always wanted to hate Franco.It is the politically correct thing to
do, where he comes from.
He runs into big problems. He, like his peers, refers to the fighters ag-
ainst the Spanish Republic as "the Fascists". While it is true that they received help from the other fascists in Europe, the Generalissimo actually ran a free-market
economy. That is why it was so successful. Spain was the only country in western Europe to rebuild its economy without the Marshall Plan welfare handouts. It rose to
being the 8th largest economy in the world (only behind those of countries far more
populous) before its recent relapse into socialism (under Zapatero).
And the biggest argument for Franco (and against the Republic)is: what was
the alternative at the time (1939)? The Republic, under leaders like Negrin, had al-
ready passed from Euro-Social-Democracy into hard-line Marxism. I was born, raised,
educated in Cuba, and can swear that life in Spain from 1960-2003 was a hell of a lot better that it was (and still is) in Cuba during those years.
The outcome of the Spanish Civil War was the best it could have been, given the time and place and circumstances. The people Giardino admires were fight-
ing for the wrong side. Giardino, even now, pulls for the wrong team.
In the first book he mentions that many of the world's most famous think-
ers were involved, and he cites Hemingway, Orwell and Dos Passos. He does not men-
tion that ALL THREE ran away from communism as soon as they experienced it face to face. Hemingway was one of the first to warn the Cuban people about the dangers of
Castro, and he was forced to go into "exile" back to his native USA, where he soon
after killed himself. If you have ever read anything by Dos Passos or Orwell, you
know how much they despised socialism.
So, Giardino's conclusion, in Book 3 is quite unsatisfactory, because it is obvious that he himself is unsatisfied with the outcome. So, the protagonist,
Max Friedman just walks away from the situation.
I don't know if Giardino is Jewish (like his protagonist Friedman), but
even if he is not, he should be aware that Spain, thru Franco's policy, rescued more Jews from the Nazis that any other European country (especially so France, the
country of Friedman's birth, which was SATURATED with Nazi collaborators).
I do hope that Giardino keeps writing and drawing espionage stories, es-
pecially Max Friedman stories. I do suggest that he avoid the gray areas that he is
uncomfortable in. Make it good guys vs. bad guys. Us against them. I know, the world is not like that sometimes. But sometimes it is, and we can write about that too. To him I say: thank you and happy writing!
Carlos Garcia

No Pasaran! returns the comic illustrator's Max Friedman series of spy graphic novels to new audiences with a tale set during the Spanish Civil War. The complexity of plot and presentation will appeal to adults who like a dose of history and intrigue with their graphic novel.

Giardino's work is unique for his historical accuracy and the breadth of his knowledge. No Pasaran captures, among other episodes, the tensions between the Stalinists and the Anarchists and Trotskyists in the Spanish Civil war. There are wonderful renditions of the incredible architecture of Barcelona. His work is so rich on many levels. I can't wait until part two.