The Path of the Dalai Lama, His Holiness in Graphic Novel Form

Like Superman and Batman, His Holiness, the 14^th Dalai Lama is now the star of his own graphic novel, but his superpowers are mindfulness, nonviolence, and integrity. In a way, you could argue he also exhibits precognition. As the 13^th Dalai Lama, he foretold impending threats to Tibet and its Tibetan Buddhist faith, both from foreign and domestic sources. Yet, due to his nonviolent convictions, the 14^th Dalai Lama still tried to negotiate a peaceful arrangement with the CCP occupiers, to preserve the nation’s culture and traditions. It did not work, but it led to an ironically triumphant exile chronicled Tom Taylor’s graphic novel, The Path of the Dalai Lama, illustrated by Matyas Namai, which releases this Tuesday.

In addition to unexpcted enthusiiasm for advanced science, His Holiness is also surprisingly receptive to comics and graphic novels, because he gave Taylor and Namai his blessing for this project, based on their comic adaption of Orwell’s 1984. Their collaboration follows the historic events that might be familiar to many, especially if you have seen Martin Scorsese’s Kundun, despite Disney’s efforts to hide it. Yet, they cover some telling and undeniably significant incidents, like the 13^th Dalai Lama’s aforementioned prophecy and the year and a half he spent as a hostage to Muslim Chinese warlord Ma Bufang, before the young newly identified reincarnate was finally allowed to continue to Lhasa.

Clearly, Taylor’s graphic novel will not appear on the CCP’s reading lists. In addition to documenting the horrors of the late 1950s invasion and colonization, he also devotes considerable space to the late 1980s mass protests and the mid-1990s self-immolations, which have been almost entirely forgotten by the Western media in recent years. Taylor does a decent job channeling HH’s personality, but his real strength comes in the way he crystalizes decades of personal and national history into 100-some pages of incredibly striking comic panels.

Previously, Namai both wrote and illustrated Chernobyl: The Fall of Atomgrad, so he clearly has a facility for nonfiction material. If anything, his work for this Dalai Lama bio is even more visually dramatic. Fittingly, he employs a color palate that evokes the look and feel of Tibetan sand mandalas and thangka tapestries. Yet, he also displays a mastery of the intricate details of grand architecture, such as Potala Palace.

Even if you are not a regular graphic novel reader, Namai’s work will look lovely on your coffee table. Yet, in addition to the eye-popping art, Thomaas’s writing is also quite thoughtful. Highly recommended for its style and substance, The Path of the Dalai Lama goes on-sale this Tuesday (10/21), wherever books and comics are sold.