Vattu
The Name & the Mark
A girl encounters an expanding empire in Evan Dahm’s epic graphic novel Vattu.
Vattu is a rare child in her nomadic tribe, known by outsiders as the Fluters. When representatives of a neighboring empire visit, they present the Fluters with an ultimatum: Join the empire or be destroyed. The Fluters join, but when a tax is demanded, they have nothing to offer but Vattu.
Working as a servant in the care of the empire, Vattu is befriended by a War-Man, a formidable masked, silent warrior. He trains Vattu with swords, and she learns about the empire’s written language and the relationships that govern its power. The rich traditions of her people, who are pushed to assimilate, clash with the empire’s more superficial values. Individual relationships prove crucial to navigating the divides.
Compelling, subtle conversions help move the book along. In one scene, Vattu refers to the sacred river as Ata; the emperor’s man corrects her, saying its name is Tarria. The art is masterful and immersive, in particular through pages of silent storytelling, full of detail and color. Each culture bears its own visual hallmarks and distinctions: Fluters play songs represented by symbols, while War-Men inhabit a shelter built around the skeleton of a huge creature.
Both grand and intimate, Vattu is an exciting graphic novel about a girl caught between colliding cultures.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
