So the sky is blue after all. [Comic review: Binatang Jatuh]

Give me some time to contemplate first.

Okay, that’s enough. Well, let’s loosen up our muscle first. From now on and ever after. I will try not to become too serious from now on, to be less serious. i think it’s a challenge. So when I tried not to be serious I always end up, empty, lost, I don’t know what to said. But when I just be the usual me I also end up in confusion– or should I say doubt like what Descartes said. Geez, what a crap.

I feel like reviewing something and I think I’ve decided to review this one brand new comic. So what’s so great about comic? It’s just interesting, a sequential of images line by line, collumn by collumn, resulting in something so alive. I’m not trying to be critical on how I define comics as something interesting, but to pick the bottom line that’s my definition, on why I found comic so interesting. In a more special, specific, view I would say some specific comics catches my attention because of its story, concept, characters, etc.

Okay, so back on reviewing. Here now we have Koloni, if I’m not mistaken it’s an abbreviation for “Komik Lokal Indonesia”, a series of publishing line(?) serving only local comics. And by I mean local is Indonesia comic, contemporary Indonesian comics I would say. Since I always found myself ended up in the glory of the past whenever I’m in a discussion regarding Indonesian comics. Of course that made me sick, okay it’s good to have a past but what’s the point of just repeating the glory of past when we have something new right here and now. Something not so bad even though (maybe) not as good as the old ones–oh, how I love the old days of Benny and Mice–.

So up to this point I know there’s already 2 generations of Koloni, the first one is the line of Is Yuniarto’s “Garudayana” (one of my personal favorite, but still lacks something for me), Azisa Noor’s “Satu Atap” (personal favorite, a light-hearted story, but a bit “funny” on one part), Ekyu’s “Morte” (I still don’t understand this one), Galang’s “Hopper” (for those who likes comical action this one probably the best), and there’s also “Alsa”, “My Ghost Sister”, “Best Friend”, and “Flower Rhapsody”. I haven’t read the last four until now so I can’t even give any decent comments ;__;

And then there’s the second line with: Mazjojo’s “4Hero”, Ockto cs’ “B.O.C.A.H.”, Chairunnisa and Adrianne Yuanita’s “Chrysanthemum”, and Erick Sulaiman’s “Binatang Jatuh”. I’ve decided on reviewing “Binatang Jatuh”, at first I thought reviewing “Chrysanthemum” is not a bad idea, and of course “B.O.C.A.H.” But then I’ve fallen in love with this “Binatang Jatuh”. Hahaha.

Oh, wait I forgot to mention the “special” line of Koloni’s. The one published during Ramadhan last year, the “Ngabuburit!”, a comic compilation of five stories. Inside it you can find Galang’s “Garudaboi Patroli Sahur”, IPOT’s “Buah Kejujuran”, Azisa Noor’s “Ramadhan 2000 H”, Dyotami’s “Cincaw Setan!!”, and Fachreza’s “Karina”.

I think I’ve waste too many times already so let’s just begin.

Binatang Jatuh

by: Erick S.

Review by LSS/Annasophia

So where should I start? A quick synopsis, review of the story maybe.

Binatang Jatuh brings us a naive fantasy with satirical style, a unique satire exclusive to Erick I would say I’ve seen his cartoon before also to be added his previous book “From Bandung with Laugh”. Err, wait..did I say “naive fantasy with satirical style”? If yes, no I’m not having some kind of vocabularical or even logical (what? syntax?) error here. The truth is like that, at first glance you may say this is a kind of naive fantasy that brings us back to our childhood (and early teenage) where we would wish upon star of something kinda “unchageable”. Where, back then, we were having arguments with our parents or just shrugs when we saw our parents argue to each other. Then we just throw away the reality, dump ourselves on our own imagination, and then we were faced with fable-like reality where we actually spoke with animal, out-of-fantasy. But then we learn that animals are our ver own parents. Yes! That’s the first part I found interesting here, it’s fable-like aura where we see animals talk to each other like they were ordinary human, they think like us, they still act like our parents, thinks of our own good.  Wait, I’m throwing too much spoiler here.

Sense something serious here? Yes, the good part is even though you can say this comic as a “fantasi ngawur” in Indonesian you cannot neglect the reality part presented here. The part where the author brilliantly presents through a handful of characters. A child who silently sees his or her parents argue, a parents who argue with his or her child, a child who lives a double personality whether or not his or her parents are around. Yet, all of them wishes their parents would change into a better one so they wish upon and their wish became true! Where fantasy meets reality.

The satire parts, kinda interesting. Since it takes place in Bandung I cannot give so much review. But from what I can get is the author refering on something regarding the town’s sity planning. Yes, I’ve heard a lot from friends, gossips, where Bandung has turned into something like shopping paradise but it’s not that great. Even though it is called paradise there’s so much things that is less than paradise. The city planning just…I don’t know if it’s that bad since I live in Jakarta

Anyway the satire are more than that. More than just satirical critics, you can find the satire quite amusing. Most of the laughs I get from reading this comes from the detail in the background. As for the visual, maybe it’s not that great compared by any of other Koloni’s but it has its own style, it his style. Whenever you take a look you can say immediately, “Hey, it’s Erick’s!” It’s not bad for me personally, the style suits the concept, profile, and story well. I can’t say the graphics are bad, in fact I like it! There’s a popular saying that it’s not necessary to have a marvellous skill in drawing if you want to make a comic. Here is the proof, it’s not the skill it’s the identitiy and and how your drawing suits well with yourself. But there’s some condition also and I’m not here to talk about it right now. But just check “Naburo”, the drawing skill makes me cry and eventually it makes me cries even more when it turns out into an actual comic book. So I would say the visual here in “Binatang Jatuh” is great in its own way. You can’t say it is influenced by Japanese or Western, so just throw away that useless argument between Japanese manga and Western comic regarding which one is influencing our comics more. We have Indonesian comic with its own style now.

Next, should we go to the packaging? Since out of other Koloni this one is different. While most of other Koloni packaged in a style that look like standard manga are packaged here in Indonesia, “Binatang Jatuh” packaged in a more similar way on how they package western comics. Bigger size, less thicker (I think it’s caused by the story itself though), full colour with a better paper quality. Also I found this comic placed not in the regular place where they put comic on display, instead on “Dunia Pengetahuan” section(?). I bought this comic on Metropolitan Mall’s Gramedia (Bekasi), I don’t know if it’s an error in arraging or what. Nor even I know how they put it on other place. Oh, also to mention it has a slightly higher price than the other. But come on, I think it’s worth it.

So in the end, final words. This one is a comic worth reading and having. Keep it as keepsake for next generation, spread it to your younger relatives, since the idea is not too complex and the morale is good too. Not only the familial issue I’ve mentioned beforem there’s also an environmental issue here. Like I said the critics of somewhat bad city-planning and for us to respect our environment, our flora and fauna, and also our parents. There’s much to learn for any teenager who read this comic. So instead of that gloomy and whining read this comic, it’s not that comical, it’s not that manga-ish, it’s not that dreamy. It’s great, it has drama, funny lines, action, fantasy. Just take a peek a bit and enjoy it. It’s worth having. 4 out of 5

I know I’m just a novice in this review thingy. So I apologize if there is any misinterpretation which eventually hurts your feeling or something. I don’t mean it, just say the word and I will do whatever I can to correct it. So sorry, and Thank You. Fill in the air next time~

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pic taken from here.

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