This is a great travelog in comic form by Guy Delisle. It tells of his unique experience in North Korea, an experience that’s worth telling and worth reading about.
Since this is a recounting of his stay in Korea, there isn’t a plot to this story, it’s more a series of interesting scenes about the Guy’s life in a foreign country.
There is obviously a common thread about the government’s communist oppression towards not only the few foreigners that are allowed to go in (for financial reasons), but especially towards their own citizens.
Guy acknowledges that it’s hard to tell if his interpreters (and other Koreans) really believe the communist doctrine or if they pretend to believe it, in fear of being imprisoned. That’s an interesting question.
I didn’t know much about North Korea before reading this story, so I learned a lot from it. The comic format allows Guy to not only describe what he saw, but also to show us using his simple style. It’s simple, but perfectly conveys the feeling of the place.
I’ll be curious to read his other travel comics, especially the one about Shenzhen.