An Introspective Odyssey: Juni Ba’s ‘Mobilis: My Life With Captain Nemo’ Reviewed

“It has been centuries since the oceans rose and swallowed up all the nations of men. Now only beasts and unseen horrors lurk below the waves, kept in check by one man: Captain Nemo, in his legendary ship, the Nautilus. Until one day, young Arona comes on board his ship, a stowaway from times long past, giving Nemo his first crew member in years.

But as he raises the young orphan in his image, she begins to have questions that ask Nemo to dredge up the past: what has become of the world? Can it be saved? And was it all worth it?”

With his work on Djeliya, Monkey Meat, and Ninja Turtles, Juni Ba is a difficult creator to categorize. His style seamlessly blends Genndy Tartakovsky cartoons, Wes Anderson films, Franco-Belgian comics and Japanese Manga. With his latest work Mobilis: My Life With Captain Nemo, Juni Ba takes inspiration from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to create an introspective odyssey for a new generation.

Mobilis is a graphic novel that makes the most of its format. The over-sized hardcover gives the undersea adventure an epic scope and deepens the feelings of mystery and isolation. Because Mobilis is designed to be a stand-alone story, Juni Ba is able to take his time and deliver cinematic pacing and rich atmosphere. The use of non-verbal acting with the characters is what sells much of the pathos of the comic.

Despite the pulpy adventure origins of Jules Verne‘s source material, Mobilis is not a traditional adventure story like Indiana Jones. The closest comparison I could give Mobilis is a story like Robert Eggers‘ The Lighthouse– both follow two characters having increasingly heavier conversations, with a Lovecraftian horror element lurking in the background.

Some literary scholars believe that genre fiction is the contemporary equivalent of myths and legends. Juni Ba embodies this idea with Mobilis: My Life With Captain Nemo. The epic graphic novel transcends the labels and genre trappings of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Adventure to create a poignant and personal allegory. Juni Ba has already created a strong debut work with Djeliya, and now he has crafted his best comic yet with Mobilis.

You can order Mobilis: My Life With Captain Nemo right now on the TKO website.