Published at 11:00 am.
A big Blacksad
The wait will have been worth it: Everything Falls, the second part of which has just been released, turns out to be the best Blacksad since Red Soul. This time the scenario is well put together: The evil cat investigates murder cases that, as he gradually discovers, are connected to a widespread corruption affair involving an ambitious building contractor and not very scrupulous union leaders. The whole thing is shrouded in almost Shakespearean intrigue and treachery – there are numerous references to the venerable English playwright's works – that give this adventure in 1950s New York its momentum. Juan Díaz Canales offers a society painting with meticulous tension, which Juanjo Guarnido once again masterfully illustrates… and alludes to van Gogh.
Blacksad – So Everything Falls Part 2
Dargaud
55 pages
True art
For Fabien Toulmé, drawing the material for his books from reality is more the rule than the exception. In Unforgettable he tells six stories based on as many testimonies. Some talk about the recruitment of their family to Jehovah's Witnesses and the consequences for their lives, others about a long-awaited love. Then it's about rape, fleeing a country at war, crime and rehabilitation. Stories told with great humanity by Toulmé, who we know has a keen eye for detail and an excellent ability to convey the moods of his characters. Its clean lines and soft colors contribute to the intimate character of this beautiful book, published last fall, but which we would happily ignore.
Unforgettable
Dupuis
126 pages
Ever dreamed about yourself
Before I open “I, Edin Björnsson, 18th Century Swedish Fisherman, Womanizer and Murdered by a Jealous Husband,” we believe that the endless title of this comic says everything it needs to know about the story it tells. Of course we are wrong. And it is one of the qualities of the author Edith that takes us through this story, which is about fishing and reincarnation. The Edin of this title may have been a womanizer, but above all he is a fatherless child who was raised by his mother, his aunt and also a man who was welcomed into the household to help. Most importantly, Edin would be one of the author's past lives… if the “magnetizer” she consulted is telling the truth. The anecdote creates a good story that ultimately turns out to be an ode to fantasy.
Me, Edin Björnsson
night owl
96 pages
Rewriting the history of dinosaurs
Marion Montaigne, a specialist in popular science, draws an interesting thread here: How did paleontologists reconstruct dinosaurs from pieces of bone? The author, obsessed with Jurassic Park (a film she has seen more than 400 times, if this autobiographical comic strip is to be believed), made it her subject of study. His pencil strokes are vibrant and his humor is frankly delightful. We're happy to follow her as she dusts off the story using her mischievous curiosity as a guide. Our Lost Worlds is not another illustrated book about the giants that populated the earth tens of millions of years ago, but rather an entertaining dive into history that can be given to young, discerning teenagers.
Our lost worlds
Dargaud
205 pages
Treasure hunt well done
Corto Maltese, the legendary hero of the no less legendary Hugo Pratt, is taken up again by Martin Quenehen and Bastien Vivès. We know the designer's graphic style, his sinuous and eloquent line, here immersed in boxes limited to black, gray and white of varying intensities. The boldness attempted in 2021 with “Black Ocean” is revisited: the story takes place in the early 2000s. Here Corto Maltese hijacks a cargo ship full of weapons. The operation is a success, but of course it gets him into a lot of trouble. Starting from the remnants of the civil war in the former Yugoslavia, the skillfully shot story takes him on a search for Alexander the Great's treasure. This tandem has a lucky hand.
The Queen of Babylon
Casterman
180 pages
The unknown knight
A specialist in medieval stories, Emanuele Arioli has reconstructed much of a lost story from the Grail Cycle and revived a forgotten hero: Ségurant (or Sigurant), the “Knight with the Dragon”. The comic, co-signed by the medievalist (screenplay) and Emiliano Tanzillo (drawing), is inspired by the rediscovered story but, as he explains in the introduction, mixes it with ancient Nordic legends. His hero here is called Sivar and is forced against his will to fight the evil fairy Morgana in order to find the Grail and save King Arthur's court. The story is convoluted and full of twists (as is usual in chivalry tales), but proves to be far too stitched together to claim any depth. The visual staging is impressive at times, but it doesn't shy away from being pretentious and there is little life in these characters with limited expressiveness.
The Dragon Knight
Dargaud
104 pages